Veep Cuts Sod For Construction Of Fufulso-Damongo-Sawala Road

Vice Prez John Mahama

Just when the people of Gonjaland had lost hope of having the Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla road constructed by 2012 as promised by the ruling NDC during the 2008 electioneering year, the Vice President John Dramani Mahama recently, performed a groundbreaking ceremony signifying the construction of the entire 98miles stretch of road.

Per the contract, communities   along the Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla road are to benefit from a modern educational infrastructure, market, hospitals and a lorry park under the fufulso- Damongo-Sawla road construction project. “The contract would involve the provision of portable water to all the communities along the road, rehabilitation of all dilapidated schools, construction of health posts as well as CHPS Compounds and construction of a modern accident center at the Damongo District Hospital”, Vice President Mahama confirmed.

These communities are predominantly engaged in farming, producing over twenty-five percent of the food output in the Northern Region as well as inhabiting some of the most attractive tourist sites in the country. In spite of this potential, the road network is gravel surfaced with most sections unmotorable during the rainy season, as such grounding both public and private transport at certain times of the year.

The Vice President also assured communities without electricity of government’s determination to get them connected to the national grid. “I want to assure you that the contract has been approved by Parliament and to be executed by Hunagi Electrical of China to electrify 15 communities in every district of the Northern Region. This project covers 500 communities in the Northern Region alone and I want to assure all those on the Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla road that every community is going to be captured and electrified.” 

The Minister of Roads and Highways, Joe Gidisu cautioned the two construction companies engaged to execute the contract to observe good labour relations at their sites. Adding, he said “I also wish to assure our people that the Ministry of Roads and Highways will ensure that the necessary environmental safety and traffic management measures are taken to minimize any inconvenience to motorists and other road users.  I will like to caution the contractors about ensuring the best practices of labour relations at their sites more especially as the form of labour control at our constructional sites are different from that of their home country.”

Funding for the road project is a full grant from the African Development Bank while government of Ghana was responsible for the payment of compensation to project affected persons.

The road serves as the only access route to three of Ghana’s important tourism landmarks, the Mole National Park, the Larabanga Ancient Mosque and the Mystic Stone.

Speaking to Savannahnews, Damongo based non-governmental organization – Centre for Women Opportunities, said an estimated 2 million journeys are embarked upon by students who Kris-cross that road between the Upper West and Northern Regions per each academic year (first, second and third terms).

According to the Executive Director of CWO Mr. Cletus Zumeh, who like the Coalition of Agro Processors and Petty Traders, had been involved in advocating for the construction of the road over the years, an estimated 400 gari processors were in the Damongo town alone. 

People including students schooling in the Northern or Upper West Regions all stopped there to buy gari when going to school, he said, adding but because of the bad nature of the road and upsurge of armed robbery at certain periods of the year, many of such students preferred to pass through the Upper East Region for safety of their lives.

Mr. Zumeh also disclosed that people from neighbouring Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in recent past came to buy gari, shea butter and groundnuts with loads of trucks, but as a result of the poor nature of the road, many had refused to come and instead, chose to travel down south to buy these products. He stated that annually, all the various categories of traders and transport operators lose millions of cedis as a result of the bad nature of the road.