Dr. Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensah was joined by some National Democratic Congress( NDC) members and Dufia of Lawoshime, Torgbui Aklorbo II to cut sod for work to commence on constructing a proper steel and concrete bridge for Hatorgodo and Agorvinu towns.
Dr. Jones-Mensah’s KJM Foundation, a subsidiary of the Empire Domus Group is undertaking two bridge projects simultaneously, one at Agorvinu and the other at Hatorgodo, all in the Keta Constituency.
Dr. Jones-Mensah and his KJM Foundation are determined to improve the living standards of these two communities that are deprived of development due to lack of electricity and a dilapidated bridge linking Hagodzi, Lawoshime, Mamime, Agovinu and its environs.
For more than 20 years, residents of Agorvinu and Lawoshime areas have had to struggle to cross over water to Atsiavi and adjoining areas. Pregnant women, sick people and dead bodies are carried in a wooden chair by youths of the town across the broken bridges.
The makeshift wood bridges have become a nightmare for residents as parents worry for the safety of their children. Many have complained that the wooden bridges have now become a death trap.
Dr. Jones-Mensah who personally visited these areas on 11th January on foot was troubled by the suffering of his people and has taken decisive action to construct the bridges with proper concrete and steel engineering work once and for all which will last for 30 years before any major repair works are done.For the past two weeks, Dr Jones-Mensah has mobilized construction materials and equipment such as cement, iron rods, generator and a container office to the site.
The engineers are also on the ground ready to start work.
The first phase of the project, when completed, will see the safe passage of inhabitants by foot, as well as the passage of four motorbikes, two each in opposite directions. A tricycle (christened locally as Aboboya) will also pass on the bridge safely.
The second phase of the bridge will be its eventual expansion to accommodate vehicular movement to and fro.
According to the lead engineer on the project, Bernard Oluwole Coker, the length and breadth of the Hatorgodo bridge is 54 by 2 meters and that of Lawoshime is 48 by 2 meters. A total of five hundred and twenty thousand cedis is expected to be spent on the project to be completed in six months.
The people of the town were grateful for the kind gesture of Dr. Emmanuel Jones Mensah and his KJM Foundation as materials have been mobilised for work to begin.
Story By Patrick Dzramado
