Claims by President to have built more roads untrue — Minority.... But Roads Ministry counters assertion
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has described as erroneous and misrepresentation claims by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during the State of the Nation address to have built more roads than any other government under the Fourth Republic.
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The President said his government had built a total of 11,000 kilometres of roads since assuming office in 2017.
Reaction
But the Spokesperson for the Minority and a former Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Isaac Adjei Mensah, said the total roads constructed under the ruling government was 6,400 km.
NDC built more roads
At a press conference in Parliament last Friday, Mr Adjei Mensah told journalists that claims by the President that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) constructed only 4,000 km of roads under John Dramani Mahama was inaccurate and rather it was 15,553 km.
Indeed, Mr Mensah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Wassa East, said, at the time the former President left office, he had constructed a total of 78,402 km with a health road motorability rate of 71 per cent.
He pointed out that since 2017, the Roads Ministry had defaulted in conducting the road condition survey to determine the health of the country's roads in terms of good, bad and poor.
Mr Mensah said the National Road Condition Mix, which was normally done by professionals within the ministry equally rated high the era of Jerry John Rawlings which gave the country 71 per cent in terms of good, bad and poor.
The other such survey, he claimed, was under late President John Evans Atta Mills.
Interchanges
On the issue of interchanges, the Minority said the President's assertion that his government had also built more interchanges under the Fourth Republic was not true.
The MP said with regard to the Pokuase, Tema Motorway and the Flower Port interchanges, the funds and drawings were all secured under the John Dramani Mahama's administration.
“The only interchange that stands in the name of the NPP is the Tamale Interchange. All the rest are in limbo. Indeed, works have been suspended," he added.
Besides, he said the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange and that of Kasoa were all built by John Dramani Mahama.
Roads and Highways Ministry reaction
However, reacting to the Minority’s accusation, the Ministry of Roads and Highways debunked the allegation.
It, therefore, outlined a number of interchanges and roads that had been constructed.
It named some of them that were completed by the current government as the Pokuase Interchange, which was awarded on February 17, 2018 and inaugurated on July 9, 2021; the Tema Motorway Interchange phase one awarded on December 1, 2017 and inaugurated on June 5, 2020.
The others, it said, were the award of the Obetsebi interchange phase one on October 2016 and inaugurated on November 24, 2020, the Flower Pot interchange on November 7, 2016 but currently ongoing, East Legon underpass on August 1, 2017 and inaugurated on August 9, 2018 and the Suhum interchange awarded on September 26, 2008 and inaugurated on June 26, 2020 and the Tamale interchange awarded on September 1, 2018 and inaugurated on April 5, 2022.
The ministry mentioned ongoing interchange projects as the Adjiringanor interchange, PTC interchange, Kpong Barrier interchange, Dawhenya interchange, Prampram interchange, Savannah interchange and the Obetsebi interchange phase two.