Traditional authorities in Yilo and Manya Krobo face a stiffer opposition to ensure the successful staging of the 2025 editions of the revered Kloyisikplemi and Ngmayem festivals.
This urgency stems from a threat issued by a group known as the Dangme Youth for Development Association, warning they will stage protests during both festivals if authorities fail to fix the areas’ deteriorating roads by September.
The Kloyisikplemi Festival at Somanya and the Ngmayem Festival at Krobo Odumase are major cultural celebrations deeply rooted in the heritage of the Dangme people, particularly those in Yilo and Manya Krobo.
It is annually held in October and November respectively.
Speaking to the media, Simon Teye, President of the Dangme Youth for Development Association, expressed concern over the abandoned roadworks between Somanya and Krobo Odumase and the neglected Oterkpolu bridge, originally constructed in 1923.
They are urging stakeholders including traditional authorities and political leaders to act and ensure contractors awarded contracts of those works return to sites.
“We want to see the contractor back on site and continuing the road construction, else…” he warned, as quoted by Jaman Dehyee Opambour.
Mr. Teye stressed that the poor condition of the roads has limited access to essential services and crippled local economic activity.
He added that residents cannot “continue to suffer in silence while infrastructure remains in a dire state.”
The group is demanding swift action and has issued an ultimatum: fix the roads by September 2025, or face mass protests during the festivals to disrupt the process.
Meanwhile, some drivers on the Somanya–Krobo Odumase route voiced similar frustrations, citing frequent vehicle breakdowns and costly repairs.
They urged authorities to prioritize the issue, saying successive governments have paid little attention to their plight.
