It is worth recalling that the Navio bridge collapsed on March 24, 2022, when a heavy haulage truck attempted to drive through it.
The collapsed bridge has since caused severe hardships for the citizens in the area, including mobility challenges, difficulties in transporting goods in and out of the area, and the isolation of other connecting communities. This situation has also affected public servants and businesspeople who use this route, which also connects with parts of neighboring Burkina Faso.
When the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area spoke on the Day Break Upper East Show in September 2022, he mentioned that steel parts for the bridge were being imported from the United Kingdom to fix it.
“Myself and the hardworking regional minister met with the minister for roads, and he assured us of working on it. The point is, a team came to inspect the broken bridge, and considering the wide nature of the river, they explored the possibility of using concrete. However, the technical experts suggested that a steel bridge would be the best option. In our conversation with the sector minister, it was revealed that they are importing steel materials from the UK. Once the steel arrives, they will commence the repairs,” the DCE stated.
In February 2023, the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, expressed concern that the collapsed Navio steel bridge in the Kassena-Nankana West District, if not fixed, could be used as an entry point for jihadists and certain terrorist groups. The minister, accompanied by the Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Road and Highways, visited the area to assess the extent of the damage.
However, the situation has remained unchanged four months later. When the Assemblyman for Buru-Navio, Roland Apugido, spoke to Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show on October 31, 2023, he explained that despite petitioning the president through the DCE and the Regional Minister, no progress has been made regarding the bridge.
“We have even submitted a petition to the president through the DCE and the Regional Minister, but as we speak, there has been no action taken on the bridge.”
“Two weeks ago, when I inquired about the progress of our petition from the DCE, he informed me that the petition has been sent, and they are reviewing it. However, he did not provide any concrete details about when the contracts might be awarded,” Mr. Apugido lamented.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
