They observed that though successive Regional Ministers had played their roles in uplifting the status of the capital, Mad Owusu-Banahene’s administration had been exceptional because development in the Municipality was clear for everybody to see.

Speaking in a random interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani on Wednesday, the residents commended the Regional Minister for her efforts towards the upgrading of the Sunyani Airport and the progress of work on the Sunyani inner-city road project being constructed by the Sino-hydro Corporation of China.

Mad Owusu-Banahene had earlier conducted Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations and Mr Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sunyani East round to inspect the rehabilitation and expansion works of the airport.

They were accompanied by some senior staff of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL) and the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Some residents living around the airport told the GNA they believed the works had progressed because of the frequent visits by the Regional Minister to the enclave.

Mr Francis Agyemang, a businessman, indicated closure of the airport had made travelling to Accra stressful and expressed the hope that the facility would be opened soon.

“I think development in Sunyani is gradually progressing. Everybody can clearly see the level of development in Sunyani and the Regional Minister needs to be praised for that,” he said.

Madam Naomi Gyan, a teacher said she was hopeful that people in the region would patronize the airport to enhance domestic air transport in the region, saying the huge investments put into the project would be useless if people failed to patronize the facility.

“I am not surprised that development in Sunyani is picking up. The Regional Minister is very humble, sociable and has good human relations. Everybody is free to express his or her view, and I think with such traits she can easily lobby for development,” she said.

Mad. Gyan however, called on the Regional Minister to facilitate the speedy completion of the construction of the Sunyani Library project, which had been stalled for some years now.

Mr Seth Opoku Agyemang, a journalist, said he was overly impressed with the standard of the airport, and asked the Regional Minister to ignore her political saboteurs and concentrate on achieving her vision for the region.

“Whatever you do people will find ways to criticize, but as a development-oriented person, I think the Minister must accept constructive criticisms and remain focused because those people who are now praising her would turn round and criticise her if she fails. I think so far so good, the Minister has performed well,” he said.

Later in an interview, Mad Owusu-Banahene, who is popularly known as ‘Awo Baatampa’ (good mother) stressed her commitment to leave a befitting legacy for the chiefs and people of the region, saying the airport project remained a major priority.

She emphasised the Bono Region had huge economic prospects, saying flight operations would open the regional capital, boost economic activities, and spur rapid socio-economic growth and development.

Mad. Owusu-Banahene commended the contractors for their excellent work on the first phase of the project, saying President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was expected to inaugurate the airport in the next two weeks and perform ground breaking ceremony for work to begin on the second phase of the project.

The Sunyani Airport was originally constructed as an airstrip and later upgraded into an airport in 1969 and currently has a total runway length of about 1,520 metres.

In 2015, GACL and the GCAA shut down the airport as a precautionary measure to forestall any disaster.