The National Coordinator of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has warned Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) against neglecting the use of DRIP equipment to make roads motorable in their jurisdictions.

“You have no business to be in office as an MMDCE if you can’t use DRIP equipment to make roads motorable in your area,” he asserted.

Vanderpuye noted that poor road networks remain one of the most pressing challenges for communities, revealing that about 80 percent of roads in many districts are in disrepair.

The DRIP programme, equipped with 2,200 units of machinery—including motor graders, bulldozers, rollers, wheel loaders, water tankers, and concrete mixers—was procured through the District Assembly Common Fund and distributed across Ghana’s 261 MMDAs.

The initiative aims to build decentralised capacity for road maintenance, improve infrastructure, and create job opportunities.

Vanderpuye emphasised that MMDCEs must fully utilise the equipment within their four-year mandate, noting that road maintenance performance should be a key criterion for retaining district executives.

“If we can’t utilise this equipment in four years, then we don’t deserve to stay in our places as DCEs. If you are not ready to use the DRIP equipment, then you are not ready to be a DCE,” he cautioned.

He added that the programme is designed to make MMDCEs’ work easier and urged them not to take it for granted.

“Some MMDCEs and assemblies I have visited have taken this for granted. But this equipment can make your work very easy, once you have the resources,” he said.

Addressing funding concerns, Vanderpuye acknowledged challenges with the Common Fund formula in 2025 but expressed optimism that the situation will improve in 2026. Funding support will also include provisions for regular maintenance of the machinery.

“We have had meetings with the Minister of Finance, the President, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Parliamentary Committees on Local Government, Finance and Budget. I am very hopeful that things will be resolved,” he stated.

In the meantime, the DRIP Secretariat is implementing a policy to select one assembly each month for support in using DRIP machinery to rehabilitate roads in their jurisdiction.

Vanderpuye made these remarks during a nationwide visit to the Eastern Region to meet MMDCEs and DRIP Coordinators. The visit coincided with the second Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) meeting in Koforidua.

Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, acknowledged the poor state of roads, particularly in rural areas, and highlighted that routine maintenance contracts have been awarded through engagements with the Ministry of Roads and Highways, prioritising roads linking markets and agricultural areas.

She also urged assemblies to fully utilise DRIP equipment to improve road networks and ease commuting burdens.

Council of State member, Evelyn Korang, encouraged MMDCEs to continue striving for excellence to enhance living standards for Ghanaians.