Traders in Yilo-Krobo lament over hazardous road networks in the area
Nkurakan (E/R), Friday, December 09, 2022
Traders and residents of the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern region are not happy with the state of their roads in the area.
According to them, the roads are in hazardous state in recent years and negatively affecting the progress of their trading businesses, particularly at the Asesewa, Klo-Agogo and Nkurakan major markets.
The situation, they bemoaned is subsequently affecting the socioeconomic livelihood of people of the Yilo-Krobo enclave.
In a random interview on Thursday, drivers, market women, businessmen, students and residents on the stretch of Nkurakan, Klo-Agogo, Otekporlu, Huhunya and Asesewa expressed worries about the dusty road networks affecting their health and businesses.
Mr. Stephen Kwabena Nyamekye Eku, a businessman and resident of Nkurakan, who is a development activist worried the area is the financial backbone and food security of the Yilo Krobo Municipality, generating huge revenue to the Municipality everyday, but has the most terrible roads.
He explained the Nkurakan, Klo-Agogo and Asesewa markets contributes significantly to the Internally Generated Fund (IGF) of the Assembly but authorities seems to look unconcern about their infrastructure development.
He pleaded with the contractors working on their roads to ensure quality and speedy work is done to revamp the trading businesses in the area.
Mrs Gifty Tetteh, a business woman in the area and resident of Nkurakan observed most traders could not go to the Klo-Agogo and Asesewa markets again because of the unsafe roads.
Nkurakan is a town and twice-in-a-week major market center located very near Koforidua, about 15 minutes drive from the Eastern regional capital, but in the Yilo Krobo Municipality.
Mrs Tetteh explained buyers from Tema, Koforidua, Accra, Adukrom, Akuapim-Mampong, Akropong, Somanya, Kpong, Atinpoku and Akosombo have stopped journeying to do trading businesses at the Asesewa and Klo-Agogo major markets because of the state of the roads in recent years.
According to her, Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays are the major market days at Asesewa and Klo-Agogo, Mondays and Thursdays are the Nkurakan major market days, but buyers from afar do not go to the Asesewa and Klo-Agogo markets again.
Mrs Tetteh said “it is worrying situation that one must find a place at all cost to change his or her dress after travelling to the Klo-Agogo and Asesewa markets before you appears somehow okay to do business”.
She said the Klo-Agogo and Asesewa markets in the 1970s to late 2000s were notably the biggest and reigning markets in the Eastern region, but the recent deplorable roads in the Yilo Krobo area has make traveling unsafe.
The entire area has been exposed to unhealthy breathing air, a situation making journeying traders to lose interest in doing businesses at the Klo-Agogo and Asesewa markets these years, she stated.
Mr. Benjamin Osieku, a driver said the road “from Koforidua-magazine-junction was graded about a year ago and is dusty throughout to Asesewa”.
He feared the situation could cause lungs disease outbreak amongst passengers, drivers and mostly local residents on that stretch because of continues inhalation.
The Assembly member of the Nkurakan electoral area, Mr. Afredi Thomas Amponsah advised the various youth groups in the area to burry all differences and come together to push for a common developmental agenda for Nkurakan.
He stated government is doing her part and he as the Assembly member is also doing all he has to do for the development of the area, therefore needed the support of all residents, particularly the youth wing.
Writer’s email:
ttchrietoph1@gmail.com
