Neglected: MP for Afram Plains North Leads Residents to Construct Bridge Abandoned by Govt

Roads are essential in the development of every village and town and the case of Afram Plains North is no exception.

Afram Plains North Constituency of the Eastern Region with the majority of its communities on the Volta Lake Islands is one of the food production enclaves of Ghana.

Despite being surrounded by the Volta Lake and the River Afram, it has large farmlands which can be considered the biggest in the region food production hub.

The Constituency is home to many national geo-political settings of the country and has produced several Ministers of state and political figures.

Aside from serving as a revenue hub for the country due to its tourist attraction, its food production also attracts traders from nearby Districts like Afram Plains South, New Juabeng (Koforidua), Kwahu, Mpraeso, Agogo, Sekyere East, as well as others from neighbouring Bono East and Volta Region in the Island communities to do fishing business on the Volta Lake.

However, the nature of roads in the constituency which is also a District leaves much to be desired as residents wonder if all they deserve as a Constituency is to serve the needs of others and not be served.

Several major roads that provide linkage between the District capitals, Donkokrom to other farming communities are in their worst form of bad shape. Residents for years now have been struggling for access to good roads, water and electricity.

The challenges, according to the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Hon Betty Efua Krosby Mensah, have brought discomfort to residents after several pleas and appeals to present and past government officials were made.

Having been neglected for years, the MP said for her to take the bull by the horns to lead her constituents and all stakeholders including, chiefs, opinion leaders, security agencies, the youth and market women to initiate what she called, the ‘Self Help Project’.

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The most prominent of the ‘Self Help Project’ she revealed is to fix an abandoned major bridge under the control of the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) that serves as a link between the District capital and other farming and fishing communities

Hon Betty Krosby told EXPRESSNEWSGHANA via telephone that, the Bridge spans about 10 meters in length and about 3.3 meters width and is being constructed through her collaborative effort with residents without any financial assistance from the central government.

She said residents from their initiative led by herself as MP raised funds and other construction equipment to construct the bridge with an estimated cost of over GHS 280,000.00.

“This initiative is led by me as MP and the entire good people of Afram Plains North and I must add that this is a non-partisan project. Everyone, both the NPP (New Patriotic Party) and the NDC (National Democratic Congress) are involved. This move by my people must be lauded, and I urge other communities in the Constituency to emulate it since the government has abandoned us to our fate,” she said.

Hon Betty expressed appreciation to all stakeholders and key persons, especially the District Chief Executive, Hon Isaac Ofori, Lawyer Kwame Gyan, Hon Awuah Darko , Ign. Maxwell Mensah, Mr Boahene, the police, the youth and market women for their immeasurable contribution and efforts towards the construction of the bridge.

According to her, Hon Awuah Darko gave out over four trucks, bulldozers, and Culverts, the DCE gave out GHS20,000.00, Ign. Maxwell Mensah, who works at Somanya left his work and voluntarily stationed at the project to give engineering supervision free, the youth provided the labour force, the market women provided food and water as she spent over GHS60,000.00, among several individuals who also provided cement free and other needy resources.

She said, the ‘No Money Syndrome’ has been the excuse from the Ghana Highways Authority and the government that she had hope of earning support for the project.

*Hon BETTY WITH YOUTH WORKING ON BRIDGE*

Touching on the overall outlook of the Afram Plains North when it comes to infrastructure, Hon Betty said her people have been neglected for far too long and that the Constituency has poor distribution of accessible roads majority of which link the Volta Lake and Afram River.

She said the district prominently stands as the next biggest food basket in the entire Eastern Region but the road network in the District is in deplorable condition and not motorists -friendly whenever it rains.

The fruitless encounters thus informed her and the residents to think of another solution and that is to do it themselves as best as possible with engineers who offered to support them technically by advising on the project.

She expressed gratitude to the people of Afram Plains North for taking it upon themselves to fix the Bridge and assured them that, she will always be for the good of their needs and priority.

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Some of the residents, who contributed labour to the project expressed dismay at how during the election seasons, some top politicians passed over the same bridge, saw its deplorable nature; yet turned a blind eye to it.

They are disappointed in the government for neglecting them despite being fully aware of their needs but consoled by the fact that they have an MP who is behind them and leading the only option available, the ‘Self-Help project’ as they can no longer have faith in the government to come to their aid.

The Afram Plains North District is bounded by five districts namely, Kwahu Afram Plains South to the south, to the east with the Volta River, to the west with two Districts in the Ashanti Region precisely the Sekyere East and Asante-Akim Districts, to the north with two districts in the Brong Ahafo Region namely Sene and Atebubu.

The population of Afram Plains North District, according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census, is over 130 thousand representing about 4.6 percent of the region’s total population.

The main economic occupation in the district is fishing and farming, which constitutes about (65%) of the working population. The most important cash crop cultivated is cashew followed by staples like cassava, maize, plantain, yam, cocoyam and oil palm.

It has tourism potential as the whole land area of the Afram Plains North District is almost surrounded by the Volta Lake, the Afram and Obosom Rivers. Although the Volta Lake offers a lot of tourism potential, these have not been harnessed to the fullest. Some important tourist sites are a trip on the Obosom River to the Digya game reserve, Agordeke beach and the numerous Islands in the Volta Lake. The most famous Island is the Dwarf Island.