Some residents of Suame, a suburb of Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, have expressed disappointment over President Akufo-Addo’s failure to touch on the stalled interchange in the constituency during Tuesday’s State of the Nation address (SONA) in Parliament.
The constituents say they expected the President to update them on the government’s commitment towards the completion of the project since they have not seen any progress after a sod-cutting ceremony in October 2022.
The construction of the four-tier interchange at Suame, according to President Akufo-Addo, was part of the government’s effort to improving urban mobility in the city and the Ashanti region at large.
Residents have been anticipating commencement and completion of the interchange with the delay in the project raising fears about the chances of the NPP winning more votes in the Ashanti region.
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, a.k.a. Chairman Wontumi, had, at a press conference in 2023, implored the President to release funds for work to commence to help the party break the eight-year mantle.
But since his press conference, the project has still not seen the light of day, building some mistrust in the people over the NPP’s neglection of the region in terms of development.
Some of the residents who spoke with OnuaOnline indicated that “we are disappointed in the NPP government for not paying attention to the Ashanti region. We voted massively for him to become President but look around, no development. You came here to cut the sod for the Suame interchange project, for almost seven years we haven’t seen the progress of the interchange.”
In a related development, the President during the SONA emphasised that his government, has, for the past seven years, resolved the intermittent power supply popularly known as ‘dumsor‘ the country was facing.
“Mr. Speaker, between 2012 and early 2017, there was nothing more demoralizing than the phenomenon we called DUMSOR. It was symptomatic of a dysfunctional system, and it caused widespread depression among businesses and households. After that experience, my government was determined that DUMSOR would not be inflicted upon Ghana and Ghanaians under an NPP government, and I am glad to be able to say, SO FAR, SO GOOD, we have managed to keep the lights on these last seven (7) years, even amid a financial crisis,”President Akufo-Addo said in his address.
Meanwhile, many people living in Kumasi and beyond have been experiencing intermittent power outages for some months now taking a swipe at the President’s claim, describing his statement as a bluff.
“Yesterday I slept without light in my house so it is never true that the NPP government was able to manage the power stability for seven years now,” a resident disclosed.
Former Energy minister cites GNPC, ECG’s debts as cause of prevailing ‘dumsor’
By Enock Baffoe|AkomaFM|Kumasi
