Members of the Krantori Area Council in the Ahafo-Ano South of the Ashanti Region have expressed concern about the way government awards feeder road contracts without the knowledge of the chiefs and the people of the beneficiary communities.

This practice, they observed, either generate conflicts between the contractor and the communities, promotes the execution of shoddy works or delay in the completion of the project due to friction among them which comes with extra cost.

They alleged that since the awards of contracts by government are done without the knowledge of the beneficiary communities, most contractors do not respect any suggestion or inputs made by the local people, making them not feel part of the execution of the project.

At the Council’s meeting to discuss some pertinent issues, such as the reshaping of the Kunsu junction to Apenamadi-Bonkwaso and Kunsu-Abaasua roads, Mr. Kofi Agyei, the Krantori Area Council Chairman, alleged that the contractor working on the Bonkwaso No.2 to Apatatum road had left the job site for some time now without any notice to either the local council or the local chiefs which to them was a great insult to them.

To them, this happened because the local Council and the beneficiary community were not involved in the process of awarding the contract. 

 "The contractor had left without informing us and our checks at the District Assembly are that he had lied to them that the project had been completed and had collected his money and left while the project is left hanging”, he added.

The Council observed that poverty was endemic in the area because it was difficult to transport farm produce to market centres for sale, due to the poor state of the roads linking the various farming communities. 

 The Council said the perennial low revenue accrued from farm produce as well as the post harvest losses could only be reduced if efforts were made to reshape the roads to make them motorable for easy transportation.   

Mr. Kofi Agyei again lamented over the haphazard parking by some heavy load trucks in the Kunsu township and its environs which he noted had the potential of causing havoc to lives and properties.  

He said the council was planning to convene a meeting between the Forestry Service Division and the drivers of the trucks to find ways of dealing with the situation. 

 The Council also expressed worry about the increasing spate of theft in the area, saying "there is the fear that the situation could develop into a fully blown arm robbery which will not be in the interest of the communities”.

Source: Statesman