Bad Roads across the entire length and breath of Ghana have been a major source of worry and concern for many a Ghanaian. The question that comes to mind in the mist of the cry for good roads is, what happened to all the supposed roads, the unprecedented roads the NDC government led by its leader, the Incompetent One- John Dramani Mahama spoke of and claimed in his infamous “Green Book”?We ask the NDC, were your Green Book touted roads, real roads or phantom roads? How much was sunk into road construction under the Incompetent One that we woke up to very deplorable and worse roads ever in every nook and cranny of Ghana?

The very bad and deplorable roads are what was bequeathed to His Excellency, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo.

The President, Nana Addo and his NPP government who are determined to change the course of history and also overhaul the road infrastructure network in the country have began the process of changing the bad road narrative by prioritizing road infrastructure and construction across the country.

In the pursuit of excellent transportation systems, the Ministry of Roads and Highways has accelerated the construction of Ghana’s road networks and infrastructure.

The NPP Government understands the urgent and critical need for excellent road networks and infrastructure, and the importance of using road infrastructure as spring-board to expedite rural and urban development initiatives currently picking up like a storm in the country.

The NPP-USA Communications Director, Mrs. Josephine Agyekum-Wallace, elaborated on “The Status of Ghana’s Road Networks and Infrastructure under the NPP Government” at the 3rd edition of NPP-USA’s political series dubbed “Let the truth be told”, which airs every Tuesday on Amenado Radio in Denver, CO, USA, on their popular fire-4-fire political show on October 22nd 2019.

Mrs Agyekum-Wallace explained that the evolution of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s development initiatives is very dependent on good roads in Ghana. Speaking on the well-attended Amenado Radio’s fire-4-fire political show, she informed the audience that the Ghana Government and the Ministry of Roads and Highways are very much aware that majority of Ghana’s road networks have outgrown their usefulness due to rapid population growth. She also noted that the massive influx of government and private business investments in the urban and rural areas, coupled with NPP’s well-known Planting for food and Jobs, as well as the One District One Factory initiatives have necessitate the expansion of road transportation networks in the country.

The Ag Communication Director of NPP - USA mentioned that the recent sod-cutting ceremony by Nana Addo for the proposed $135 million Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange project by the Ministry of Roads and Highways, will minimize the unbearable traffic congestion for commuters traveling from Kaneshie-Odorkor, Awudome- North Kanashie, Obossey Okai-Korle Bu, and Graphic Road-Agbobloshie Market Interconnecting Roads in Accra. President Akufo-Addo emphasized the NPP Government’s commitment to addressing the deplorable road and sewage conditions in the country, and his quest to complete the majority of the roads in the order of prioritization by 2020.

He announced at the ceremony that the Ministry of Finance has released an amount of GH C2.2 Billion to the Ministry of Roads and Highways for contractual payments for completed projects, as well as increasing cash flow for ongoing road projects. Mrs Agyekum-Wallace applauded the president for the mandate given to the Minister for Roads and Highway to closely and effectively monitor all road contracts for contractual compliance and termination due to unnecessary delays and noncompliance.

Some of the completed and partially completed projects, as part of the Urban Development Mobility in the western corridors of Greater Accra and other parts of the country, include:

• Dome-Tiafa road - 60% completed

• Construction of concrete roads in Tema industrial enclave will be fully completed by March 2020

• Dualisation of the “School Junction Road” in Adjiriganor - 95% completed

• Teshie Lekma road - one side of the carriageway will be completed by end of 2019.

• Asphalting of Kwabenya - Pokuase road - Completed

• Asphalting Agbogloshie main Road - Completed

• Construction of two-lane underpass to link Spintex and East Legon.

• Funding received for Dome-Kitase road project.

Other completed roads include oil and gas enclave roads along the pipelines, including Amazure Bridge.

• Rehabilitation of 94.4 km of Tarkwa - Bogoso to Ayamfuri roads.

• Rehabilitation of 30km of Tarkwa - Bogoso road.

Under the Kumasi Facelift project, 17 contracts have been awarded and commenced for the asphalting of Manhyia, Bantama, and Anloga Junction to Tech.

Ghanaians were reminded that the erstwhile Mahama-led NDC Government left stretches of untouched, incomplete and unpaid road projects when they lost power in 2016. In a nutshell, the NPP Government inherited a large number of incomplete roads, including urban and feeder road projects, the majority of which was claimed to have been completed according to the NDC’s Green Book.

Mrs. Agyekum-Wallace recounted the devastating effects of floods in Ghana due to little to no drainage systems, and the mismanagement of the sanitation and waste problems that engulfed Ghanaians under the NDC Government for so many years.

She cited as examples the avoidable infamous Kwame Nkrumah Circle deadly floods, that rendered unwarranted pain and anguish to affected victims, the uncontrollable floods on the exorbitantly constructed Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (popularly known as the Dubai), as well as the enormity of the deteriorated roads left behind after the floods.

She expressed the NPP-USA’s excitement on Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s passion to develop structurally competent road infrastructure to match the ever increasing developments in Ghana, and commended him for his long-term vision for the citizens of Ghana, especially the youth, under-privileged and the underserved areas of the country.

In conclusion, she urged all Ghanaians to rally behind Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP Government to develop structurally competent and healthy road networks and infrastructure to match the emerging socio-economic developments of Ghana.