Sokoban residents unhappy over bad roads; call for urgent action from govt
Road users and inhabitants of Sokoban, in the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly of the Ashanti region, are growing increasingly agitated over the deteriorating state of the road network in the area, despite assurances from authorities to fix the roads.
The Sokoban stretch to Obuasi, Bekwai, and other regions such as the Central and Western regions is one of the shortest routes to take from Kumasi.
However, a 500-meter stretch within the Sokoban township remains in a poor state, making it a herculean task to use that particular area. As a busy stretch in such a terrible state, there is always traffic congestion, and many road users complain of having their vehicles break down due to the bad nature of the road.
This portion, primarily within the Sokoban township, becomes nearly impassable during rainy seasons and generates excessive dust in the dry season.
Local residents and the assembly member find this situation unacceptable, especially considering the numerous assurances from government officials, while the situation keeps getting worse.
“The road construction project commenced in 2018, but as of 2023, it is still in this poor state. Relevant authorities have all been here to give assurances, but it has still not been fixed. The situation gets worse anytime it rains. Aside from that, there have been numerous accidents, and vehicles using the stretch keep breaking down. All these are as a result of the fact that the road project has been abandoned,” Kwadwo Boateng, the assembly member for the area, noted.
“I just don’t understand why they have constructed the outskirts and have not fixed the Sokoban township itself. We have engaged the authorities, but there has not been any headway so far,” Opoku Adusei, a resident, added.
Apart from the main stretch, various roads within Sokoban and its surrounding areas are in deplorable conditions. The contractor responsible for these road projects has abandoned work, exacerbating the deterioration.
An opinion leader in the community shared that the dust on the roads has impacted his health, leading to frequent illnesses and hospital visits.
“Right in front of my house is dusty. Every three months, I have to run to Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) because of the dust,” an opinion leader, Kwesi Boakye, stated.
Inhabitants recall numerous instances of road accidents occurring in specific areas due to the poor road conditions.
“In the past few months, three articulated trucks have been involved in accidents because of the state of the roads. At times, when the trucks get involved in accidents, it affects the transformer, and electricity supply gets affected for days. The situation also leads to the blockage of the portion of the road as other vehicles are not able to use the stretch,” Nana Boakye Yiadom, Adontenhene of Kaase and resident of Sokoban, lamented.
“The state of our roads is indeed a worrying one. The dust is unbearable, and numerous road accidents are recorded here. We want the president to intervene,” a resident, Martha Boakye Yiadom, stated.
Sokoban is renowned for its industrial enclave, the Sokoban Wood Village, serving as a business hub for thousands of artisans and business operators. With the linking roads in such a terrible state, woodworkers have voiced their concerns about the detrimental effects on their livelihood. They say they are gradually losing customers who refuse to do business with them due to the road conditions that lead to their enclave.
“Some of our customers have stopped coming here just because of how unmotorable our roads are. Some of them are complaining about high transportation costs, largely due to the poor nature of the road,” Abubakar Halifa, coordinator of the Sokoban Wood Village Workers Association, stated.
Responding to the concerns raised, the Mayor of Kumasi, Samuel Pyne, explains that the delay in continuing the various road projects within Sokoban is primarily due to inadequate funds, which has caused the contractor to halt work.
“The hindrance is cash. I cannot mince words but be very honest with our own selves that the situation that we are in now, it is not the best of times. Therefore, the inflows of credit from the central government for some of these projects have been a little slow.”
The post Sokoban residents unhappy over bad roads; call for urgent action from govt appeared first on Citinewsroom – Comprehensive News in Ghana.
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