Complete abandoned Kajaji Agenda 111 project - Residents appeal to President Mahama
Residents of Kajaji, Wiase and Nyankontere, deprived communities in the Sene East District in the Bono East Region, have appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to complete the Agenda 111 Hospital project at Kajaji before the end of his tenure of office.
The residents said they would continue to support the National Democratic Congress (NDC) if only the government prioritised completing the project to provide emergency and secondary health services.
A resident, James Bejack, made the appeal when the Bono East Regional Minister, Francis Owusu Antwi, visited the district to interact with the chiefs and people of the area and identify some challenges to find solutions to them.
The abandoned hospital project, which is 78 per cent complete, began in January 2022 under the previous government and was due to be finished in 2023.
Frustrations
Mr Bejack said the stalled project had left them frustrated and hopeless, as the entire district could not boast any better health facilities.
"We know President Mahama's ability to execute developmental projects.
"If he completes this hospital project, we will continue to vote for the NDC," Mr Bejack said.
Also, the acting President of the Nkonmi Traditional Council, Nana Krunkum Sunkwa, bemoaned the lack of healthcare accessibility and other social amenities in the district.
"One of our greatest nightmares in this area is poor healthcare and roads.
"The past government started the Agenda 111 Hospital project, which was considered a crucial facility but has since been abandoned. We are appealing to the government to listen to our plight and complete it," he said.
Nana Sunkwa said, “We must travel long distances to Atebubu to access healthcare.
He explained that on some occasions, emergency cases, which could have been treated, resulted in fatalities as the Kajaji-Atebubu road was also in a deplorable state.
Financial challenges
When contacted, the site Engineer of the International Development Resources (IDR), a contractor of the Kajaji Agenda 111 project, John Usakpin, explained that the project stalled due to financial challenges.
He said work done on the project so far was 78 per cent, but the financial problem hindered its completion.
"We will require financial support from the government to complete the project.
We have raised a certificate at the national level, and we want the government to honour it so we can complete the facility," Mr Usakpin stated.
Regional minister
For his part, the regional minister, who inspected the facility as part of his working visit in the area, underscored the need to complete the project.
He promised to follow up on the certificate issue raised by the contractor.
"This is a critical issue because if you look at the catchment area, they don't have any point of health service unless they travel to Atebubu, and the road network is also terrible," he said.
Mr Antwi said both the Sene East and Sene West districts lacked standard hospitals, adding that the situation at Sene East would be treated with urgency.
Writer's email: biiya.ali@graphic.com.gh
