Chiefs in about 50 Farming Communities in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region have banned political activities on their land .
The ban is in protest against the failure of government to rehabilitate the only road linking the Communities .
Oborpah to Klo Djerkity road was a tarred road constructed by Ghana’s first President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah which connects dozens of farming Communities including Oborpa West, Trawa, Abobeng, Oborpa Dornguam, Abobeng ,Oborpa East, Ogornya, Akortor,Yonguase ,Ordornor ,Poponya ,Gbadagidi among many along the stretch to Akosombo, Odumase Krobo and Oterkpoku and to Koforidua.
However, the road has deteriorated and become unmotorable as bridges on the road have collapsed making it difficult for farmers to transport their farm produce to market centers especially when it rains.
Traders from Accra, Tema, Ashaiman, Koforidua, who used to come to the area to buy from the farmers have stopped coming for many years due to deplorable nature of the road.
“The Market at Klo Djerkity was a very vibrant market where we had traders coming from Tema, Ashaiman, Koforidua and Accra to buy food stuff from the farmers because we have over 50 farming Communities who all bring their food stuffs here but because of the poor road the market has collapsed.The structure is there but nobody comes to buy here. We the women here are suffering we have to carry our produce to long distance to town before we get buyers so we can get money to buy fish,soap among others”.
“Former Hearts of Oak and Black Stars goalkeeper James was bone here. His mother used to trade in on this market to take care of her children and family so this is a market which was helpful to farmers in this area,” a resident stated.
Pregnant women with complications and critically ill patients die due inability of vehicles to come to the village to swiftly transport the victims to hospital.
The Chief of Klo Djerkity Moses Tetteh Padi says Traditional rulers in the area have petitioned the appropriate authorities on their plight.
“We have petitioned the Municipal Chief Chief Executive, Ghana Police Service,Korno of Manya Krobo, Eastern Regional Minister and his Deputy, we have petitioned MP, political leaders and the Electoral Commission about our road and we are telling them that No road No vote, no Light no vote .so nobody should come here ”
The Chief of Oborpah Community ,Agbertey Tetteh said all Chiefs in the area have resolved not to allow political parties to campaign, paste Political posters and erect political billboards in the area threatening to boycott the December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections subsequently if the road is not rehabilitated .
“All the Chiefs here about 50 of them have resolved not allow any political party from erecting billboard or posting campaign posters in any of the communities .We will also not allow campaign. We are saying it live and clear in the media so that the politicians will be aware because we have informed the youth so if any politicians come here and defy this directive and something happens to him nobody should complain”.
Last week, the Chief and people of Oborpah stopped a grader operator hired to grade the road by the Deputy Eastern Regional Minister Samuel Nuertey Ayertey arguing that the road does not need mere grading but rehabilitation and construction of four collapsed bridges therefore demanding that the road is awarded on contract for proper work to be done.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Kojo Ansah