Nana Ainoo Kwagyan III, the Chief of Esiama in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, has urged Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, to lobby the Government to start renovation works on the bridge over River Ankobra.

He noted that the bridge, linking the Nzema area to other parts of the country and neighbouring La Côte D'Ivoire, was crucial to socio-economic growth, hence urgent steps must be taken to avert its collapse.

Nana Kwagyan III said this when Mr Buah called on him at his Palace as part of the MP’s working tour of the Constituency.

He reminded the government of the crucial nature of the Ankobra Bridge to the country’s international trade and urged the MP to collaborate with the authorities for work to start on the bridge.

Mr Buah, also the Minority Leader in Parliament, said he had questioned the Minister of Roads and Highways on the floor of Parliament on steps being taken for work to commence on the bridge.

He said the sector minister informed the House that the bridge was one of three bridges awarded on contract for renovation, but the loan earmarked for the project was not forthcoming.

Nonetheless, the government was committed to exploring all other options to begin works on it, he said.

Mr Buah indicated that the economic activities between Ghana and other West African countries necessitates that the early repair of the bridge, “else should it collapse, inter and intra national commerce will come to a halt”.

Meanwhile, sources at the Ministry of Roads and Highway told the Ghana News Agency that repair works on the bridge would commence soon.