While the government declared 2020 as ‘year of roads’, people in Akyem Oda in the Birim Central municipality have been arguing over the type of material to be used to surface their roads.

Member of Parliament for the area, William Agyapong Quaittoo, had stated in a live radio interview that it is impossible to have the roads asphalted because of the non-availability of a plant to produce the material to be used to surface the roads there.

Speaking in Twi on Akyemansa Radio in Akim Oda, he made the following statements that translate into English as: To me, sometimes we use the word ‘asphalt’ wrongly. The people of Oda must be made aware that for now, it will be difficult for them to see their roads surfaced with asphalt. Because the plant first has to be built near the area where the project is taking place but currently, there is no asphalt plant close to Oda area.

But speaking at the opening of a Police Station at Akyem Anamase built by a businessman and a philanthropist JA Biney, the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, announced that approval had been given for the surfacing of roads in three communities in the Eastern Region including Akyem Oda.

According to the Senior Minister, who is a former MP for Akyem Oda, roads in the region will benefit significantly from resurfacing by the time Nana Akufo-Addo leaves office as President of the Republic.

Speaking in Twi, he told the excited gathering that roads within the entire Oda township as well as those in Nkawkaw and Koforidua, are all going to be resurfaced with asphalt.

Listen to audio attached:

This led some citizens, including an aspirant contesting the Akyem Oda constituency primary on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alexander Akwasi Acquah, to question the basis for the MP’s comment as they said they also deserve to have their roads given the desired facelift.

NPP parliamentary primary

The Akyem Oda area has recently attracted the attention of poll watchers as a potential hotspot in the April 25 parliamentary primaries to select candidates for their respective constituencies on the ticket of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

This follows the decision of businessman, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, who is also a former spokesperson for the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to contest the sitting MP who is seeking a third term bid.

He has pledged to donate half of his salary to towards the establishment of a fund to cater for the developmental needs of the area.

The businessman has also promised to share his allocation of the MPs’ Common Fund among all 18 electoral areas that make up the Akyem Oda constituency in the Eastern Region if the NPP delegates give him the nod to lead the party into the 2020 parliamentary election.

The Chief Executive of The Community Hospitals Group further indicated that he will ensure that the elected assembly members, who are the agents of development at the local level, lead his development agenda in the constituency.

“Common Fund is one of the commonest funds available to every Member of Parliament. Whilst others are propagating the cancellation of it because they don't see the use and benefit of it, I have decided to fairly allocate it to the 18 electoral areas in the Akyem Oda constituency.

“Accountability of the quarterly fund will be the responsibility of elected assembly members of these electoral areas under the responsibility of my party's electoral area coordinators,” he said.