Following a Citi News report highlighting the challenges faced by residents of the ancient Kente Weaving town, Bonwire, due to the poor condition of their roads, construction work has commenced to address the issue.
In a previous Citi News report, Bonwire residents voiced their concerns about the hardships caused by the deteriorating roads connecting neighbouring communities.
As a crucial hub for Ghanaian Kente fabric, weavers highlighted how the poor roads negatively impacted their businesses, dissuading tourists from visiting the area.
Following the coverage of their plight on Citi News, construction workers are actively addressing road issues, providing significant relief to the residents.
“All inhabitants of Bonwire have over the years complained about the poor state of roads here. President Akufo-Addo has now listened to our call. Construction works are ongoing in many areas here. With the number of equipment they have brought here, we are hopeful that they will complete construction works before leaving this area,” Nana Poku, an opinion leader at Bonwire noted.
“We were indeed very worried when construction works on various roads here were abandoned. We were suffering because of the dusty road. As a tourist centre, many people were discouraged from visiting this area because of the poor road network. After complaining about this issue over the years, the government is now fixing it for us. We want the government to ensure work is completed to give us the needed respite,” another resident, Degraft Okai Kwabena added.
Drivers, who have experienced frequent vehicle breakdowns due to the poor road conditions over the years, are urging the government to ensure the completion of the construction to alleviate their ongoing struggles.
“The road projects here have been abandoned for a long time. We have always been complaining about it. Construction works commenced at a certain point but it was later abandoned and some residents even sustained injuries after falling into pits that were created. After we complained again, they resumed work and later halted work. They have once again resumed work but we fear work could be abandoned once again. We don’t want them to trick us because it is an election year and then abandon work again,” a disturbed taxi driver, Prince Boateng stated.
“Armed robbers used to take advantage of the poor road network to attack people here. We want the government to ensure construction works are not halted to give us some sort of relief because we usually experience vehicle breakdowns as a result of the poor state of roads,” Bismark Acheampong, a driver stated.
“We are excited about the ongoing construction works since our vehicles have been breaking down because of the poor roads here. We don’t want work to stall halfway through the construction. If they don’t complete work on the various road projects, we will vote against the government,” Kingsley Oppong Boateng, a driver added.
In an interview with Citi News, the contractors responsible for the road projects in Bonwire assured the public of their commitment to completing the work on schedule. They emphasize that all necessary allocations have been secured to facilitate an early and successful completion.
“The contract is for the rehabilitation of Bonwire junction-Asonomaso road. The entire length is around 11 kilometres. This project was awarded just at the beginning of this year. We are expected to complete it in 24 months’ time. We might not use that two years to complete. We might finish before our time because of the progress that is going on. Kofi Job is a big company. We have our logistics, we have some amount of money that is backing us. With the push of the government, we hope to complete the work in no time,” Kofi Kankam, Project engineer, Kofi Job Company Limited noted.
