-over MiDA projects

Minister for Trade and Industry, Hannah Tetteh, and the Eastern Regional Minister, Kwasi Akyem Appiakubi, Monday commended the previous Kufuor-led New Patriotic Party government for its vision and good effort that enabled the nation to attract the $547 Millennium Challenge Account.

According to the ministers, the $547 compact secured by the NPP government as result of good governance has provided a catalyst for development in many communities in the country, thus helping to improve the lives of many people, especially in the rural areas.

Speaking at a ceremony at Odeikrom, near Nsawam, to commission about 51 kilometres of feeder roads rehabilitated with funds from the MCA, the ministers said in view of the excellent nature of the programme, government was working hard to secure the second compact to continue from where the NPP left off.

Also present at the ceremony were Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister for Food and Agriculture, Osei Bonsu Amoah, Member of Parliament for Aburi-Nsawam, and officials from MiDA.

Dr Appiakubi told the elated gathering that the project was made possible as a result of the agreement entered into by the previous NPP government and the United State government through the MiDA.

Also commissioned was a Public Packhouse at Mariakrom, also built with funds from the MCA, and meant to provide a decent place for packing and storage of pineapple for export.

Speaking to the New Statesman, OB Amoah, MP for Aburi-Nsawam, expressed joy at the massive development the MCA had brought to his constituency.

“It has brought a lot of relief to the people who are mainly pineapple growers. While post-harvest losses have reduced drastically, they also now have easy access to roads to their farms and we are very grateful to President Kufuor for his initiative that secured the nation this compact,” he stressed.

The MP described the MCA programme as “one of the many excellent initiatives” of the NPP government that had resulted in massive infrastructural development in the country.

Ghana, under President Kufuor, met all the conditions to access the Account at the end of 2003, as a result of good governance. The $547m compact was ready by February, 2007.

One of the major projects started with the compact was the 14-kilometre Mallam-Tetteh Quarshie road, now completed and handed over to the Mills-Mahama led National Democratic Congress government for commissioning.

The 14-kilometre road that stretches from the Tetteh Quarshie Roundabout through Lapaz, Kwashieman to Mallam has brought tremendous relief to motorists, having saved them from the drudgery of traffic.

It is recalled that on February 22, 2008, President Kufuor, after cutting the sod, christened the Mallam-Tetteh Quarshie road “The George Bush Motorway”, at a state banquet in honour of former US President Bush and his wife Laura Bush. President Kufuor, at the time, said the gesture was in appreciation of the contributions of the US President to the development of Ghana and other parts of Africa.

The “George Bush Motorway”, which is currently one of the busiest in the city, has been reconstructed into a first class six-lane dual carriage road.

The cost of the project was US$101 million back in 2008. However, just like other contracts awarded during President Mills-led National Democratic Congress, the cost of the project shot up to a cost of $165 million.