Kumawu — Rehabilitation works on the Kumawu-Woraso-Effiduase-Juaben road network in the Sekyere Kumawu District in the Ashanti Region has commenced.
The project which would see the entire 32-kilometre road being done in phases, has been awarded to Joshob Construction Company.
It is expected to be completed in 18 months.
The Roads and Highways Minister, Mr Kwesi Amoako-Atta, who disclosed these indicated that the project would also include the Kumawu town roads, to be also asphalted with the first phase covering five kilometres (km).
The Minister said these during a meeting with the Paramount Chief of Kumawu, Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua, on Wednesday to inform him about the commencement of work.
It is recalled that the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in 2019 cut the sod for a 5.2 km Kumawu township roads, but the project got stalled.
He mentioned that there was no political undertone in the award of the contract, adding that it was not because of the impending by-election that the project was being undertaken.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Philip Basoa, passed on necessitating a by-election.
According to the Minister, the procurement processes of the construction of the road took off in 2022 and it was signed in February this year, before the demise of the MP.
The Minister appealed to Ghanaians to bear with the government in terms of road construction saying "it is a gradual process as all roads cannot be done at a go."
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He mentioned that the total road networks in Ghana now stood at about 94,000 km and a lot of time would be needed to complete the others as he reiterated "we will fix them because roads are a legitimate concern."
"The country is in confident hands, despite the difficulties, the economy will soon blossom, we mean it," he intoned.
Barima Tweneboa Kodua was hopeful that the project would not be stalled as a result of lack of funds and commended the government for the development saying, "all that we need most is the road construction."
He buttressed the Minister's point that the processes to start the project took off prior to the demise of the late MP.
It was his wish that the work would include the road leading to the hospital to enhance the patronage of the facility.
The chiefs took their turn to call on the government to prove that it was not as a result of the pending by-election by completing the project.
They maintained that if the project stalled, they would advise themselves.
