The presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has assured that the next NDC government would construct a bridge over the Oti River when it assumes power in January 2025.
He said the construction of the over 500-metre bridge would ease the daily transportation hustle of residents in and around the river.
Currently, commuters who wish to connect the other half of the Oti region to the other would have to rely on a pantheon to do so; spending productive hours waiting for the facility to move from one side of the river to the other.
Addressing separate mini rallies at Kwamekrom, Dambai and Ehiamankyene in the Biakoye, Krachi East and West constituencies of the Oti region on Monday, former President Mahana emphasised that the construction of the bridge would be a priority of the next NDC government.
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According to him, "when we were in power in 2016, there was a plan to construct a bridge over the river. At the time, we costed it to be US$200 million.
"Unfortunately, we lost power to the NPP and the expectation was that they would carry through the plan but that was not to be the case.
"When we come back to office in 2025, we'll revisit the plan and construct the bridge over the river to give you that transportation comfort," he stressd in the Twi language at Ehiamankyene to loud cheers.
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When done, the former president said the bridge would open up the area for investments, boost the local economy, and reduce disasters on the river in the process.
Furthermore, he accused the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's government of neglecting the area after the creation of the Oti region in 2019 having borrowed billions of dollars on behalf of the people.
"They borrowed over US$11 billion on the Eurobond market but there's nothing to show for it. If they were interested in your welfare, they would have constructed the bridge with US$200 million which is just a small fraction of the over US$11 billion they borrowed on the Eurobond market," he stated.
In his view, if the Akufo-Addo government had used the over US$11 billion judiciously, the face of roads, schools, hospitals, and water provision would have changed for the better.
"The reckless borrowing has rather destroyed our economy to the extent that we have been blacklisted from securing any loan on the Eurobond market," he added.
Apart from the bridge, the former president said the next NDC government has a comprehensive plan in place to develop the Oti region to the status of a region.
He then entreated the electorate to reject the NPP and bring back the NDC to continue the good works it started before it lost power.
