By Godwill Arthur-Mensah/Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, July 30, GNA – Mr. Francis Asenso-Boakye, a former Minister of Roads and Highways, has criticised the ruling government of attempting to distort facts and data on roads constructed by the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) Administration.
He said the NPP government constructed over 13,000 kilometres of roads comprising overlays, new and partial roads, as well as gravelling and regravelling and rehabilitation works, and not 10,000km as claimed by Mr Kwame Agbodza, the Minister of Roads and Highways.
Addressing a presser at Parliament House in Accra on Wednesday, to respond to the Minister of Roads, Mr Asenso-Boakye described the Minister’s comments as “not only misleading but reflect a worrying pattern of deliberate distortion and double standard,” adding that, “this is not only disingenuous, but gross attempt to politicise our facts.”
Mr Asenso-Boakye, also the Member of Parliament for Bantama, said the data on roads construction works were compiled by the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the sector Ministry.
Therefore, there should be no attempt to politicise the data, which was compiled by qualified engineers and civil servants, and not politicians.
Mr Asenso-Boakye urged the current Roads Minister to have the courage and sincerity to confront the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of the Roads Ministry, instead of engaging in what he described as “cheap political propaganda to dishonour the legacy of President Akufo-Addo.”
The Bantama Lawmaker also expressed surprise that the current Roads Minister is now endorsing single sourcing procurement method for road construction, while he criticised the previous NPP administration of the same thing.
He said: “The Minister said in today’s briefing that once the engineers prepare the estimate for road construction, it do
“This is not double standards but blatant contradiction, and not only exposes his double standards, but raises serious questions about his integrity,” Mr Asenso-Boakye pointed out.
“You cannot demonise a method that others use, only to defend it when you find yourself in the same situation.”
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah