Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta on behalf of President Akufo-Addo has cut the sod for the construction of the deplorable Gwira Aiyinasi-Gwira Wiawso road network.

The move follows the deplorable nature of the road which was having a telling effect on the movement of goods and services thereby crippling the local economy.

It would be recalled that during the 2018 Kundum festival celebration by the Chiefs and people of Axim, President Akufo-Addo pledged his commitment to constructing the Gwira Aiyinasi to Gwira Wiawso stretch.

It also comes as a result of the promise the then flag-bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), President Akufo-Addo made during the run-up to the 2012 and 2016 elections when he met the Chiefs and people of the area.

The 30km deplorable Gwira Aiyinasi-Gwira Wiawso road is being executed by Fridoug Construction Limited and supervised by the Ghana Highway Authority and will also cost the country 42 million Ghana Cedis.

Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony as part of his tour to the Municipality at Gwira Eshiem Community Center, the Roads Minister, Mr. Amoako Atta expressed his profound appreciation to the good people of Nzema East Municipality for their overwhelming support given to the NPP during the 2016 general elections.

He added that the NPP government is committed to the development of the people of Nzema East Municipality and therefore urged them to embrace the project and support the contractor to complete the work on schedule.

According to him, the project begins immediately and is expected to be completed in twenty-four (24) months.

He said road network was very terrible adding that President Akufo-Addo needs to be hailed for honouring his pledge to fix the road when voted as a president of the Republic of Ghana.

He opined "I am here to fulfill the promise President Akufo-Addo made during the electioneering campaigns"

"We have given the Contractor 24 months to complete the project, we pray that the Contractor will complete the project on schedule because all powers belong to God and if God gives us lives, President Akufo-Addo himself will come and commission it", he emphasized.

The Roads Minister promised to use powers vested in him to monitor the execution of the road.

He advised the contractor to do excellent work and avoid any shoddy works.

The Roads Minister, therefore, stated that government will not compromise on quality and value for money concerning the execution of all road projects in the country.

"We have excellent contractors in Ghana, good contractors that can do all our works for us like any contractor anywhere in the world is doing", he said.

"...If we have 100 contractors in Ghana and 99 are good and 1 contractor is not good who will do shoddy works under the watch of President Akufo-Addo, such contractor will be exposed and dumped", he stressed.

He continued that "If you are a Minister and you allow some contractors to do any shoddy works on our roads, that Minister must be dumped and if you are also an engineer and you do not your works well, you will be dumped. From today going let us serve our country well".

On her part, the Member of Parliament for the area, Catherine Afeku revealed that the road network has claimed so many lives adding that when the road is completed, it would go a long way to save lives.

She called on the contractor to liaise with the Chiefs and engage some of locals in the construction work.

The Paramount Chief seized the opportunity to appeal to the Roads and Highways Minister to construct a steel bridge over Ankobra River at Gwira Wiawso that link the area to Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.

The colourful ceremony brought the scores of people from the three Constituencies within the Nzemaland and other places to grace it and ended in a peaceful manner.

The Minister for Roads and Highways was accompanied by some staff of the Ministry, Western Regional Minister, Hon. Kobby Okyere Darko-Mensah, the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Hon. Kwabena Owusu Aduomi Hon. Catherine Afeku, National Highway Authority CEO, Western Regional Acting CEO of Highway Authority, the media among others.