Relief and excitement swept through the Jomoro Municipality on Friday as the Member of Parliament for the area and Deputy Minister for Transport, Dorcas Affo-Toffey, handed over the long-abandoned Samenye Barrier to Half Assini to New Town road to Kingspok Company Limited for reconstruction.
The over 50-kilometre stretch, which serves as the economic lifeline linking the Jomoro Municipal capital to Elubo and the Ivory Coast border, has for years been riddled with deep potholes and muddy trenches, crippling the movement of people, farm produce and goods.
A road of agony
For traders, drivers and farmers, the deplorable nature of the road had become a daily nightmare. The journey between Half Assini and Samenye Barrier, which should ordinarily take about 30 minutes, reportedly took up to two-and-a-half hours due to the road’s condition — inflating transport fares and cutting off communities during the rainy season.
The road’s deterioration has also been deadly. Residents say the poor condition has contributed to avoidable accidents and loss of lives over the years.
The project’s history is one of repeated disappointment. Contractors working on the Samenye Barrier–Jaway Wharf road project abandoned the site in 2020 without informing local communities or the municipal assembly. In October 2020, the road was cleared for a sod-cutting ceremony performed by then Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to signal the commencement of construction works, but the contractors reportedly left the site with their equipment shortly afterward, leaving the project stalled.
The situation sparked widespread frustration among residents, who staged a series of demonstrations over the years demanding government intervention and the completion of the road. Many warned that the poor road network was crippling economic activities and increasing the cost of living in the area.
‘Today is an exciting day’
Engineers of Kingspok Company Limited were introduced to the chiefs and people at a short ceremony at their campsite at New Nzulezo. They pledged to deliver a first-class road within 24 months.
Addressing the gathering, Affo-Toffey could not hide her joy. She expressed profound gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister for Roads and Highways for listening to the cries of the people and finally giving attention to the road.
“We have been crying over this road for quite too long but today we have received good news and we have handed over the construction works to Kingspok Company Limited,” she stated. “Today is an exciting day and a day all of us have been waiting for.”
The Deputy Transport Minister took the opportunity to call on the people of Jomoro to pray and rally behind President Mahama to deliver on his promises. She noted that road construction remained one of the top priorities of the Mahama administration and assured residents that the President was fully committed to reconstructing all deplorable roads in Jomoro.
She further charged residents to give maximum cooperation to the contractor to ensure the project was completed on time. “We are not here to deceive Jomoro people, President John Dramani Mahama is committed to doing the road,” she assured.
Affo-Toffey also appealed to traders operating along the roadside to relocate to safer areas to allow smooth execution of the project, acknowledging that construction activities would temporarily affect livelihoods along the corridor. “I had not left you, but the time was not due. Now the time has come for us to have a good road. I urge you all to support the contractor,” she said.
Contractor commits to two-year timeline
The General Manager of Kingspok Company Limited assured the chiefs and people of Jomoro that the company would complete the road within two years and called on the community to support them to deliver on schedule.
Kingspok is an established Ghanaian construction firm with a track record in road infrastructure. The company is currently executing the 22-kilometre Dadieso–Akontombra Road in the Western North Region at a contract sum of GH¢816.7 million, and has undertaken upgrading works on the Bediako Junction–Camp 15–Sefwi Adabokrom road, among other projects.
The contractor moved to site on Sunday, May 31, 2026, to begin preparatory works, clearing portions of the construction area and preparing space for equipment deployment. Engineers from the Ghana Highway Authority formally handed over the site to Kingspok on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, following which the contractor mobilised equipment to the site.
President Mahama is expected to officially cut the sod for the project later this year. In the meantime, Kingspok will continue work on the road while awaiting the President’s official sod-cutting ceremony.
Traditional council praises MP’s persistence
The Paramount Chief of the Western Nzema Traditional Council, Awulae Kwasi Amakye III, on behalf of the Traditional Council, expressed profound gratitude to Affo-Toffey for her persistent lobbying that led to the road being taken up by the President. He said he was optimistic that the contractor would deliver quality work on the Samenye Barrier to Half Assini stretch and called on the people to provide maximum support to facilitate the work.
In a humorous but firm caution that drew laughter from the crowd, Awulae Kwasi Amakye III advised the workers to exhibit good morals while in the community and not to impregnate young women in the area and abandon them.
The Paramount Chief had previously raised concerns about the road’s condition, describing the approximately 25-kilometre stretch linking the Samenyi Barrier area to New Town — passing through key connections including Jaway Wharf Junction — as a critical route in dire need of intervention.
Residents demand timely funding
Residents who spoke to GhanaWeb’s Western Regional Correspondent expressed relief at the commencement of work but appealed to the government to demonstrate its financial commitment by ensuring the timely release of funds to the contractor to guarantee the completion of the project before 2028.
“We have suffered for too long on this road. Many people have died. Today we are happy that the government has finally listened to us,” one resident said.
“This time we don’t want just another sod-cutting ceremony. We want to see the road completed. Government should pay Kingspok Company Limited on time so the work can continue smoothly,” another resident added.
Strategic importance
The Samenye Barrier–Half Assini–Newtown road is considered critical to trade, tourism and cross-border movement between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Stakeholders say the completion of the project will boost economic activity in the Jomoro Municipality, improve road safety and facilitate the movement of people and goods between the two neighbouring countries.
The Jomoro Constituency, located in the Western Region, shares a border with Côte d’Ivoire and is home to key border towns including Elubo and Newtown. The constituency has 225 polling stations and approximately 86,000 registered voters.
Affo-Toffey, who also serves as Deputy Minister for Transport, has made road infrastructure a centrepiece of her development agenda for the constituency, pledging to bring the same energy she used in securing 100 buses for the nation to the development of roads in her area.
