By Iddi Yire
Accra, Sept. 12, GNA – President John Dramani Mahama has inspected ongoing construction works on the Wa-Han Road in the Upper West Region.
This forms part of the President’s two-day Resetting Ghana Tour of the Upper West Region.
The road is a major highway which links Wa, the Upper West Regional Capital, and Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional Capital.
The primary purpose of the President’s Resetting Ghana Tour is to bring governance closer to the grassroots, inspect ongoing infrastructure projects, and directly engage citizens and traditional leaders on national development priorities.
President Mahama in his remarks said the road was one of the most important roads under the Big Push programme because, when selecting the projects, they prioritised roads that link regional capitals.
He said it was Wa-Han Road was the road that connects the Upper East Regional Capital with the Upper West Region, and so it was a very important road.
“Indeed, it has been in a very poor condition since our fathers’ time. As a young child I used to travel along this road to Tumu to visit my father’s friend. People believed that this road would never, ever be done,” President Mahama said.
“I believe that today we can see that, before the end of 2027, we will have a very comfortable ride between the two regional capitals.”
The President said the contractor executing the project was a well-known company and one of the oldest contracting firms in the country, stating that they do not call him by the company’s name; “we call him Wadie, and we know the quality of work he has delivered over the years”.
He recounted that the contractor worked on the Wa-Bole-Bamboi Road and several other road projects in the Upper West Region.
“We are happy that he is undertaking this project, and as he finishes, there are many other roads we have scoped in the Upper West that we will allocate to the company,” the President stated.
He assured the people that although everyone wished all their roads could be constructed at once, they simply could not do that.
“There is a limit to the budget we have. That is why there is Big Push Phase One. We are already scoping Big Push Phase Two, and there will also be Big Push Phase Three,” President Mahama said.
“As we move forward, we will progress from the trunk roads to the feeder roads that connect with the trunk road network.”
He noted that it was important to complete the trunk roads first so that people from every constituency could join the main highway and enjoy a safe and comfortable journey.
The President said after the trunk roads were completed, they would extend the feeder roads into their communities and towns.
He said the work was progressing well, and that they would return next year to commission the road.
“I am confident that the quality of the road will be excellent. As the Minister said, after the double surface dressing, we will seal the entire road with asphalt from Wa to Bolgatanga,” he noted.
He said that would ensure the road lasts for at least the next 20 years and requires minimal maintenance.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade