By Philip Tengzu/Freda Mwini
Wa (UW/R), Sept. 13, GNA – Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza, the Minister of Roads and Highways, has assured the chiefs and people of the Wa West District that the Wa-Dorimon-Wechiau-Ga road will be constructed under the second phase of the Big Push for Infrastructure Development Programme.
He said other critical roads in the Upper West Region would also be assessed for inclusion in the programme, while some would be addressed under the Road Maintenance Trust Fund and the Ghana Market Access Programme.
The Minister gave the assurance at a town hall meeting at Wa, as part of President John Dramani Mahama’s #ResettingGhana Tour of the Upper West Region.
He was responding to a request by Mr Peter Lanchene Toobu, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Wa West Constituency, for the government to consider critical roads in the constituency, including the Wa-Dorimon-Wechiau-Ga road and the Poyentanga-Naahaa road.
Mr Toobu made the appeal earlier when the President inspected the 24-Hour Economy Market project at Poyentanga.
“If that road is paved, it will just bring so much transformation to the district, and particularly, it will bring so much volume of business to this market when completed,” the MP said.
He also appealed to the government to construct two steel bridges linking Kuuchileyir and Workura communities, and Lose and Varenpere communities to improve connectivity and support the development of the market.
Mr Toobu said the construction of the road and the bridges would significantly transform the district and enhance economic activities, especially for women and farmers.
Responding to the appeal, Mr Agbodza said the government was committed to addressing the country’s road infrastructure deficit, but had to prioritise projects to ensure their completion.
The Minister said the World Bank’s Ghana Market Access Programme, which focused on constructing trunk roads to connect areas of significant agricultural importance, would benefit the Upper West Region.
He said the programme covered 5,000 kilometres of roads nationwide, with the first phase expected to commence before the end of the year.
“The first phase is just 2050 kilometres, and Upper West is benefiting from four of these projects,” he stated.
Mr Agbodza also disclosed that some road projects under the Road Maintenance Trust Fund would commence this year, with four projects scheduled to start this September.
He said the government had received overwhelming requests for road projects across the country because of the poor state of many roads.
“Because people’s roads have been bad for a long time, they think it will never be done. Now that we are doing it, everybody now feels that this is the time for their road to be done,” he said.
The Minister appealed to stakeholders to support the government in completing all ongoing projects before the rollout of additional ones.
He said the government had inherited a debt of about GH¢40 billion in 2024 and had already paid nearly GH¢25 billion of the debt, and reiterated the government’s commitment and determination to complete inherited projects.
Mr Agbodza urged contractors working on the Big Push projects to work diligently and support communities in which they operated.
He commended Astee Company Limited, the contractor in charge of the Wa-Bulenga-Yaala Road, for helping neighbouring communities fix their roads outside its contract’s scope.
GNA
Edited by Christabel Addo
Reporter: Philip Tengzu/Freda Mwini