Residents of Krachi-East have appealed to the government to replace the current ferry at Dambai with a new one to enhance transportation in the area.
Speaking on behalf of the residents of the Oti Regional capital, Dambai, the Ewe Chief at Dambai, Togbe Kpatalidza, said the situation had gone from bad to worse since November 2024, as traders were stranded for four to five days hoping that the pontoon would be repaired within a short period.
Togbe Kpatalidza emphasized that the non-functioning of the pontoon had affected the Dambai market because residents of the region and traders outside the region, who needed the services of the pontoon to transport their farm produce to the market could not do so, and had to use engine boats at a higher cost which also reflected in the sale of their products at a higher prices in the market.
He explained that most of the times, those who travelled from Accra, Tema, Ashaiman , Somanya and Ho, who needed to cross the Oti River to other parts of the region or the north to transact business, spent between four to six days at Dambai with the expectation that the pontoon would be repaired.
Tobe Kpatalidza stressed that after spending days at Dambai, the drivers carrying the travellers had no other option than to divert their route through Nkwanta to Kpassa and Damanko even though a longer journey to the north and other parts of the Oti Region, which was at an additional cost to the passengers.
Additionally, the chief said the local economic activities largely depended on markets, where the people transact businesses, including the Dambai market being one of the biggest business centres in the region, however the poor transportation system was affecting the business activities of the people which was affecting their living standards.
However, he suggested that the short-term solution to the problem was to provide a new pontoon as early as possible and the long-term solution was to build a bridge over River Oti at Dambai to address the transportation difficulties the people are facing in the region.
Togbe Kpatalidza observed that the government’s development efforts in the region would be meaningless unless it was linked to a reliable transportation system, particularly construction of a bridge over the River Oti at Dambai to facilitate rapid development of the region
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, DAMBAI
