The people of the Volta Region are planning to organise a demonstration against the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government for deceiving them into voting for the party with a number of promises, which the ruling party has failed to honour.
A Senior Divisional Chief of the Asogli State, Togbe Anikpi III, who dropped the hint when President Mahama visited Ho over the weekend, said, during the electioneering campaign, the ruling party promised to construct the much-publicised eastern corridor road to link up the region to the three northern regions, but after winning power, the project, among a host of others, has been abandoned.
According to Togbe Anikpi, who was livid over the development, when they protested to some government officials about the way the ruling party had deceived them, they were told that there was no money in the national kitty to execute the projects promised the people, an explanation they (chiefs) refused to accept.
The Divisional Chief regretted that when the government got wind of their intention to embark upon the demonstration, the President decided to visit them.
Togbe Akpini told President Mahama that despite his presence in the region, and the latest assurance he had given them, the language his government understood is demonstration, and that the intended demonstration would still come off on Wednesday, June 25th, 2014, to let the world know that the ruling party had deceived them.
The Divisional Chief did not understand why the Mafi-Kpedzegblo-Ho portion of the Sogakope-Adidome-Ho Fume road, which the late President Mills cut the sod for the construction in 2009, had still not been completed.
According to him, the situation has also been exacerbated by the closure of the Adomi Bridge, which is making it a herculean task to travel from the region to Accra and beyond.
Togbe Akpini also made reference to the construction of the Ho Central Market, which the government told the whole world it was going to do, but, to date, not a single block has been laid.
He also mentioned the redevelopment of the road leading to Ho the township into a dual carriage way, to befit its regional capital status, but nothing has happened after four years.
Responding to the concerns of the chiefs and their subjects, President Mahama assured them that work on the Kpedzegblo to Ho portion of the Sogakope -Adidome -Ho -Fume road had started.
He was, however, not happy about the way technocrats mislead the government, thereby, creating the impression that government was not prepared to promote development activities.
The President promised again, that the construction of a new sports stadium for Ho would definitely be carried out, and that the Ho Central Market and town roads would all be tackled, as promised.
Touching on the transportation challenges facing the people in the region, President Mahama disclosed that plans were underway to build another bridge at the lower Volta Basin.
“We have not forgotten about [the] Volta Region, and have not neglected the people,” he stressed.
There was, however, drama, prior to the arrival of the President, as contractors working on some of the roads in the region mobilised and moved to site to create the impression that construction was still ongoing.
