Residents of Akyem Anyinasin in the Abuakwa North Municipality of the Eastern Region have warned they will mount blockage to prevent the Electoral Commission (EC) from bringing electoral materials to the community on December 7 if the road from Akyem old Tafo to the Anyinasin is not fixed.
The move is to reinforce the collective decision of the community to boycott the presidential and parliamentary elections.
The residents said this in a press conference held on Tuesday which was nearly stopped by police.
According to the residents, the Community though the stronghold of the ruling government has been taken for granted.
Anyinasin to Akyem Old Tafo road which is the main road that connects the Community to Tafo, Osiem, and Koforidua has been in tatters for the past four years given highway robbers the leeway to take undue advantage to attack commuters.
Many commuters have been shot dead while others sustained gunshot wounds in the countless robbery attacks by the notorious highway robbers.
“We have noticed we are not part of Ghana, we are neglected and deceived by the constant promises that go unfulfilled. For the past two years, highway robbers are terrorizing passengers on our road killing and injured others. One Mr. Richard Boateng was killed by the robbers while on motto bike from Anyinasin traveling to Akyem Tafo around 7:30 pm. Our MP Gifty Twum Ampofo during a visit to the bereaved family promised to ensure the deployment of police personnel to help patrol in the road while efforts are made to fix the road but nothing has been done” some of the residents told mybrytfmonline.com
“Just three-four days today the highways robbers blocked the road again at a gunpoint robbed several vehicles, took along our mobile phones they nearly killed us”, a victim narrated his story.
“We voted for the NPP in the 2016 general elections in the hope that we would get road connectivity, but now we feel shortchanged. Due to the poor road network, the youth are migrating to urban centers.”
According to women in the Anyinasin community, pregnant women are left stranded anytime they need to be rushed to hospital at Akyem Tafo or Koforidua as drivers refuse to ply the road after 4:00 pm.
According to the residents, a few months ago, some eight persons made up of three women were brought on the road with wheelbarrows to construct bridges but the residents say they want serious work to be done on the road not “deceptive road construction”
However, the Communication officer of Abuakwa North Constituency Osei Owusu in reaction accused the residents of Akyem Anyinasin of being ingrates.
He said the MP Gifty Twum Ampofo has awarded the road on contract and it is being fixed.
“They requested for 2 boreholes, Water at their chip compound, the mobile library at Anyinasin Presby primary with over 300 books, Anyinasin Methodist school requested for metal desks, Anyinasin market is under construction, their road is also under construction, scholarships for students and many more, ” Mr. Osei Owusu said.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
