Roads Minister terminates Akyem Wenchi Junction to Kade road contract over delays

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako Atta has terminated the road contract between the government of Ghana and Messrs Nkwantabisa contractors.

The contract agreement which had the contractors working on the Akyem Wenchi Junction to Kade stretch in the Eastern Region according to the minister was ended based on what he describes as unnecessary delays in its completion.

Works on the 46km road in the Kwaebibirem Municipality was awarded to Messrs Nkwantabisa some 10 years ago but is currently nowhere near completion.

This development was revealed by the minister who was on a three-day working visit to the Eastern Region to monitor the progress of some road contracts in the region.

“This contract is terminated and when I go back to the office on Monday morning, I will give approval to the termination and the Chief Director will work with the Chief Executive of the Ghana Highway Authority to re-award this contract because this road must be fixed immediately.”

“There must be a strong contractor on this road to work on it between now and the end of the year. We cannot accept this. No contractor can be on the road for 10 years, which is a decade. It is not acceptable and as I go round the country, any project of any contractor that is unjustifiably delayed, and delayed for no just cause shall be terminated”.

The roads minister thus cautioned other contractors working on roads within the country to stick to their project timelines as he will not hesitate to terminate any contract which will be unduly delayed.

“I know the contractual relationship between a contractor and the employer, which is the government. And of course, as long as the employer is doing his or her part the contractor must also do his part, but if for no just cause a contractor unduly delays any project, as I travel with my technical people around the country, any such projects will immediately be terminated, and I want to repeat it because I have the moral courage and authority to terminate any contract anywhere in the country no matter who the contractor is, his size or capacity”.

“I will terminate your contract because the people of this country cannot wait, the government cannot wait because we are in a hurry, anybody or contractor who comes for a project and does not perform you are gone,” he added.

Mr. Amoako Atta on the other hand commended General Construction and Development Limited, for their diligent execution on the Oseim to Begoro stretch of road.