Residents of Sekyere-Krobo, a cocoa farming community in the Wassa East District of the Western Region, have expressed anger at a Chinese construction firm, Greenhouse, and Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) for failing to demolish houses along a road currently being rehabilitated by the Chinese firm.
They contended that the structures along the road under construction were preventing the company from doing quality work.
They contended that before the start of the project, houses which were to be affected were duly marked and compensation paid to the owners, adding that “it was, therefore, surprising that some of the houses have still not been demolished while the project continues unabated.
The 52-kilometre cocoa road, from Daboase Junction to Atieku, currently under construction, they noted, would open up the area for development.
The work has been awarded to two separate contractors, with the first (Lot One), which is 26 kilometres, is being handled by the Chinese firm while a local contractor, Justmoh Construction Limited, is handling the remaining 26 kilometres, which is Lot Two.
Wearing red armbands and chanting war songs, they threatened to prevent the contractor from working if he fails to demolish the marked structures, adding that the contractor had gravely deceived them.
In response, Western Regional Director of the Ghana Highway Authority, Ofori Frimpong told journalists that the road is being constructed according to standard specifications.
He said the road had been positioned in such a way that it would not affect any of the adjoining buildings.
Mr Frimpong explained that valuation officials were initially asked to number all buildings along the road "so that if there was a change design of the road, we would not have any difficulty in undertaking more demolitions.”
“But the need did not arise and that was why those houses were left where they were. The fact that the buildings were marked didn’t mean they definitely had to go,” Mr Frimpong added.
The GHA Director indicated that all structures and buildings hitherto interfering with the construction works had already been demolished and compensation paid to affected families, adding that those left are not interfering with the project in anyway.
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