Offinso (Ash.), Oct. 5, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has expressed dissatisfaction at the slow pace TAYSEC construction company is executing the 190 billion-cedi 40 kilometre Offinso - Samproso section of the Kumasi-Techiman Road Project, describing it as unacceptable.

The Project is being funded through the European Development Fund and forms part of the Trans-ECOWAS road network linking Ghana to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

The contract was signed in November 2004 and work was scheduled to be completed within one year, however, after about two years not much has been done.

President Kufuor, who travelled on road on Thursday to acquaint himself with the progress of work, told an enthusiastic crowd that met him at Offinso that the Contractors would have to show seriousness or lose the contract.

He said the Government would hold a meeting with TAYSEC and that if it should emerge that they could not complete the work by December, the project would have to be re-awarded.

The delay has led to fury and bitter complaints by motorists, travellers and the people in communities served by the road. President Kufuor called on the people to continue to have faith in the Government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) saying, its achievements within the past five years had been tremendous.

This, he said, was evident from the massive road construction, building of school blocks and health facilities among other social infrastructure, adding that, a solid base had been laid to propel the country into greater prosperity.

They should, therefore, never allow themselves to be swayed by negative political propaganda of the critics of the Government. President Kufuor made reference to the impending parliamentary by-election in the area fixed by the Electoral Commission (EC) for October 24, and asked the people to vote massively for the NPP's Candidate, Dr Owusu Achaw Duah.

The election has become necessary following the death of the ruling party's Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Kwabena Sarfo. President Kufuor earlier paid a courtesy call on Nana Wiafe Akenten II, Omanhene of Offinso, and visited the bereaved family of the late MP.