The National Youth Employment Programme is faced with yet another hurdle with the Association of Road Contractors (ASROC) Ghana, over who has the right to fill pot holes and other repair works. The Association has issued a statement asking the NYEP not to interfere in works such as filling of pot holes, repair of broken drains, erection of road signs, de-silting of drains, road side clearing and alerting the roads and Highways Authority on works that needed to be done. ASROC is claiming its members who are more qualified than the 10,000 beneficiaries under the NYEP, have been given the mandate by the authority to perform the same task. The Deputy National Coordinator Alhaji Alhassan Tabsoba is therefore accusing ASROC of sabotaging the Road Maintenance Module introduced last year. He said the road contractors are not in the position to tell the NYEP the kind of services they should engage in. He told Asempa News road contractors have only done shoddy works which is the reason why NYEP came in to save the situation. He further mentioned that private road contractors cannot be the sole solution to road maintenance challenges in the country. He said if NYEP beneficiaries are taken off the job not less than 10,000 youth will be rendered jobless. Meanwhile the chairman for ASROC, Mr. Twumasi Mensah in a reaction said ASROC has very competent people who are much more specialized in the services than the NYEP beneficiaries are rendering presently. He said the association’s intention is not to prevent the beneficiaries from earning a living but it is rather an attempt to protect public interest in ensuring that best practices are maintained. He said beneficiaries must go through the same process and formalities as members before they are allowed to render the services they are involved in at the moment. He also advised that the youth should be enrolled at the Ghana Highway Authority’s training school to learn all aspects of road construction as well as road maintenance. Story: Jerry Tsatro Mordy/Abraham Lante Lamptey/Asempa News/Ghana