Roads Ministry Back To Defend 10,875km Of Roads Claim

Hajara FuseiniMarch 31, 2022

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The Ministry of Roads and Highways has jumped to the defence of President Akufo-Addo’s ten thousand, eight hundred and seventy-five (10,875) kilometres of new roads construction after Ranking Member on Parliament’s Transport Committee, Kwame Abogdza discredited the figures put out.

Addressing Parliament yesterday, President Akufo-Addo said, “in the five years of my government, so far, more roads have been built, improved, and upgraded than at any other equivalent period under any government in the history of Ghana. Some ten thousand, eight hundred and seventy-five (10,875) kilometres of new roads have been constructed”.

But in a media interview after the address of the president, Kwame Abogdza said the figure announced by the president does not correspond with what was conveyed to Parliament by the Minister for Roads last week.

“Meanwhile, just last month, the Minister of Roads and Highways presented a document to Parliament alleging on that document that they have actually completed over 4,200 kilometres. [It later turned out] The new road was only 68.5 kilometres not even 100 kilometres”, he said according to CNR.

In a press release dated March 31, the Roads Ministry conveyed that the 4,263 km of roads, as answered by the Minister, Hon Amoako Atta, before the Parliament, accounted for constructed and maintained roads between 2017 and 2021.

It added that the figure of the Minister did not take into account the ongoing road activities on paved and unpaved roads that had not been completed by end of May 2021.

“In an answer to a question posed by Hon Eric Affiliate (Member of Parliament for Amenfi West), the Hon Minister of Roads and Highways stated on 15th February 2022 in Parliament that a total of 4,263 km had been constructed or maintained on paved and unpaved roads between January 2017 and May 2021.

“This did not take into account the ongoing road activities that had not been completed by end of May 2021”, the Ministry explained.

It also noted that 1,702 km of construction and maintenance activities on paved roads and 4,910 km of works on unpaved roads had been completed as of February 2022.

“The data on completed works have subsequently been updated to 10,875km as of the end of February 2022.”

It added that “Under a World Bank/European Union project, Transport Sector Improvement Project (TSIP), the World Bank is financing over 800km of feeder roads to gravel finish.”