Traditional authorities in the Shai state of the Greater Accra Region, have threatened to mobilise the people to hit the streets if government continued to pay lip service to the rehabilitation of bad nature of roads in the Shai Osudoku District.
According Nene Ahwah, the president of the Shai Traditional Council, “the gravels used in the development of infrastructure in other parts of the country comes from the Shai Hills, but the very people on whose land the resource is being mined still live in poverty and this must not be allowed to continue”.
He said the patience of the people of the area to have its share of the national cake, was overstretched, and running out, and the next decision to take is to mobilise the people and hit the streets to register their protest against the neglect, and fight for what is due the community.
Nene Ahwah said “roads linking the Shai state are in deplorable conditions, while rocks from the area is being used for projects including the Tema Harbour expansion works”, he added.
He said the passion of the people to help government succeed could not be in doubt, but if their demands for equal opportunity continued to be ignored, the support would wane as the people would no longer have trust in the government.
Nene Ahwah also urged the government to provide the necessary tools needed for effective teaching and learning, to improve education in the area.
The president of the traditional council, called on government to make national security its priority to enable the people go about their activities in a peaceful atmosphere.
Nene Ahwah cautioned the youth to stay away from Tramadol, Marijuana and other drugs in order not to jeopardise their future.
He commended government for implementing the free Senior High School policy, the Nation Builders Corps (NaBCo) and the One million dollar One district programme, which would help improve the welfare of the people.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Shai Osudoku, Mr Daniel Akuffo, said work was ongoing on town roads and the major ones by the Ghana Highway Authority and urged the people to exercise patience while government took steps to address their challenges.
“The Ghanatta road has been done, the Ayikumma-Doryumu road is also on course, while contracts have also been awarded for the rehabilitation of the Dodowa-Ahenye road, the Leum and Asutsuare township roads,” he added.
He urged the chiefs to unite and support the assembly to implement government’s developmental agenda.
According to the DCE: “We need to seek lasting peace among our traditional leaders and all other groups who may have challenges among themselves, to smoke the peace pipe in order to have a united front to fight poverty and other related social vices”.
Mr Akuffo warned land guards operating in the area to desist from such practice or have themselves to blame.
He urged property owners to willingly pay their rates to enable the assembly to mobilise enough revenue to undertake the development projects towards improving the socio-economic status of the people.
By Lawrence Vomafa-Akpalu
