In Asesewa, Upper Manya Krobo, residents and traditional leaders are demanding accountability after petroleum-funded infrastructure projects were left incomplete despite full contractor payments.
This came to light during a Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) forum meant to review Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) allocations to the district.
The forum quickly turned tense as PIAC uncovered glaring gaps between official records and the physical state of several major projects, including roads and market upgrades.
Notably, a GH₵600,000 project to upgrade Asesewa Market yielded only one incomplete borehole and poorly constructed sheds, despite documentation suggesting full delivery.
Road projects such as the Mensah Dawa–Apimsu and Asesewa–Abuosso roads, allocated over GH₵250,000 collectively, showed no signs of completion or bitumen surfacing.
Suspicion deepened after the same road was budgeted again in 2021, raising red flags about potential double payments and mismanagement.
A GH₵2 million resurfacing of the Aseseso–Agomeda road also puzzled attendees, as the road lies outside the district’s jurisdiction.
Divisional Chief Nene Offei Tagbaja I called for an investigation committee and urged referrals to EOCO and the Special Prosecutor, citing payment delays and identity misuse.
District Chief Executive Kwesi Lawer admitted that none of the supposedly completed projects PIAC reviewed had been handed over or finalized, pledging to escalate the issue.
Local stakeholders are now pressing for urgent audits, completion of abandoned works, and safeguards to prevent future misuse of oil revenues in the district.