By Septimus Senessie in Kono
The long abandoned 20 kilometers of Koidu township roads in Kono and the 5 kilometer roads in the northern town of Kabala in Koinadugu district have resumed after Welle Group failed to deliver on them.
Some authorities in Kono said they were very disappointed that a native of the district, Sahr Ngegba, could not live up to the task despite the backings he had from his people and the government. They said he lacked man power and capacity.
When called up to react to the termination of his contract on allegations of incapacity, Ngegba, the manager for Welle Group could neither pick up his calls nor reply to our text messages.
Meanwhile, the construction works were now being done by a neighboring Guinean Road Construction Company called GroupeGuico Press, after the Ministry of works and the country’s roads authorities terminated an initial arrangement the government had with Welle Group.
This is the third construction company to have been brought in for the construction of roads in the two townships in two years. The last two did not live up to the task.
Project manager of GroupeGuico Press, Jean Batiste Lama, told Politico that unlike those before them, they were very determined to complete the roads projectsby 2015 although government was yet to make any payment to start the job. He added that they were so far prepared to prefinance the two road projects with US$10 million.
Lama said in Koidualone they would tar the four main roads, Main Kainkordu Road, John Kellie Street, New Sembehun Road and Old Yengema Road, before the end of February this year. He added that 60% of work on those roads, in this first phase of construction, was already complete.
He assured that all the roads would last for a minimum of 15years after completion.
(C) Politico 16/01/14
