It's a Shame Only 23% of Our Entire Road Network Is Paved - Roads Minister

Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako Atta has said that the entire roads of the country including urban, feeder and highways comprising 72,381km of roads has only 23 percent paved and 77 percent unpaved.

The roads Minister explained the paved roads as roads which have been tarred with bitumen; thus, this means that from independence of the country till date, Ghana can only boast of 23 percent of roads being tarred with bitumen, while 77 percent of the roads are yet to see bitumen.

Speaking to Peacefmonline.com at the 'Meet-The-Press' series under the patronage of the Ministry of Information on Tuesday, Hon. Amoako-Atta said “it is very dangerous; we have a lot of work to do in Ghana. All of us as Ghanaians must bow down our heads in shame that a country like Ghana which is 62 years has 77 percent of roads unpaved”.

According to him, complains of Ghanaians regarding bad roads are in the right direction and understandable; thus complains show the seriousness of Ghanaians to see changes in the country.

“Those of us who have had the opportunity to rule this country from independence to date, this is not what we should give to Ghanaians. Due to this huge deficit, we have a lot of responsibilities and that is why the current government of NPP under President Akufo-Addo is seriously tackling all road issues in the country,” he stated.

He bemoaned that the Akufo-Addo government inherited huge debt in billions and bad roads as even 61 percent of the paved roads are still in bad shape.

“What we inherited is huge; the debt accrued is huge and there are a lot of bad roads. Even out of the paved roads, 61 percent are in bad shape and the debt we inherited are in billions. This is not a minute issue we are dealing with,” he bemoaned.

Hon. Kwasi Amoako-Atta however pleaded with Ghanaians to exercise patience inasmuch as their request for good roads is legitimate as the Akufo-Addo’s administration is boldly tackling road issues in the country.