Residents of Sherigu in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region, have urged the government to resume work on the Bolgatanga-Sherigu-Naaga road.

The 30.85kilometre dusty and pothole-inundated road links the Tanzui, Zorbisi, Sokabisi and Sherigu communities in the Bolgatanga Municipality to Naaga in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality.

The government awarded the road on contract to ARACO Construction Limited in 2018, the contractor moved to the site in 2019 and was expected to complete the construction work with bitumen in two years.

Mr Stephen Akugre, the Assembly member for the Kumbilingo Electoral area, who addressed the press on behalf of the residents, said, “Five years have passed, and the hope that once brightened our hearts has dimmed.

“The contractor, instead of completing the road within the stipulated time, has packed up his equipment and trucks, leaving the project unfinished. The road remains in a deplorable state, causing untold suffering to the people who use it daily.”

He said the road had significantly deteriorated due to neglect and what were once manageable potholes had deepened into what could be described as pools in the middle of the road.

“These water-filled craters pose a danger to road users, especially during the rainy season. The road becomes muddy, slippery, and nearly impossible to navigate. Farmers, traders, and commuters are frequently stranded as vehicles, motorbikes, and tricycles otherwise known as ‘Can Do’ get stuck or break down on the treacherous path,” he said.

Mr Akugre further indicated that during the dry season, the road turns into “a dust-laden hazard, polluting the air for residents and traders who conduct their businesses along the stretch.”

Mr Akugre noted the importance of the road and said it was the primary route through which goods were transported to feed the urban population, “Without this road, it would be nearly impossible to sustain the economic activities that support thousands of livelihoods in our communities and beyond.

Mr Akugre, who is the Presiding Member of the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, indicated that apart from the significance of the road in trade and commerce, it also served a critical health corridor.

He said Sherigu and its surrounding communities depended on the road to transport sick and injured people to the Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga, a major referral centre for the Region.

“In emergency situations, every minute counts, and the accessibility and condition of the road can make the difference between life and death for patients seeking medical care,” he said.

The Assembly member noted that considering the significance of the stretch of road, the people of Sherigu, Naaga, and surrounding communities were disgruntled and saddened by the government’s inability, through the contractor, to complete the road on time.

He emphatically stated “We are giving the government and the contractor a 10-day ultimatum, starting from today, to take decisive action. If ARACO Construction Limited fails to return to the site and resume work within this period, we will have no choice but to organize a mammoth protest against both the contractor and the government.”

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga, Robert Atule, the Managing Director of ARACO Construction Limited, denied abandoning work on the road and said, “I worked from November 2023 to July 19, 2024, constantly non-stop”.

He explained however that owing to the rainy season which started in June and the heavy-duty equipment used, they had to hold on until the rains stopped. “We are mobilizing back to the site by the first week of November when the rains would have stopped, and we can work.”