The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Donatus Atanga Akamugri, has visited the site earmarked for the construction of the new Bolgatanga Airport at Anateem, a Community in the Upper East Region.
The visit was to ascertain at first hand the readiness of the site cleared by the Alagumgube Association for construction to commence.
Speaking to journalists after the inspection of the project site on Friday, Mr Akamugri assured the people that the government was desirous in delivering its pledge of constructing the aviation project to facilitate the transportation business in the Upper East Region.
The minister, who was accompanied by officials from the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL), lauded the Alagumgube Association for their steadfastness, stressing that “I thank the Alagumgube Association for the gesture. They took it upon themselves and cleared this site for the project to take off.”
According to him, the Alangumgube Association had cleared about 1,400 metres in just a week, and were expected to add 600 metres to meet the standards required by the GACL.
The inspection of the project by the minister comes a week after President John Dramani Mahama visited the region as part of his “Thank you” tour.
Mr Mahama reiterated his government’s commitment to building the long-awaited project under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
He also mentioned that he would seek support from some gold mining companies in the region to fast track the construction of the project.
It is recalled that some two communities; namely Sumbrungu and Sherigu in Bolgatanga played a role in stalemating negotiations as to which community was suitable for the project to be sited
The deadlock between the two communities compelled the ensuing government to abandon plans to execute the project in either communities.
The Anateem-Sumbrungu for instance, had released over 7,000 acres of land for the project in early 1970s, but successive governments failed to build the aviation facility as promised.
The 2,885.72-hectare, which was released for the airport project, is yet to be accessed, yet many farmers have become increasingly distraught after their farmlands were taken for the facility.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times, the regional minister however, assured that he would do everything possible for the project to materialise.
Mr Akamugri said the Alangumgube Association had mobilised resources to clear the trees on the abandoned runway with the use of earth movers and graders.
The project when completed, he noted, would help surmount the unemployment situation in the region, as the youth would be engaged in economic activities for their livelihoods.
He, therefore, tasked the GACL to put its wheels in motion, organise and come to site to embark on an aggressive construction of the airport project.
FROM FRANCIS DABRE DABANG, BOLGATANGA
