Government committed to equal development - Akorli

Accra (Greater Accra) 17 June '99

Mr Steve Akorli, a Deputy Minister of Roads and Transport, on Wednesday told Parliament that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government is committed to ensuring equal development of every part of the country, irrespective of the political inclinations of a particular area.

He said it is not the policy of the government to stop a particular project because the beneficiary community did not vote for the NDC in the last general elections.

Mr Akorli was responding to a suggestion from the Minority side that a drainage construction project at Wiamoase in Ashanti had stopped because the NDC had promised that constituencies that voted against it would not see any development.

The Deputy Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ho East, was in the House to answer questions bordering on his ministry during "Question Time" in Parliament.

On the resumption of work on the drainage project at Wiamoase, Mr Akorli said the project would be programmed for completion next year when funds were available.

Mr Kwasi Akomea Kyeremateng, NPP-Afigya Sekyere East, who asked when the project would resume, also wanted to know what percentage of the 500 million cedis allocated in 1998 for the work had been used and what percentage of work had been done.

Replying, Mr Akorli pleaded for time, saying he needed to be furnished with the necessary technical details.

In an answer to another question, Mr Akorli said work on the Ayanfuri-Diaso road in the Central region was for grading and not rehabilitation and that the grading of the 41-kilometre road had been fully executed at a cost of 93.4 million cedis.

Mr C.O.Nyanor, NPP-Upper Denkyira, had asked whether the minister was aware that rehabilitation of the road had been abandoned at Abura even though full payment had been made to the contractor.

He also asked what steps the ministry was taking to retrieve the monies paid to the contractor for work done.

On the decongestion of the two-kilometre stretch of road from Tafo Cemetery to Mile Four, in Kumasi, in view of governments decision to designate Kumasi-Mampong road a toll road, Mr Akorli told the House that initial steps are being taken to develop neighbouring access roads to decongest the road in question.

He said, as a short-term measure, the Ghana Highway Authority intends to collaborate with the police to direct and control traffic along the corridor to help eliminate traffic jams.

Mr Akorli told a questioner that the surfacing of the Kumasi-Antoa-Bonwire road began in November 1997, and was scheduled for completion in December, last year.

However, as a result of additional drainage structures in the towns/villages through which the road traverses, extra work was given to the contractors.

Mr Akorli said currently, 90 per cent of work on the road has been done and the project is expected to be completed by July, this year.

On the spanning of the Afram River between Kwahu, Adawso and Ekye Amanfrom in the Afram Plains, the Deputy Minister said the Ministry had no definite plans to provide a bridge on the river.

He, however, gave the assurance that such a project would be considered in future programmes the Ghana Highway Authority may develop for this trunk road.

Mr Akorli acknowledged the deplorable state of the Kwahu Tafo-Adawso road and announced that the Ministry is holding discussions with donor agencies.

He said the British Department for International Development (DFID) has shown interest in the rehabilitation of the road.