In a shocking turn of event, plans to open up the Tanzui-Tindonmolgo road around the EP church in the Bolgatanga municipality of the Upper East Region have been halted due to death threats received by community members involved in the project.
The road, which aimed to provide better accessibility for residents, has become a contentious issue among certain members of the community according to the Upper East Regional Director of the Urban Roads Department, Engineer Peter Amoako.
Mr. Amoako said the threats were directed towards individuals who were actively involved in implementing the road project, including community leaders. The nature and severity of the threats were severe enough for authorities and project stakeholders to take them seriously, leading to the decision to abandon the plans for the time being.
“You are very much aware of the encroachment around the Tanzui and Tindonmolgo area. So, we wanted to connect from Tanzui Road to hit that side so that people can also have access. It became a death threat for those who were leading. And so, we eventually concluded that, in the interest and safety of their lives, they should hold on because we don’t want to lose anybody just because of giving you road”
He made this worrying disclosure during a town hall meeting held in Bolgatanga to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Ghana Institute of Architects.
Encroachment on demarcated roads spanning from the Chris Embassy church towards the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Tanzui to the Tindonmolgo community has made it difficult for residents to have access to their homes.
The inaccessibility of the road poses a significant safety risk in the event of an emergency such as fire or medical crisis since fire tenders or ambulance vehicles cannot enter the area. Refuse trucks are unable to enter the community to clear a heap of refuse collected behind the 31st December Women Movement Bakery.
The residents there are at risk of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, malaria, etc due to the difficulty in managing the waste.
Regarding the threats to the lives of people involved in opening up the road, the regional engineer did not mention the names behind it. However, sources are that a specific group within the community strongly opposed the road opening for reasons that are yet to be fully understood.
The identity of the threat-makers remains unknown at this point, but the incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of community members involved in the projects.
A resident of the community who spoke to A1 Radio under the condition of anonymity said some “powerful” people are behind the encroachment and structures belonging to those individuals can be demolished by a leader who is as fearless as the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga|Ghana
