Some residents of Afram Plains North District of the Eastern Region have taken to social media to express their shock over claims by President Akufo Addo that construction of a landing bay is 40% completed at Agordeke for safe landing of pontoon operating on the Volta Lake.
Delivering the state of the Nation Address Tuesday, March 9, 2021, President Akufo Addo said “the construction of ferry landing sites along the Volta Lake at Dambai and Dambai Overbank is sixty-eight (68%) complete, whilst that of Yeji, Makango, and Agodeke is forty-six percent (46%) complete. In total, seven (7) rescue and high-speed patrol boats have been procured by the Ghana Maritime Authority and deployed into service to improve the safety and security of our maritime domain and inland waterways.”
Shortly after the speech, some residents of Afram Plains North took to social media to dispute the claim by the President.
“Hello, hold on. Did the President just say the construction of the landing bay at Agordeke is 46% complete? Come on, let’s put politics aside. Anybody, coming from Afram Plains who has traveled through the Agordeke-Kpando-Torkor stretch of the Volta Lake recently will know that the President lied. Whoever it was that fed the President with that information should be arrested for causing financial loss to the country. Like how? Who does that? Which landing bay has been 46% completed? Who is the contractor on-site? When was the last time s/he visited the site to work? This is a gross disrespect to the good people of Afram Plains. We deserve better than this” Joshua Tetteh, a Journalist and a resident of Donkorkrom stated.
Another resident Thomas Nkrumah wrote “I’m not sure it’s Nana who has laid again my people. Are the big men who are the political first 11 players in the ruling government who have fed Nana with those things? As Nana said this, Afram Plains north I believe we have MP? But she may not say anything to challenges or drawn his attention to it that his people are lying to Him. She’ll wait till 4 years to come so that she can be using it as a campaign that Nana said he has done 40%of the Agordeke landing bay but nothing. Sometimes we’re the cause of our harm but may not be aware.”
Management of the Ferry plying the Agordeke-Torkor stretch of the River Volta has warned that the absence of a landing bay could force them to relocate and lodge at Kpando-Torkor instead of the usual Agordeke which will affect services being rendered to the people in the area.
The ferry operating on Agordeke to Torkor was provided by John Mahama in 2016 but did not have a landing bay. Operators of the ferry, therefore, struggle to get a safer place to anchor.
Construction of a landing bay was however awarded on contract by Akufo Addo-led government but the project has not seen the light of day.
According to residents, nothing has been done at the project site therefore thrown into a state of a disbelieving claim by the President that the project is 40% complete.
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
