WORK TO START ON DAMONGO-SAWLA ROAD (DG, SEPT 22, 2011, PAGE 35)

THE construction of the Sawla-Damongo-Fufulso road in the western part of the Northern Region is set to commence in October this year. The road, which is to be developed into a major trunk road, would link Tamale, the capital of the Northern Region, to Wa, the capital of the Upper West region. When completed, it would improve the socio-economic lives of the people by enhancing mobility, aid the transportation of agricultural produce, increase trade and serve as a catalyst for the development of the communities located along the route. The road also serves as the only access route to three of Ghana’s important tourism landmarks, the Mole National Park, the Larabanga Ancient Mosque and the Mystic Stone. The District Chief Executive for West Gonja, Mr Adam Mutawakilu told the Daily Graphic in an interview that the project would be financed from a $166m grant facility extended to the government by the African Development Bank (AfDB). He said the project would be executed by two Chinese construction firms, the China Waters and Electrical Co-operation China (CWEC) and the Harbour Engineering Co-operation (HEC) in two lots. The first lot, he noted stretches from Fufulso junction to Larabanga, and would be executed by the CWEC, whiles work on lot two, which extends from Larabanga to Sawla, would be undertaken by the HEC. Mr Mutawakilu said already the contractors had gone on site and were setting up their camps to start work on the 147.5km road, which traverses three districts, Central Gonja, West Gonja and Sawla-Tuna-Kalba districts. “They are currently making attempts to locate sources of construction materials, such as chippings, water and gravel,” he stated. The DCE further revealed that compensation had already been paid to all persons whose buildings would be affected by the project and therefore no objections were expected from the people. “We finished the payments as far back as March after we concluded negotiations with all the affected persons,” he said. The poor state of the Sawla-Damongo-Fufulso road had been a major source of worry not only to residents of communities located along the route, but travellers who use the route to Wa and Bole. Several portions of the road are inaccessible during the rains as gaping and undulating potholes have developed on these portions, sometimes forcing drivers to abandon the route. The upgrading of the road into asphalt had been captured in the budgets of past and present governments on a number of occasions, but the real work had remained a mirage. Some political leaders even cut the sod for the construction of the road on one or two occasions, but all these later turned to a camouflage. “We hope this time around, it would not be the usual promise and fail. We need to see concrete action before we take these statements serious,” a resident of Damongo, Mr Abdul-Fatawu Bukari stated in an interview.