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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said the decision by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and the Ghana Gas Company (Ghana Gas) to support the government to finance road projects in the Ellembele District in the Western Region is laudable.
The President was speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony for the reconstruction of the 24-kilometre Taleku-Bokazo to Anyinase road in the Ellembele District yesterday.

“The truth is that the GNPC and Ghana Gas generate their incomes from the offshore Western Region in the ongoing upstream oil and gas activities. Therefore, it is just fair that these two national companies invest part of their revenues in the communities or the region in which they are operating,” he said.

Road projects

The President said the reconstruction of the Taleku-Bokazo to Anyinase road was significant, “knowing very well that Nkroful is the birthplace of the country’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah”.

“The significance of the construction of the Taleku-Bokazo to Anyinase road is that history will have it that it was during my tenure as the President of the Republic of Ghana that this very important road was constructed,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo said although Dr Nkrumah had on several occasions been mentioned for international recognition, not much had been done to make his hometown more attractive.

“I am here to restore the glory; we will construct the road to make the place accessible to people and communities,” he said.

Making reference to the declaration of 2020 as the year of roads, he said the country would attest to the fact that the declaration was not a fluke, adding that the people would witness massive road infrastructure for the accelerated development of the country.

According to the President, ongoing road projects in the country were not a political gimmick or “mere Green Book propaganda roads but genuine roads on the ground, visible for the entire populace to see”.

“I will not limit my office to the Jubilee House in Accra, but from time to time we will step out, fold our sleeves to see what is going on on the ground, especially what my government is doing to meet the needs of the people,” the President added.

The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwesi Amoako-Atta, mentioned some of the ongoing road works in the region and around the country.

The President had earlier visited Eyam, Esiama, Gwira-Ayinase, Nsuaem, Tarkwa and Aboso, where he was met by enthusiastic crowds.

Commendation

The Omanhene of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area, Awulae Amihere Kpanyile III, commended the President for the projects.

On the Atuabo Port project, he said: “The port project has the prospect of huge employment for the people and boosting of both the local and the national economy. In the Eastern Nzema Traditional Area, we have always talked about the port because it’s dear to us. Mr President, please help us get the project off the ground; we know the government is capable of ensuring that the project sees the light of day.”

Awulae Kpanyile said the area also expected the commencement of safety mining programmes to ensure that mining activities were carried out in an environmentally acceptable manner.