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Shoddy Kwebana/Kumaka road stifling development of Moruca
– Toshao makes pitch for laterite surface
Roads serve as an integral part of the infrastructure of any community as it relates to its development and the lack of a proper road between Kwebana and Kumaka has been stifling the development of the Moruca and surrounding communities.
Toshao Basil Cornelius
This is the view held by Toshao of the Moruca Village Council, Basil Cornelius, who related the woes of the community to a team from A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) which visited and toured the Northwest District location on Monday last.
The APNU team was led by its Shadow Public Works Minister Joseph Harmon, Regional Member of Parliament, Renita Williams and also included political advisor Ronald Backer and Public Relations Officer, Mark Archer.
Harmon met with Cornelius at his Office and was told that Kumaka/Kwebana road is in a continuous state of disrepair due to the fact that there has been no substantial upgrade to it in recent years.
Cornelius explained that this is the main road in the Moruca sub-region “and the condition of our road is really bad.”He did point out that last year a few short stretches of the road had been graded.
Cornelius said that he grew up along the road and from the time he was a young boy to now it remains the same.
According to Cornelius, the state of the road contradicts all of the development that has been taking place in the region.
“I feel if the road can be better, our development would go even faster.”
He indicated that while there is development in the area no one political party can lay claim to this, as it is the people of the community who are diligent in their quest for development.
“They have been working, they have been sacrificing and I believe they deserve a far better road than that.”
Cornelius lamented that on each occasion when the regional officials promise to repair the road “they just take a grader and grade it, so it has become more like a drain.”
He said that this state of affairs has been raised with President Donald Ramotar, and a request has been made for a laterite road.
The toshao stressed that laterite is in abundance in the region and as such, instead of simply grading the road, the resources in the community can be utilised to build a proper road.
“We have all the materials here, it would be very cheap to get the laterite,” said Cornelius.
A section of the Kumaka/Kwebana road
He opined that should a laterite road be built, it would stand up longer to the weather than a graded road which would last just about three months.
Cornelius pointed out too that the road is very narrow and to compound the situation, when it rains it would eventually leave huge drains in the road.
“The majority of our people live along this road,” said Cornelius.
As it relates to infrastructural problems, he said that the main hindrance is the way in which the projects are handled.
“I wouldn’t bad talk the government for not giving us projects, they give us a lot of projects, but it is the way they are implemented.”
Harmon informed the Toshao that his responsibility in the shadow cabinet concerns public infrastructure, hence the reason to inspect the road.
“What is happening now is that government and public officials are not placed under a greater level of spotlight.”
According to Harmon, in the previous dispensation, monies were spent in communities such as Moruca but the benefits were not being seen.
“Now that we have a more active opposition, a more active media, more active village councils, people now have to give account for what they do.”
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