On November 21, 2019, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia cut the sod for the construction of 30 kilometres of inner city roads in Cape Coast.
The road project falls under the Ghana-Sinohydro Master Project Support Agreement.
Works on the roads in the communities in Cape Coast involved drainage, earthworks and bituminous asphaltic surfacing that have upgraded them and thus improved their accessibility and quality of life.
Communities directly benefiting from the roads are Akotokyir, Amamoma, Kwaprow, part of Abura, English Arabic Area, PPAG Area, Amissano, Besakrom, Dunkwakrom, Eyifua and Kakumdo.
Yesterday, the Vice President inaugurated 22 kilometres of the roads almost three years after cutting the sod for the project to begin.
It is important for the government to see to it that every community in the country is connected by the road network for social and economic activities to thrive everywhere, even in hamlets.
The Akufo-Addo administration cannot be said to have constructed or rehabilitated roads everywhere in the country.
This is because the cry and even warnings or ultimatums regarding the need for roads in certain communities are common in the news.
However, only the opponents of the government who have vowed to not give it any credit for its performance in any sector of the economy will deny the fact that it is undertaking road projects across all the 16 regions of the country.
It will be recalled, for example, that before Dr Bawumia cut the sod on November 21, 2019 for the construction of the Cape Coast roads inaugurated yesterday, he had performed a similar ceremony in the week for work to begin on the 88-kilometre Hohoe-Jasikan-Dodopepeso road in the Oti Region.
Just yesterday, he stated that other projects such as the Tamale interchange, upgrading of selected feeder roads in Ashanti and Western regions had also been completed and inaugurated.
He added that there were three lots under the Sinohydro agreement with projects at various stages of completion.
For President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to even declare the year 2020 as his government’s year of roads indicates his administration’s commitment to address the poor road network.
It is heartwarming that in spite of the achievement in the road sector, Nana Akufo-Addo himself admits in public speeches that there is still a lot more work to be done to improve the flow of road traffic in Ghana.
On this score, the Ghanaian Times appeals to communities agitating for roads to exercise restraints but keep their requests alive by not giving their assemblies, the minister of road and the sector ministry the peace of mind until their requests are met.
Sometimes one wonders if certain communities are actually in this country and whether politicians go there to campaign during electioneering, or they have district assemblies or Members of Parliament.
The roads connecting these communities are muddy, “man-holed or pot-holed”, have their bridges washed away or hanging as deathtraps or have become impassable.
Sometimes, it hard to fathom why certain roads have been abandoned for who knows how long while others are improved continuously even when rehabilitation appears unnecessary.
Let the government make every community feel connected and part of the country with motorable or passable roads, whether asphalted or not.
In the meantime, efforts in the road sector show signs of more progress.
