Governs Kwame Agbodza, the Roads and Highways Minister, has once again reiterated that the 10,000km roads the Akufo-Addo government claimed to have constructed cannot be found.
Hon Agbodza revealed that after he assumed office, he went on a tour around the country to see the roads in Ghana.
According to Agbodza, he could not find even 1,000 kilometres of good road.
The former president, Akufo-Addo, on numerous occasions claimed his government has created 11,000km of roads since 2017.
Governs Kwame Agbodza has, however, refuted these assertions.
Speaking to journalists at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Wednesday, July 30, Mr. Agbodza stated, “As soon as I assumed office, I went around the country to see the roads in Ghana. What I saw was that the over 10,000km of roads former President Akufo-Addo claimed he had constructed cannot be found,” he said.
“In fact, not even a 1,000 kilometres of good road was seen,” the Minister added.
Also, Governor Kwame Agbodza, during his vetting, exposed former president Akufo-Addo over claims his government constructed 11,000km of roads.
According to him, the claim that 11,000 kilometres of roads have been constructed is misleading.
He revealed that in reality, it is only 673 kilometres of roads that have been constructed since 2017.
Speaking during his vetting by the Appointments Committee on Monday, January 20, Kwame Agbodza detailed, “The claim that 11,000 kilometres of roads have been constructed is misleading. The reality is that, since 2017, only 673 kilometres of roads have been constructed”.
“This figure is based on the actual data and records of road projects completed during that period. It’s crucial for the public to be informed of the true extent of road construction efforts”, he added.
The Minister-designate added that road construction projects must be properly tracked and that the information provided to the public reflects reality.
“We need to ensure that road construction projects are properly tracked and that the information provided to the public reflects reality. If we want to move forward, we must start with honesty and integrity in reporting our achievements”, he added.
However, the NPP minority in parliament has blown an alarm on the John Mahama-led government over repackaging old road projects for the government’s flagship “Big Push Programme“.
The minority asserted that road projects listed by the Mahama government were initiated, planned, or designed under the Akufo-Addo Bawumia administration.
According to the minority projects, like Wa–Han Road, Navrongo–Tumu Road, Sunyani Outer Ring Road, and the Tema–Aflao Road, are old projects.
In a statement by Kennedy Osei Nyarko, the Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee, stated, “These projects are not new. They were either planned, tendered, or commenced under the previous government. What we are witnessing is political erasure disguised as innovation.
Repackaging old ideas without acknowledging your predecessors is not only dishonest but also unproductive.”
Mr Nyarko added. “It would serve the nation better if the government embraced continuity rather than indulging in revisionism.”
“Where is the funding? What are the timelines? The document is silent,” Mr Nyarko pointed out, casting doubt on the budget’s deliverability.
“This is not the time for optics,” he stressed. “We need accountability, not illusions.”
