Bekwai MP Poku-Adusei turns attention to stalled road works and displaced market traders

Pinned summary · as of 17:23

Ralph Poku-Adusei, the Member of Parliament for Bekwai, has been reported this week dealing with two local problems in his constituency. One is a stalled road reshaping project, and the other is the plight of traders pushed out by the redevelopment of the Bekwai Central Market.

What we know

• Ralph Poku-Adusei, the MP for Bekwai, was reported in separate accounts as responding to problems in his constituency: road works that had stopped, and traders displaced from the Bekwai Central Market.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  The New Crusading Guide reported that Mr Poku-Adusei released GH₵30,000 so that work could resume on the Dotom-Koniyaw-Kokotro road, with GH₵10,000 going to each of the three communities to buy fuel for the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) machine. The paper says the work stopped when the machine ran out of fuel. No other report has confirmed the amount or the cause.
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  According to the New Crusading Guide, the MP described the money as emergency help and not a lasting fix, and said the goal is to build and tar the road. He also said efforts were under way to bring contractor B. Beniako, reportedly given the contract in 2019, back to site. The paper says he raised concerns about how DRIP operations are funded.
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  The New Crusading Guide also reported that in 2024 he personally provided GH₵160,000 for reshaping and surfacing on the same road, following the reported death of an expectant mother as she was carried over its poor surface. It says residents and Assembly Members welcomed the latest help. It also says he named two other roads in the constituency as needing attention: Kensere-Biribiwomanmu-Pampaso and Anwiankwanta-Poano-Sarfokrom.
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  MyJoyOnline reported that Mr Poku-Adusei visited the Bekwai Central Market after traders and women's groups raised concerns, and pledged to talk to municipal authorities about traders displaced by the redevelopment. The report says some of them now sell along the edge of the road between the market and the lorry station, exposed to sun and rain with safety worries. This has not been confirmed by other reports.
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  MyJoyOnline reported that the traders asked for immediate help, such as umbrellas for temporary shelter, and for his support in speeding up the new stalls. The MP said he would speak to the municipality's chief executive, its coordinating director, its engineer and other stakeholders to find safe temporary spaces and help finish the stalls. He said redevelopment should not cost affected people their livelihoods and dignity, and that many displaced women face extra pressure with the new school term.

Why it matters for Ghana

For people around Dotom, Koniyaw and Kokotro, a passable road affects trips to clinics, schools and markets. In Bekwai town, traders who lost their stalls during the market redevelopment face lost sales and exposure to the weather while they wait. The commitments reported so far come from the MP and have not been matched by any municipal announcement.