The Western Regional branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described as bogus assertion by the Roads and highways minister, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, leaders of the party in the region had advised a road contractor to stop work because the government would not pay him.

In his recent working visit to the region, Inusah Fuseini asserted in an interview with Skyy Power FM in Takoradi that leaders of the NPP had advised the Managing Director of Justmoh Constructions, Justice Amoh – the contractor working on the re-asphalting of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metro roads – to stop work because the government would not pay him.

The regional branch of the party has expressed dismay at the allegation and called on the people in the area to treat the minister’s statement with contempt.

In a statement issued by the party and signed by its Regional Communications Director, Okatekyie Amankwaa Afrifa, it said it could not fathom why a minister of state could make such a bogus assertion and tell palpable lies.

“But we are also not surprised because he is a minister in a government that believes in spewing lies and propaganda instead of pursuing an efficient governance agenda,” the statement pointed out.

It indicated that the government’s style of disrespecting the good people of Ghana had been played out by the minister as his comments, apart from tainting the integrity of Mr. Amoh, also exhibited his disrespect for the contractor.

“No wonder his ministry and government have never adhered to agreements they sign with contractors resulting in some contractors abandoning projects and pathetically leaving construction sites,” it noted.

The statement continued, “The leadership of the Western Region NPP is therefore urging the good people of the region to treat the Roads and Highways Minister’s comments with contempt,” adding that the assertion defied reasoning logic that a region which has one of the worst road networks in the country in spite of its wealth, would have citizens of the region opposing improvements of the roads, albeit minimal.

“As everyone is aware, the NPP is very committed to the development and well-being of the region and the country as a whole,” the regional NPP stressed in the statement.

It recalled that the region, during the eight-year rule of President John Agyekum Kufuor, saw a lot of infrastructural developments and initiatives, including road constructions.

“These include Takoradi-Apimanim, Apimanim-Tarkwa, Asuoyeboah-Bibiani-Sefwi-Bekwai, Asawinso-Juaboso, Sekondi roundabout and a lot of cocoa roads in the Sefwi area (Western North)”, the statement claimed.

It added that the NPP also initiated lots of road projects that had taken the NDC government so much time to complete.

It mentioned the Baka-ano bridge at Sekondi, Tarkwa-Bogoso-Anyanfuri, which was 25 per cent, completed, Asankragwa-Enchi – 90 per cent completed and Asankragwa-Sefwi-Bekwai - 10 per cent completed.

“It must be noted that money for the construction of the initiated roads was ready before we left office so why are the projects not completed after six years of leaving office and the contractors working in a snail pace”? it queried.

“We assure the people of the region and the country as a whole that we have them at heart and will never do anything to thwart the development of the country,” the NPP assured.

The statement posited, “This is why the party and our MPs were demanding 10 per cent of the oil revenue to aid the tremendous development of the Western Region, as promised by President Mahama in the 2008 campaign.”

It reminded ministers of state and government appointees that the people of Ghana were fed up with their lies and propaganda.