Government road projects just a pipe dream – Suhuyini

The Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini has the NPP government cannot commit to delivering any of the road projects earmarked in its road infrastructure programme.

He claims almost all the promises of the Akufo-Addo government are up in the air, insisting the fate of the road projects promised too won’t be exceptional as a result of the financial constraints.

“What is left cannot even dig a borehole, that’s what the state of the economy is. With that outlook, even borrowers are going to be afraid to deal with you. So where are you going to get the funds. You have run the economy down."

“We know the debt to GDP ratio; We know the numbers and the projections that you’ve quoted in the budget. Yes, they remain projections, they remain pipe dreams because even with those dreams being realised, we are told that it’ll only be enough to pay salaries, emoluments, and interest on debts."

“Almost all the rating companies are downgrading us. So clearly you’re not attractive to even raise those loans,” he said on GH Today on GHOne TV.

His comment comes on the heels of the assurances made by the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako-Atta recently.

The Roads Minister has disclosed that 6,000 kilometers out of 11,000 kilometers of roads are to be completed under government’s second year of roads programme.

His update follows the 4,000 kilometers of roads constructed in the first term of the Akufo-Addo administration.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Sunday, May 23, 2021, Mr. Amoako-Atta established that the 6,000 kilometers of roads to be completed falls under critical, cocoa, town roads and asphalt overlays and the Sinohydro Master Project Support Facility.

On critical roads programme, the Minister said part of the roads to be completed are Navrongo to Naga stretch of roads, the Wa to Bulenga to Yaala road, Salaga to Ekumdipe to Kpandai road which is 60% complete, upgrading of Yagaba to Mankarigu road as well as the upgrading of Daboya to Mankarigu road among hosts of road projects

“As part of government’s year of road programme, 81 number of critical roads of total length 2,167.2 kilometers were identified in all the 16 regions of the critical for rehabilitation at a cost of GHS 7.827 billion,” he said.

Under the cocoa roads programme, the Minister noted that 325 projects are currently ongoing across cocoa growing areas across the country establishing that 4,853 kilometers of roads are being constructed at a cost of GHS14.511 billion.

Providing more details, the Minister said these include the Aboabo to Esikuma to Dunkwa road, Have to Hohoe road, Sefwi to Wiawso to Akontobra stretch, the Dodokorpe to Borae junction road, Hohoe to Jasikan road among other road projects.

He said 563.3 kilometers of roads are to be completed under the town roads programme at a total cost of GHS 1.083 billion including the rehabilitation of Gambaga, Nalerigu and Walewale town roads as well as the phase 1 of the upgrading of Prestea and Tepa town roads among others.

Touching on asphalt overlay programme, the Minister said “the Ministry of Roads and Highways has programmed to undertake 1,500 kilometers of asphaltic overlay in major towns and cities across the country including hospitals, schools, courts, police barracks, army garrisons and other security service compounds.”

This he said 1,301 kilometers of roads will be completed under this programme in towns such as Obuasi, Kumasi, Akwatia, Oda, Winneba, Swedru, Berekum among others at a cost of GHS 1.665 billion stating that by the end of this government, 3,000 kilometers of roads would have been completed.

On Sinohydro Master Project Support Facility, Mr. Amoako-Atta said 4 road projects are ongoing including 2 interchanges. The road projects he said include the Accra inner-city roads, Kumasi inner-city roads, dualization of Adenta to Dodowa and the rehabilitation of Ajumako to Afransie road.