President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s sod-cutting event for the reconstruction of the Accra-Tema Motorway is nothing but a “vote-buying” trick, the Minority Caucus has said.
Clarifying in a statement that the main opposition National Democratic Congress was not against the reconstruction, the caucus said: “Indeed, we support the principles behind the project and demonstrated the same in the past, but we will not shirk our responsibility to ensure value for money and accountability.”
According to the statement, Parliament only approved $339-million multi-year funding for the project and not $660 million, scolding: “No one has the right to commit the country to future spending on the project without approval from Parliament.”
The statement from the ministry’s infrastructure spokesperson, Governs Agbodza, noted that the source of funding for the project is “not sustainable.”
“The NPP is claiming the source of funds for the project is Mahama’s Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF). The NPP said the same thing about how they were going to fund the so-called Agenda 111 housing projects, etc. We all know the status of Agenda 111, etc. today,” the caucus indicated.
It said the NPP has “collapsed the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF),” pointing out that unlike in the past when GIIF-backed projects such as Kotoka International Airport’s Terminal 3 were self-financing and sustainable, “the NPP incompetently invested the funds in unproductive ventures like Skytrain, Pullman Hotel, etc.”
“In any case, why is the NPP not explaining why they cancelled the contract between the Road Ministry and Morta Engils and why they paid $2.5 million towards that unwholesome contract?” the caucus wondered.
The minority complained that the government currently owes road contractors about GH¢15 billion for works completed and certified and also “cannot even fund the payment of salaries and statutory funds to district assemblies, NHIA, GETFund, etc.” and, thus, “What is the point of cutting sod for a $338 million project 3 months before you are booted out of office?”
“It is propaganda for votes,” the statement said, adding: “Ghanaians will not fall for this. NPP, not again.”
At the sod-cutting event on Monday, 26 August 2024, President Akufo-Addo highlighted the historical significance and the continued relevance of the Accra-Tema Motorway, originally commissioned in 1965 by Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah.
“For nearly six decades, this motorway has been a vital artery for our nation’s development, carrying an average of forty-five thousand vehicles per day,” the President noted. “However, the time has come to renew this legacy and ensure that it continues to serve the people of Ghana for generations to come.”
The President underscored the importance of the project as Ghana’s first public-private partnership (PPP) in road infrastructure.
“By uniting the expertise and resources of both the public and private sectors, and with the strategic backing of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), we are not merely constructing a road; we are building a future,” he said.
The Accra-Tema Motorway reconstruction will be executed in three distinct sections: from the Accra-Tema Motorway Roundabout to the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange, from the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange to the Apenkwa Interchange, and from the Apenkwa Interchange to Neoplan Junction on the Accra-Kumasi Road.
President Akufo-Addo used the event to reiterate his administration’s commitment to modernising Ghana’s infrastructure to meet the demands of the 21st century.
“Already, we have made significant strides with ongoing projects such as the dualisation of the Santasi-Ahiakwanta Road and the Adenta-Dodowa Road,” he said, adding that other key road projects, including the dualization of the Kasoa-Winneba Road and the Takoradi-Agona Junction Road, are progressing steadily.
He further announced the mobilisation of contractors for the Atsutsuare-Volivo-Aveyime and Dafor-Adidome-Asikuma Roads, which include an interchange at Asikuma Junction.
These projects, funded by the Government of Ghana and the African Development Bank, aim to improve travel times and reduce vehicle operating costs upon completion.
The President provided updates on key projects such as the dualisation of the Achimota-Ofankor Road, which is being expanded into a ten-lane facility and is currently 62% complete, and the construction of the Dome-Kitase Road, which is 26% complete.
He also mentioned the construction of the Tema-Akosombo Road, with sections being dualised to six lanes, and the Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange (Phase 2), which is 87% complete.