Ofankor—Nsawam, other roads must be completed on schedule
Good road networks anywhere do not only facilitate the smooth and easy movement of people, goods and services from one area to another; they also improve the socio-economic development of a people.
Conversely, poor or bad roads are anti-developmental, as people, goods and services cannot be moved with ease from one place to the other, and as such activities are frozen or non-existent.
Dusty, pothole-riddled and dangerous roads affect the health of people, apart from making otherwise vibrant communities look forlorn and ‘dead’.
In such communities, residents have to grapple with respiratory diseases, and the sick and expectant mothers are not able to access health care.
It is the reason many citizens continue to call for the construction and reconstruction of roads so that their lives would not become a drudgery.
The assurance by the contractor working on the Ofankor-Nsawam road project, Maripoma Enterprise Limited, and the Chief Resident Engineer for the project, Kwabena Bimpong, to
President John Mahama to complete construction by the second quarter of 2026, therefore, comes as a big relief to residents and commuters who use the road.
Commuters have suffered a lot of inconveniences as they traverse the poor road, while residents have suffered from dust pollution, and drivers have had to contend with damaged shock absorbers and other vehicle parts.
Uncompleted road projects have usually been caused by delays in payment and non-payment of contract sums by the government for even work pre-financed by the contractors.
When the contractors demobilise their equipment, the government is unable to question them because they lack the moral right to do so.
With payment for completion of the Ofankor-Nsawam road done, the government has every right to demand not only a swift acceleration of works, but also cast-iron guarantees that quality standards would be strictly adhered to.
This will ensure that the dual carriageway stands the test of time, unlike what pertains in the execution of many road projects in the country because contractors are forced to use limited budgets or pre-finance them, with the hope that the government will eventually pay up.
The dual carriageway, a major artery linking Accra to Kumasi and the northern part of the country, stalled for four months after its commencement in July 2022 due to alleged non-payment of the contractors, Maripoma Enterprise Limited.
Having received payment for the project, it is the fervent hope of the Daily Graphic that the contractor will do his part and execute it with quality materials so that it stands the test of time.
We are all watching and will call into question the work of the contractor if the road starts deteriorating shortly after it has been completed in the second quarter of 2026.
We pray it does not come to that so that the high quality of the construction will not only receive praise but rather make the government give more road contracts to the contractor.
The country lacks good roads in urban, peri-urban and rural areas, which is affecting the socio-economic development of the people.
We need good roads for economic development.
We cannot toy with the provision of ideal transportation across the country, which cannot be attained without a good road network because road transportation is the main means of movement for a greater part of the population.
Aside the Ofankor-Nsawam road project, there are many other projects that have stalled for various reasons, including non-payment for job execution, misapplication of funds and unqualified or poorly resourced contractors.
Going forward, the Daily Graphic urges the government to pay up all outstanding money owed contractors, and also ensure transparent tendering processes to get the right calibre of contractors to execute road projects based on their resources and competencies.
When road contracts are awarded the government must also ensure full payment to the contractors so that they are able to deliver good jobs in good time to enhance commerce, improve the wellbeing of residents and commuters and the socio-economic development of the people.
