It would be recalled that after a series of meetings among chiefs in the Buluk traditional area, the DCEs of the Builsa South and Builsa North Districts, the Upper East Regional Minister, management of MyTurn Construction Company and some young people from the aforementioned areas, the contractor, MyTurn, committed to completing at least 10 kilometres of roads within the Builsa South and Builsa North areas.
This came to light when the DCE for the Builsa South Area, Daniel Kwame Gariba spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show moments before some young people of the area hit the streets to protest the bad nature of the roads that had been given out under contract and yet had not been completed.
“Civil works have been done. Culverts are being done. What is left is for the bitumen to be put on the road. That is the substantial part of the work. The contractor assured us in that meeting that he was going to do 10 kilometres of bitumen between now, the time that we went for the meeting, to the end of the month [July 2022]. As we speak, he is doing that.”
But speaking on the same platform with just about 11 days to end the month, the youth group that demonstrated for the roads to be fixed has cast doubts on the ability of the contractor, MyTurn, to finish the portions of the road he promised fixing before the end of July.
When John Apaabey, Lead Convenor of the #FixtheBuilsaRoads now spoke to A1 Radio’s Mark Smith, he said admitted that while the contractor had done some work on the road, there may be a great chance that the 10km of roads promised may not be delivered on.
“Indeed the contractor made such a commitment after we has shown such intentions of going on the road to demonstrate to seek the quick fixing of our roads. The contractor made mentioned that although resources have not been made available to him, but from his own personal commitment, he was assuring us that he was going to 10km more on the road, within the next 1 month; from 1st July. That tells us that that would be on the 31st of July.”
“It was going to be this way; 5km was going to be in the Builsa North enclave, from Chuchuliga down to Sandema and then 5km also from Gbedema going to Fumbisi town. Today is 20th; [there are] 11 more days to the end of the month, I can report confidently that what we have in Builsa South now, to me, I am not sure that it is more than 1km. What I have gone through, even as at this morning, is not up to 1km.”
Mr. Apaabey continued to say that “they have laid some bitumen on the Fumbisi to Gbedema stretch of the road but it is not more than 1km. What it means is that the contractor, in his bid to fulfill his promise, has less than 2 weeks to be able to do the remaining 4 kilometres of putting bitumen on that stretch of the road.”
Touching on the roads that were promised by the same contractor in the Builsa North District, Mr. Apaabey explained that “I think he has done more than 2km; from Chuchuliga towards Sandema. I think he is done more than 1km; 2km or more. That is the extent of what I have seen so far.”
The Lead Convener, in his report, however, admitted that workers are on both ends of the road and are working. He said whether the contractor, MyTurn would be able to meet his own deadline or not, remains to be seen.
Attempts to reach the contractor and the DCE for the BUilsa South Area, Daniel Kwame Gariba on the day proved futile.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
