Linden to Kwakwani Road in “worst state ever”

“Kwakwani road is in the worst state ever. It is so bad that residents think about flying in and out, but unfortunately most would not be able to afford such a luxury!

The deplorable Kwakwani Road.

“Any Government official or other dignitaries coming here should use this same road just as everybody else, and see what residents have to suffer on a daily basis; don’t fly in as Minister (Juan) Edghill did  for the recent Independence celebrations,” a perturbed resident said, when asked to comment on the state of the road. The atrocious state of the road was highlighted in a power point presentation at last Thursday’s statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council. Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon, during his Independence Anniversary message to the community, recently expressed disappointment that even though Minister Edghill almost lost his life on the very Kwakwani road some time back, no mention was made of the current state of the road or plans to have it rehabilitated. Solomon said that the Minister spoke on several other issues, but no mention was made of the road. He added that companies are making a lot of money; billions of dollars– yet are not putting back anything into the maintenance of the road. “But they are being allowed to do so. Right now this road is in a deplorable state- there is a hole in it and if you go in you might not be able to get out, and there are many trucks and other vehicles traversing it. And to add insult to injury, the Region does not even have a vehicle that can traverse that road. This is tantamount to disrespect of residents of sub Region two,” Solomon declared. The Regional Chairman further stated that a resolution was taken to engage the various companies that use the Kwakwani thoroughfare, in discussions about the road situation, and what could be done. RDC Councillor, Leslie Gonsalves opined, “Kwakwani Road does not need grading, it needs resurfacing, and we have to stop BAI Shan Lin and Rusal from operating, until something could be done. Another councillor, Charles Sampson, stated vehemently, “We got to block this road from the Linden end! We got to support the residents of Kwakwani, because these companies have no obligation to fix the road, because there are other roads that are equally bad. It is the government that has to officially decide that they will fix the road, and fix it properly. “Government has to change its policy on road construction,” Sampson said. Kwakwani resident, Jocelyn Morian, said that the Ministry of Health ought to be talking to the Ministry of Public Works to get the road fixed. At least three or four ambulances have been destroyed over the past decade, due to the perpetual terrible state of the road. “Right now we using a bus that was converted to an ambulance. It was acquired a couple of months ago. The trip to Linden is so tortuous (almost four hours) that people could die before they reach Linden.” Morian added that another ambulance which the Ministry of Health had said was ‘significantly rehabilitated’ and was handed over earlier in the year is currently not working. “We wasting money; they have to fix the road and the ambulance gon last,” Morian stressed. Residents of Kwakwani and Ituni have been crying out for years about the situation with the road, which though rehabilitated from time to time, soon degenerates to its former terrible state. Currently, 22 Ituni residents are before the courts for blocking the road last year to protest its condition. (Enid Joaquin)

The media cannot stop commenting on Logging. That is how these people win. They think that by waiting us out they can do as they please. Note they have not come out and tell us what exactly they are doing. They cannot. It would mean we can make them a liar. They will continue to use the rent seekers and the lechers in the administration who are collecting the graft as their principal line of defense. Then they will use the poor small logging firms who have come to depend on them. Then they will use their workers and after that hired thugs. That is their way to fight off complaints against their rapacious pillage of our lands