Upper West Unable To Use Road Project Money

The Upper West Region was unable to utilise its allocation of ¢50.1 billion for road projects last year due to lack of qualified road contractors. As a result, ¢28.1 billion of the amount has been returned to government chest, according to the Regional Minister, Ambrose Dery.



Addressing the Wa Municipal People's Assembly at Wa on Monday, he said to improve the situation, three local contractors have been provided road construction equipment through financial assistance from the National Investment Bank to build their capacity.

Contractors from other regions, he said are also being encouraged to bid for jobs in the region to help in its development.

Mr Dery said this year five kilometers each of the Jirapa - Dowine - Nandom road, the Nadowli - Babile and the Gwollu township roads have been awarded on contract at a cost of ¢37 billion.

He said, following the establishment of the Department of Urban Roads in the region, various road projects to the tune of ¢12.9 billion were executed in the Wa Municipality last year.

The project involved the upgrading of the Zongo road, drainage works, reshaping, road safety markings and signs and routine maintenance.

He said ¢74.76 billion was spent on feeder roads which involved shaping, spot improvement, routine maintenance and rehabilitation while ¢4.9 billion was spent on surfacing of Kambali-Kpaguri road, spot improvement of Kperisi - Bayiri and Charia - Zirigu roads.

On education, he said contracts have been awarded for the construction of a two storey dormitory block at the Wa Islamic Secondary School, Wa Technical Institute and Daffiama Secondary School at a total cost of ¢10.5 billion while new semi-detached quarters and the rehabilitation of ten bungalows at the Lawra Secondary School are being executed at a cost of three billion cedis.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Mac Adams Banda, said the assembly spent one billion cedis last year on the procurement of sanitary tools, routine cleaning of drains and gutters and the clearing of refuse dumps and fumigation of toilets and refuse sites.

Mr Banda said five billion cedis is being spent under the GETFund to build a dormitory block at the Jahan Training College, fence walls at the schools for the Deaf and Blind and two classroom blocks at Busa and Kperisi.