Year of Roads: Esiama-Nkroful road construction grind to halt after failed promises

Government has failed to uphold promises to complete the construction of some pegged roads at the Ellembelle District in the Western Region, investigations by GhanaWeb have revealed.

As part of the government’s efforts to make road networks accessible in some areas of the country, President Akufo-Addo announced his intention to embark on a massive road construction project in 2020 dubbed "the Year of Roads.”

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta on Wednesday, November 13, 2019, disclosed this during his presentation of the 2020 Budget statement and Economic policy to Parliament.

Some Ghanaians had expressed many hues and cry about the poor nature of roads prior to the announcement by the Finance Minister when he presented the 2020 budget statement to Parliament.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, most Ghanaians have become sceptical about whether the government will be able to fulfill her pledge to devote 2020 to massive road construction and asphalt overlays.

But speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb, the DCE for Ellembelle Kwasi Bonzoh expressed optimism about the completion of projects under his jurisdiction.

He noted that the 26.6km stretch of Esiama-Nkroful-Teleku Bokazo-Anwia-Aiyinasi road would be completed by end of June 2020.

“Government has the plan, of course, COVID-19 throws some few plans out of gear but what I have seen and know about Nana Akufo-Addo, the President of Ghana, he is a very focused osteon, in the amid and wake of COVID-19, he kept focused to deliver.

"2020 as we all know, has been declared a "Year of Roads" and Ellembelle had our first share. Since December last year when massive works started on this road there has never been a day that construction work has not taken place as we speak."

Mr. Bonzoh reiterated that by the end of June 2020, the users of the deplorable Nkroful road would see asphalt on it and disclosed that the Resident Engineer had assured him it would come to a reality.

"My last meeting with the Contractor and the Resident Engineer, Mr. Daniel Boateng, he assured us that we are on a schedule that by the end of June, this road will see the asphalt and then it will be left with the bridges to be constructed because the bridges normally take time because of the concrete works but still we are on course," he stressed.

But upon visiting the site of the construction of the Esiama-Nkroful road after the deadline had elapsed, GhanaWeb discovered that the project had come to a halt.

There was no asphalt on the stretch as promised by the DCE of Ellembelle neither could work be seen being done there.

It must, however, be put on record that an appreciable amount of work had been done on the stretch.