DANSOMAN ROAD TO COMPLETE BY AUGUST-ADDEY COKER

The New Patriotic Party Parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma South Constituency, Ursula Owusu has been condemned for purpotedly making statements to the effect that the contractor working on the Dansoman Dual carriage road is doing a shoddy work. In a swift rebuttal to her cooments on Metro Television, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Mr. Addey Coker who was accompanied by Management of Progressive Modern Company (PMC), a local construction firm constructing the 14.5-kilometre dual-carriage highway from Dansoman round-about to Dansoman Last Stop in the Greater Accra Region, has described as 'hypocritical and shameful.'

The NPP srcribe has stated on Metro TV that the firm, PMC, has been doing substandard work since commencement of the road in August 2010.

She was reported to have condemned the on-going project at Dansoman by the company as not providing designated bus stops, walk-ways, access roads and proper lighting system.

In his responses to react to NPP PC on Dansoman told journalist in Accra,that precisely the project site at Dansoman, Mr Addey Coker did not mince words at expressing disgust at Madam Ursula Owusu, describing her allegations and accusations as “unfortunate and frivolous.”

He pointed out that the allegations are simply calculated to malign the construction firm's hard-earned reputation and integrity in total, and disregard for all the hard work the company has been doing to complete the work on the time.

The NDC Chairnman also noted that the company was given two years to complete the work and that there is every reason for the so-called “opinion leaders,” to allow the firm to do a goog job than to rush with the work.

Mr. Coker also noted that the NDC government in its 3 years in office has been able to construct 7000 kilometer drains as compared to the 200 kilometer drain constructed by the erthwhile NPP government.

On his part, the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Ablallah Ahmed-Abdallah, gave the assurance that work will be completed by the end of August this year.

He explained that it has become neccessary to extend the project duration by another month due to some defects being detected in the course of construction.

Mr. Ablallah Ahmed-Abdallah also revealed that the construction of the Dansoman Exhibition roundabout has also been awarded to the project which is also a coontributing factor to the delay in completion, adding that Management of PMC is waiting for the Drawings on the Roundabout from the Department of Urban roads to begin work.

He also pointed out that the claims that work is poorly done is frivolous, adding that work on the project is 98% complete stating that, there is 14 bus stops along the road, and access roads are being constructed along the road.

He gave his firm assurance to the residents of Dansoman that despite this unforeseen circumstance, pragmatic measures are being put in place to complete the construction of the road ahead of the stipulated date.

He further explained that they initially had difficulty conveying materials from Shai Hills to the site, expressing concern about the people whose businesses were affected in the heat of the construction of the road.

“We've been working around the clock to finish the road which was started in August 2010 and will be completed by the end of this mouth ahead of its stipulated date,” he assured.

“We have observed with grave concern the closure of shops around the on-going construction in the area,” he lamented, urging the affected people to remain calm.

Mr. Abdllah was quick to warn residents in the area to desist from the habit of raining insults on the contraction workers, a situation he laments, does not augur well for the progress of work.

He expressed dissatisfaction with some comments by residents in the area that the contractor was not doing a good job with some even intimating that with the pace of work, they did not believe the work would be completed before the scheduled date.

He also refuted widespread comments by some residents in the area that the construction of the road is being undertaken without designated bus stops, walk-ways and proper lighting system.

He explained that the Dansoman main road was initially a single lane carriage way which, according to him, was full of potholes.

The initial plan, he noted, was to fill the potholes which posed as threats to both drivers and all those who used the road.

He revealed that the project was later changed to the reconstruction of a dual-carriage highway to ease traffic and remove the various threats it posed to those who plied it.