Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says he is yet to receive any information on the abandoned 40-bed capacity hospital at Twedie in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti Region.
Speaking on Akoma FM‘s current affairs and political show GhanAkoma on Tuesday, August 17 when host of the show Aduanaba Kofi Asante Ennin asked him when works on the Twedie hospital project will commence, the government spokesperson answered that “this is the first I’m hearing of the Twedie project and I will have to clarify”.
Minister for Health Kwaku Agyeman-Manu broke ground for work to commence on the 40-bed district hospital at Twedie in the Antwima Kwanwoma District during a two-day working visit to the Ashanti Region ahead of the 2020 general elections.
The Twedie project was part of a twelve 40-bed hospital projects, which were to be developed on a turnkey basis and were supposed to be constructed by VAMED Engineering GmbH of Austria.
Beneficiary communities included Jumapo, Kwabeng, Nkwatia, Achiase, Suame, Drobonso, Sabronum, Manso Nkwanta, Adukrom, Mim and Kpone Katamanso and Twedie
But ahead of the sod-cutting ceremony of the Agenda 111 hospital projects at Trede in the same Atwima Kwanwoma District, investigations by Akoma FM at Twedie revealed almost a year after the Health Minister’s ground breaking colorful ceremony, work is yet to be commenced.
Twedie residents upon hearing another sod cutting at nearby Trede while the district’s capital project which was supposed to be halfway through is yet to be commenced, poured their frustration as some even explained they suspect the Twedie project has been relocated to Trede.
But it seems the Information Minister has confirmed the suspicion of residents with his ‘no knowledge’ and information about a project which, according to the health minister while he was breaking ground, amounted to €71,500,000 “and has been secured from Erste Group Bank AG and Česká Spořitelna a.s towards the construction and equipping of twelve 40-bed hospitals, which will also include 12-units of 2-bedroom semi-detached accommodation for hospital workers which Twedie is beneficiary”.
Moreover, Akoma FM‘s further checks at other beneficiary communities such as Drobonso and Manso Nkwanta in the Sekyere Afram Plains and Manso Nkwanta districts respectively also revealed the supposed sites for the projects have been covered with weeds as work is yet to be commenced, one year after sod cutting.
With such inconsistencies within the government machinery, one can only question the president’s commitment to ensuring the much touted Agenda 111 doesn’t remain another mirage.
