FOR the first time in its history, the roads at Port Kaituma in the North West District are being paved with concrete, but residents say that that moves are afoot to sabotage the project.

Last week, residents welcomed the new landscape feature which saw the contracting firm, International Imports and Supplies, upgrading the mud roads at Central Port Kaituma to concrete. The firm is working on two projects simultaneously in the community, as in the past, residents had protested the impassable state of the roadways there.

Late last week, one day after the workers attached to the firm laid the foundation and placed concrete on the roadway, persons in the area noted that a motorist drove over the concrete which was not fully compacted.
This occurred overnight on Friday, and reports are that the perpetrator removed the barricades from both sides of the project before proceeding to drive over the work area.
Residents reacted in disgust, as some noted that the act may have been politically motivated, since many persons have been questioning the functions of the Matarkai Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC). That body has responsibility for undertaking rehabilitation works to internal roads within the area, and among its mandate is to determine ways and means of generating funds for such works. This is one of several of its responsibilities which it has failed to honour.

Residents have reported over the weekend that the road upgrade is a change that is welcomed, and many said that they will be monitoring the works being undertaken. Residents are also on the lookout for persons who may wish to interfere with the on-going project.

In 2017, the contracting firm was awarded contracts for the rehabilitation of road from Port Kaituma to Matthew’s Ridge Phase Two, at a cost of approximately $334.3M and another project, the rehabilitation of Port Kaituma Road from Airstrip to Fitzburg Housing Scheme at a cost of G$16M.