Leila Djansi unhappy with bad roads in Volta Region

MOVIE producer, Leila Afua Djansi has joined calls for roads in the Volta Region to be rehabilitated.

She is also rallying support for a campaign dubbed: “#Fixvoltaroadsnow# and has called on people from the region to support the cause to ensure the region gets its fair share of development.

“If you are from the region and reside at home or abroad, consider adding your voice to the campaign since the region also deserves its fair share of good infrastructure,” Leila told Graphic Showbiz.

Leila Djansi also called on residents to exercise their right to protest for the Volta Region to also get the needed investment.

Reminiscing about her days travelling on roads in the region to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to visit her mother who was then a student of nursing, the 40 & Single producer said the smooth nature of the roads from Ho to Accra often made the journey exciting.

Leila expressed worry that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) which had ruled Ghana for several years, and had massive support in the Volta Region, often referring to it as its “World Bank,” had done nothing to reward the people’s loyalty.

“Back in 2016, ex-president John Mahama’s government hurriedly plunged bulldozers onto the bad roads and displayed some white elephant in the name of an airport to convince voters to exercise their franchise in favour of the NDC,” Leila stated.

The Volta Region, Leila stated had industrialisation potentials citing communities such as Ziope in the Ho Municipality, which she said could be a hub for tomato production and wondered why stakeholders had not lobbied for a tomato cannery to be established in the community.  

Leila further queried why fishing communities such as Dzemini in the South Dayi District, Kpandu Torkor in the Kpandu District that have a booming fish trade but is also saddled with bad roads have not be given the needed attention.

“These communities hauls in so much fish that is briskly smoked and transported to the Adabraka market in Accra and other markets within the national capital.

Perhaps, fish trade doesn’t necessarily register on the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) so government doesn’t care.

“If there were a hygienic hub for these traders; a smoking, drying, cleaning facility and a structured form of distribution that earns them money and pays a little tax to the regions/state, things might be different,” she said.
 
Leila expressed her disappointment in the members of Parliament from the areas with badly damaged roads, assembly representatives, District and Municipal Chief Executives (MDCEs)  for their inability to lobby for any meaningful investments into the region.

She noted that as we countdown to the general elections in 2020, many political hopefuls from the region and outside will pretend to care, “and this might be the time to use the ‘world bank’ to our advantage,” she stated.