Chiefs Buy Bush Meat To Influence Road Rehabilitation

Tension is gradually mounting at Aduoku, a cocoa growing area in the Aowin District over what the residents described as failure by government to fulfill a political promises to upgrade a seven kilometer stretch of road in the community. According to the people, all efforts by Nananom and opinion leaders in the area to get government officials honour their promises have failed as several visits to the District Chief Executive�s (DCE) officer to demand answers have yield no results. They said before the 2012 election, the DCE for Aowin, Ofori Larbi and his party members visited the people of Aduoku and promised to upgrade the road to enable the people access neighbouring towns. The opinion leaders said to ensure the fulfillment of the pledge they bought one fat ram, fowls and bush meat on many occasions to some big men to speed up the process. Speaking to the Daily Heritage newspaoer, the Odikro of the area, Nana Akwei revealed that due to the bad nature of the roads, cocoa purchasing clerks and pregnant women in the community find it very difficult to access the road during raining season. A situation Nana Akwei said has led to several deaths of people who ordinarily may have survived their various sicknesses if they had early access to hospitals or other health centers. �Several dry cocoa beans and other valuable products which could have earned the country millions of cedis and probably dollars have all perished because of the bad nature of the road� Nana stated. The Odikro is, therefore, appealing to the government to upgrade the road before the rains start to avert any unforeseen dangers on the people of the area. In a telephone interview with Daily Heritage, the DCE debunked allegations leveled against him by the people of Aduoku that he failed to fulfill his promise to upgrade the seven kilometer stretch of road linking Apuja to the area. According to him, the contract was awarded by the government under the Feeder Road department two years ago, but the contractor has failed to commence the project. ��And you know my friend, in an era of judgement debts and so forth we cannot do anything unless the ministry terminates that particular contract.� He stated