President John Dramani Mahama has paid a brief working visit to the Ofankor-Nsawam road project, which was recently in the news after the contractor abandoned site leaving motorists in great discomfort.
The deplorable state of the project a few times created gridlock with Ghana Private Road Transport Union and other allied groups threatening to demonstrate.
The President’s visit on Wednesday September 3 was with concerns. He did not understand why the road was nowhere near completion despite record showing that a loan was contracted for its completion.
According to him, a loan was acquired yet the money is finished but the road is not close to completion. He promised that his government will investigate the issue.
“A loan was taken for this project, and I don’t understand why the money is finished and the project is not over,” he said.
We are now having to pay an additional 78 million cedis from government funds. We need to find out what really happened, whether the estimates were wrong or something else went wrong”, he said.
Inspecting the important road connecting Accra and Kumasi and engaging the contract officials, the president issued a stern warning to the contractor to complete work by June 2026 as all debts owed has been paid.
The president also announced that, the road project has now been shifted to his government’s flagship Big Push initiative.
He also said some GH¢14 billion has been allocated to the initiative this year and an additional GH¢30 billion expected next year, noting that there will be sufficient resources to keep the contractors going.
“The project has now been moved under the Big Push initiative — government must pay well, work quickly, and use quality materials.’ – President Mahama during inspection.
“As the government commits to pay you well, you too must commit to move faster on the road and also use quality materials,” President Mahama added.
“Your company is one of the well-known road construction companies in Ghana, and so we hope this project will reflect the quality of your brand.”
Describing the project as critical because it connects Accra and Kumasi – the country’s two largest cities, President Mahama stressed that delays had caused significant hardship for commuters and raised concerns about financial management.
“A loan was taken for this project, and I don’t understand why the money is finished and the project is not over.
“We are now having to pay an additional 78 million cedis from government funds. We need to find out what really happened, whether the estimates were wrong or something else went wrong”, he said.
While expressing satisfaction that traffic flow had improved in recent weeks, the President urged the contractor to prioritise proper site management to minimise disruption to motorists as construction progresses.
“So we will hold you to your word. You say by the end of the second quarter next year, you should be finished,” he cautioned.
By Gifty Boateng