President Akufo-Addo launches District Road Improvement Programme
By Bright Ntramah President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commission a fleet of Road construction equipment to MMDAs across the country. The fleet of 2,240 units includes motor graders, backhoes, rollers, wheel loaders, bulldozers, tipper trucks, concrete mixers, water tankers, low beds, and other essential equipment. Speaking at the Black Stars Square in Accra, the […]
By Bright Ntramah
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commission a fleet of Road construction equipment to MMDAs across the country. The fleet of 2,240 units includes motor graders, backhoes, rollers, wheel loaders, bulldozers, tipper trucks, concrete mixers, water tankers, low beds, and other essential equipment.
Speaking at the Black Stars Square in Accra, the President also launched the District Road Improvement Programme, DRIP which will empower District Assemblies to improve Road Networks in Ghana. The implementation of the District Road Improvement program, DRIP, will be overseen by a four-member committee at each Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assembly.
The committee will comprise one technical officer from the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development, one technical officer from the Ministry of Roads and Highways, one person from the 48th Engineer Regement of the Ghana Armed Forces, under the overall chairmanship of Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives.
Their mandate will be to ensure the highest standards of quality and accountability in the execution of road projects across the nation. President Akufo-Addo announced that the program will create some 10,000 jobs for mechanics, engineers, and artisans in general. On road networks, the President said from 2009 to 2016, government completed 4,636 kilometers of roads and five interchanges and overpasses.
However, since January 2017 to date, in the Akufo Addo -Bawumia era, there has been exceptional improvements in road network nationwide. The government has successfully completed a total of 12,830 kilometers of roads across the country and added six more interchanges. Government is also currently working on 10 new interchanges. He tasked he Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives to take full ownership of this initiative and adhere to the operational manual which will be issued by the supervising ministries to ensure proper use and sustainability.
He also urged the MMDAs to ensure that the equipment is used judiciously and maintained properly, Prioritize road projects that will have the most significant impact on communities and work collaboratively with the 48th Engineer Regiment to achieve the best results. President Akufo-Addo asked the Ministry of Local Government Decentralization and Rural Development to establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track the progress of road projects and ensure accountability.
These mechanisms would provide regular updates on the status of road works, highlight areas where additional support may be needed and ensure the resources are being used appropriately. The Group CEO of JOSPONG, Joseph Siaw Agyepong said the equipment were assembled in Ghana and pledged partnership with Technical Universities to train more Engineers.
With 73 percent of the country’s road networks untarred, DRIP aims to provide comprehensive solutions by equipping MMDAs with the necessary tools to undertake sustainable road network improvements within their jurisdictions.
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