By Bajin D. Pobia/Philip Tengzu
Daffiama, (UW/R), June 12, GNA – The Ghana government in collaboration with the European Union (EU) has commissioned 650km of roads representing 98 per cent of the 670km feeder and farm access roads project in the Upper West Region.
A renovated Community-based Health, Planning and Services (CHPS) compound with solar-powered mechanised borehole at Dakyie community in the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa (DBI) District was also commissioned alongside the roads.
Speaking at an event in Daffiama in the DBI district to commission the roads, Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, the Minister of Roads and Highways, said the road project would significantly enhance the economic well-being of people in the beneficiary communities by reducing travel time and improving access to health and markets centres among others.
The government in conjunction with the EU broke grounds for the 35-million-euro road rehabilitation project at Kpongu, a community in the Wa Municipality in 2019 with the project segmented into three lots – Wa Municipal, Wa West, Nadowli-Kaleo (235km), Jirapa, Lawra, Daffiama-Bussie-Issa (210km), Nandom and Lambussie (225km).
Mr Asenso-Boakye explained that the initiative formed part of the government’s grand agenda of improving the country’s roads infrastructure through the Transport Sector Improvement Programme, which received a significant boost from the EU with the rehabilitation of 670kms of roads in the Upper West Region under the EU Ghana Agriculture Programme (EU-GAP).
The Minister stated that the commissioning of the roads was a significant milestone and “demonstrates the government’s collective commitment to improving Ghana’s infrastructure and the lives of our people.”
Mr Asenso-Boakye announced that, “The government is currently engaging the EU to extend this project for the rehabilitation of approximately 300 kilometres of feeder roads in the Sissala West District, Sissala East Municipality and Wa East District.
“Several similar interventions have been programmed and will gradually be rolled out in other parts of the region. This is part of the government’s broader plan to enhance connectivity and boost trade within the Upper West Region”, the Minister added.
He mentioned complementary interventions of the feeder roads project to include construction of 16 solar-powered boreholes at selected CHPS compounds, renovation of 16 CHPS facilities, planting of over 3,000 different species of trees within the project enclave and creation of over 3,000 skilled and non-skilled jobs in the beneficiary communities.
Mr Asenso-Boakye, who is also the Member of Parliament for Bantama Constituency, expressed gratitude to the EU and the World Bank for their continuous support in developing Ghana’s roads infrastructure and the traditional leaders in the region for their support for the successful execution of the project.
Naa Nagua Anmwierenjeng, the Chief of Daffiama Nayirkore, who represented the Paramount Chief of the Daffiama Traditional Area, Naa Dikomwine Domalae, at the commissioning ceremony, thanked the government and the EU for the significant intervention on the road network in the region.
He observed that the rehabilitation of the roads would uplift and transform businesses in the region through enhanced mobility of human and goods and general improvement in commercial activities among the people in the region.
On his part, Mr Stephen Yakubu, the Upper West Regional Minister, thanked the EU and the World Bank for their unwavering support to the region, which was driving progress and transforming the lives of the people.
He explained that the commissioning of the roads marked a new chapter for the road sector in the region and would open new opportunities for trade and to build a robust economy.
He added that the roads would also facilitate the carting of farm produce from the farms to storage facilities and to market centres thereby enhancing market integration and building a thriving agriculture sector of the region.
High profile EU and government delegation including the EU Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Irchad Razaaly, a Minister of State and former Interior Minister, Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister of Finance, Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, representatives of the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and Traditional Leaders attended the event.
GNA