Roads take centre stage in President’s campaign
Road infrastructure has occupied centre stage in President John Dramani Mahama's tour of the Volta Region as the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC ) presidential candidate makes a move to maintain a hold on the region ahead of the December 7 polls.
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From one community to the other, both the President and the chiefs of the region have been forthright in stating what has been done and what is left to be done to bring relief to the people.
Targets for the road sector development, set by the Mahama administration, has been a major topical point in recent times.
Benchmarks
In the Volta Region, the stronghold of the ruling party, the current road status has been taken as benchmarks in assessing the performance of the government in the region, with the NDC and the NPP at each other's throats.
While the chiefs have commended the President for the work done in improving infrastructure in the region, they nevertheless believe there is room for improvement.
Although the achievements of his government could not be swept under the carpet, the President acknowledged that there was still some work to be done and he was taking steps to tackle them.
At Kpassa in the Nkwanta North District, the President said the government was going to be tough on contractors working on government projects.
The Paramount Chief of Kpassa, Ubor Konja Tanjan, commended the President for giving the people of the area their fair share of the national cake but poured out his frustration at the delay by the contractor working on the Damanko-Kpassa-Nkwanta section of the Eastern Corridor road and the Kpassa - Tinyase section of the Eastern Corridor road.
The Damanko-Kpassa-Nkwanta road is a major road that connects Nkwanta North and Nkwanta South.
At an NDC rally at Kpassa last Monday, the paramount chief said. “There is the need for urgent action to be taken on the 25km Kpassa stretch of the Eastern Corridor road. This concern becomes more alarming, especially when the Dodo-Pepesu to Nkwanta section has been completed and work on the Damanko to Bimbilla section is still ongoing."
President Mahama was equally unhappy about the slow pace of work and said the Chinese contractor on the project was to be blamed.
Consequently, he directed the Ministry of Roads and Highways to terminate the contract and re-award it to a contractor who was ready to complete the project.
He also gave the contractor working on the Kpassa to Tinyase road two weeks to resume work or have his contract terminated.
Eastern Corridor road
Work on the Volta Region section of the Eastern Corridor road is progressing steadily.
The project is divided into four parts, namely reconstruction of the Asikuma Junction-Hohoe, which is yet to be completed; reconstruction of Dodi Pepesu-Nkwanta, which is completed; reconstruction of Nkwanta-Oti Damanko, yet to be completed, and reconstruction of Oti Damanko-Nakpanduri, also yet to be completed.
But President Mahama assured the people on his tour of the region that the project would be completed.
The Eastern Corridor road comprises a complex mix of roads traversing the Greater Accra, Volta, Northern and Upper East regions, and the President made it clear that it could not be completed at the same time.
“The entire Eastern Corridor is over 700 km so it is not possible we can complete all at a go”.
But it is a commitment the government has made and we are going to work on it,” he told the chiefs and the people of Hohoe yesterday.
The Hohoe town roads, which have been a major talking point, also came up . The chiefs commended the government for the ongoing work and called for an increase in the pace of execution.
President Mahama took time to explain what was being done. He said 10 km of the Hohoe town roads had been awarded on contract for upgrading while an additional 15 km had also been given on contract for asphalting. The contractor, he said, would start work in a matter of days.
