The unmotorable nature of the Zsima-Yabi-Akosombo-Akyiremadi road, which links the Nsima community to the Ashanti regional capital, Kumasi, has been identified as the prime factor defeating efforts by the authorities to encourage the youth into agriculture.
Nana Nkansah Boadu Ayeboafo - Nsimahene
The Chief of Nsima, Nana Nkansah Boadu Ayeboafo, in an interaction with a section of the press in his residence, observed that if the city authority would consider upgrading these roads, the quest of the nation to improve and boost agricultural yields could be achieved.
According to the Nsimahen, as a result of the bad nature of the roads leading to the farming communities in his traditional area, the farmers cannot easily transport their farm produce to Kumasi and other trading points to sell, noting that farm produce are therefore rotting in their farms and homes which is bringing hardship on his people.
Nana Nkansa Boadu said though a contract had been signed for the construction of the road for more than two years, the contractor is yet to do any serious work on the project, lamenting that the contractor had not turned up since December last year after digging trenches along the road.
He noted that he had in consultation with his elders decided to start some work on the road because of the hardship it was bringing on his people, but needs an urgent support of the government as well as Non Governmental Organisations.
The development oriented chief noted that in order to improve upon the beauty of his traditional area, together with his sub-chiefs and elders have decided to make sanitation their utmost priority. He said they had resolved that sanctions would be taken against people who disposed off water on the roads.
“We don’t wait for the local assembly to come and clear our refuse for us, as soon as we see it is getting plenty, we get the containers and clear them ourselves, this is to ensure that our community is always clean.” he stressed.
Another area of concern, according to him, was the increasing spate of invocation of curses in the community which he regretted, had even been okayed by Christians. “The use of river gods to curse fellow residents would do them no good but they continuously engage in that practice even ignoring the advice we give them to desist from that act”, he said, adding that “unity is key for the development of the Nsima town.”
The industrious chief advised residents of Kumasi and Ghana in general to encourage the youth to be hard working so that they can make some money on their own. In that case, he continued, the envy, and backbiting in the land would stop, and everybody would be concentrating on finding “something on their own.”
From James Appiakorang Jnr., Kumasi
