Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe, Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration has an enviable history of road construction in the country.
“The Accra-Aburi road has been one of the well-designed roads constructed in the country under the watch of an NPP government if for nothing at those who recall the nature of that road and its current state, understand the dynamics”
Mr Dan Botwe made this remark at Adukrom when Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta, Minister for Roads and Highways called on the chiefs of Okere after he visited some road projects in Yilo Krobo and Okere districts of the Eastern Region.
The Local Government minister said there was enough evidence to show that the year of roads declared by the government was real, adding “there may be challenges, but the ongoing roads construction projects across the country show that indeed there are huge investments in that sector”.
He told the chiefs that with the scope of works on the Nkurakan through Adukrom to Somanya from the project, it would be another milestone of a well-designed road just like the Accra-Aburi highway and mentioned the Amanfro-Tinkong road also in Okere which was engineered for the first time as credentials to the year of roads mantra.
The construction of the Nkurakan through Adukrom to Somanya junction is a major booster to economic activities since it is dotted with some of the heavily patronised markets in both the Eastern and Volta Regions and it is expected to reduce the rampant robbery activities on the roads since all the bends on the hills were being straightened.
The project areas inspected included the 36.1-kilometre road project from Nkurakan through Adukrom to Somanya Trom junction being undertaken by General construction and Development limited, the Adukrom town roads project and the Akuse junction bridge, being constructed by Asabea construction.
The Roads Minister on his part said road construction and developments involving the construction of bridges, asphalt overlays, surface dressing and interchanges or flyovers were ongoing in every part of the country and shows commitment to the “year of roads'.
He explained that every successive government had invested in the road network of Ghana “but if you compare the investments under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo's Administration from 2017, he stands tall”.
He indicated that Adukrom, which is the District and traditional capital of Okere town roads were added to the construction works on the Nkurakan through Adukrom to Somanya from the junction as a valuation order to project.
Mr Amoako-Atta also disclosed that plans were in the offing to asphalt all the seven major towns in Okere and assured the chiefs that they would be completed on schedule.
Nana Saforo Okoampah, Chief of Akuapem-Apirede who spoke on behalf of the Acting Nifahene said the NPP government had kept faith with the people of Akuapem, particularly the Okere people.
He said Okere had become a yardstick for development for many areas in Ghana and mentioned the creation of the Okere District and the progress made citing the provision of the huge assembly office complex within a few years of creating the District.
Nana Okoampah appealed to the Roads Minister to correct engineering defects on the Apirede-Somanya junction road to avoid the many accidents which occur on the road, adding that the by-pass was an asset as it had become an alternative route.
