Audio Attachment:Listen to Roads and Highways Minister, Hon. Kwasi Amoako-Attah |
Minister of Roads and Highways, Hon. Kwasi Amoako-Attah has sternly warned road contractors and engineers to stop the habit of doing shoddy works when given contracts to construct roads in the country.
A furious Amoako-Atta could not fathom why roads constructed in other countries oftentimes have a 10 to 15year life-span before maintenance works are even carried out, but the story is different in Ghana where newly constructed roads cannot sometimes last 2 years before developing potholes.
Speaking to PeaceFM News on the sidelines of his maiden “Meet-The-Press” series under the auspices of the Ministry of Information on Tuesday, Hon. Amoako-Attah condemned the shameful practice of “Sa pete”, to wit, “just throw the gravels around” that some road contractors indulge in.
To him, those contractors who engage in such reprehensible behaviour have no respect for Ghanaians and also don’t have the fear of God in them; warning that the Akufo-Addo government will not countenance such “nonsense” again.
“I am telling you that under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo and his government, this kind of nonsense will not happen again," he vowed.
The Roads and Highways Minister revealed that a total of GH₵ 1.407 billion has been disbursed for maintenance works, activities of the beneficiary agencies and repayment of the outstanding portion of the UBA loan as at the end of 2018.
He further disclosed that in 2019, a total of about 11,100km of trunk roads are going to be worked on.
"....there is going to be additional periodic maintenance activities such as spot improvement, re-gravelling, resealing, asphaltic overlay as well as partial reconstruction works on 55km of trunk roads, 500km, of feeder roads and 400km of urban roads....
"Minor rehabilitation works are also expected on 50km of trunk roads, 450km of feeder roads and 60km of urban roads with about 90km of trunk roads and 30km of urban roads scheduled for construction," he added.
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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@Sammy: Let learn to stop ”whosale branding” of all Ministers as being kick back takers and be pragmatic in our public discourse. See, by now you people should be able to separate those Ministers who took 10% on contracts from the ones who are doing things through procurement system.
What are the policy governing road construction, and the contractual warranty. There should be a defect liability bond to ensure that the contractor continues to provide services rectifying defects that becomes apparent after practical completion has been certified
First, contracts should be awarded to qualified contractors and not party people and friends. Second, contract amounts should be reasonable to attract the right people. No 10% kickback. Third, ask contractors sign a performance bond as part of the contract. Those whose work deteriorate after 2 years should be surcharged and barred from bidding on contracts. Fourth, dismiss and prosecute government engineers who approve shoddy works. Finally, resign as a minister if this pledge is not fulfilled.
TALK IS CHEAP. NOTHING WILL CHANGE IF MONITORING/SUPERVISION IS NOT DONE.
Get rid of open gutters too
why is his face looking like the patchy shoddy roads? was his face too constructed by the highways?? I just dey ask oooo
Papa Minister, please stop playing the Ostrich......... Have you asked yourself, why they put up these shoddy work? Don't we have officers who inspect these roads and site engineers at the roads ministry who approve of these works? Are these contractors paid outright to the works done by government? NO.......Who then approves of payment after engineers and inspectors who claim to be working for their salaries OK the work for payment? Papa minister, though this call is appropriate, it will not solve teeeeee.......Go and and uproot the roots, if not the trunk, branches and leaves will still germinate once the root is in the ground!!!
We boast about the education that we have got but at the end of the day, we have no shame,only to engage in shoddy work. Is there a truly world class road contactors/Road engineers in Ghana?. Which of them have manage to construct a road that has lasted 20years without developing potholes?
The call is a legitimate one but the other side of the coin is that some of you politicians should stop taking 10% from the contractors if we all want to see good roads in this country. If you take kickbacks, the contractors will continue to give is value for the money that actually comes to them.....not on paper.