At least, level and put some chippings on the Abossey Okai Road: An Open Letter to Road Minister, Kwasi Amoako –Atta

Felicitation and Biblical Assertion
Hon. Kwasi Amoako-Atta, receive my felicitations and good wishes within this new year of 2024 on the Gregorian Calendar. Mr. Amoako-Atta, one may arguably describe you as the longest serving Minister of Roads and Highways in the Fourth Republic of Ghana. You are clearly in your 8^th consecutive year in office as Road Minister. It is Biblically said in Luke 12: 48 that to whom much is given, much will be required. The president your brother has kept you in the Ministry of Roads and Highways for 8 consecutive years. Suffice it to say that you have been blessed with two full terms as Roads Minister so Ghanaians expect better and more roads from you.

Numerous Road Projects Abandoned even in years of roads

Unfortunately, the reverse is the case as many road projects you started across the country have been abandoned by the contractors ostensibly due to the non-payment of monies under the contracts. You would recall that with you in office as the Roads Minister, the President had declared about three years as the year of roads yet it has been as though those were years of no roads.

Empty Ministerial Assurances?
Surprisingly, a news headline on your Ministry’s official website dated April 28,2023 reads, “We’ll build better, safer roads in Ghana – Roads Minister”. Despite this and other numerous such lip-service assurances Mr. Minister, various roods including the Accra-Tema Motorway have become deplorable and death traps for road users in Ghana. The roads are no longer safe. Aside this, many road construction projects you started have been halted. I can easily cite your attempt to dualize certain portions of the Accra-Aflao Road such as the TT Brothers to Kpone stretch, Dawhyenya to Prampram Junction area not to talk about the sharp holes many motorists from Accra to Aflao endure at the Bundase area. The road coverings are virtually non-existent at Bundase.

Prediction of Non- Completion of Obetsebi Interchange

Mr. Amoako-Atta, one of the major road construction projects abandoned under your care is the Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange Flyover Project which was earmarked for completion in March 2023. This deadline had long passed but for so many months now, the contractor had not returned to site. Adomonline.com had in January 2023 predicted the non-completion of this project. The news portal reported, “Work on the Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange will not meet the March 2023 completion timeline in the wake of constraints that have compelled construction engineers to ask for an extension. The Resident Engineer of the FAS Consult Limited, Owusu Sekyere Antwi, told the Daily Graphic that the workforce at the construction site had reduced due to some financial constraints, which could affect the March 2023 completion date.”

This prediction had come to pass. Suffice it to say that the beautiful objective of doing this project was not achieved and you should be concerned. On QGMI official website, the objective of this project reads, “The objective of the Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange Project, to be developed in Accra, the biggest city in Ghana, is to alleviate traffic congestion occurring at the intersection of Ring Road West and Winneba/Graphic Road through the upgrading of the traffic circle and development of two flyovers allowing continuous traffic flow along Ring Road West.” Ironically, this is a project named after one of your UGCC forebears.

The Year of Roads Slogan
Mr. Amoako-Atta, if care is not taken, you may leave office as the longest serving Roads Minister whose administration declared about three (3) years of road and left behind numerous uncompleted road projects across the country. What actually happened to the well phrased and widely trumpeted year of roads slogan? Was it one of the empty promises like Accra to be the cleanest city in Africa?

Is President Mills’ “Do Little Spirit” Haunting the Road Ministry?

We recall vividly that in August 2010, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo, the NPP Flagbearer (as he then was) described President Mills as Professor Do Little. The media reported that Nana Addo said, “…The Professor who is in charge of our affairs, President Mills, is now known as President Do Little and it is important that all of us work together to make sure Ghana has the sort of Government that the people of Ghana deserve”. Mr. Amoako-Atta, do Ghanaians deserve a government that neglects the deplorable Accra-Tema Motorway? Do Ghanaians deserve several uncompleted and abandoned road projects by your Administration? Is this a President “Do Much” or a President “Do Nothing” Administration? Are you really concerned about the very bad roads and the neglected road projects started under your watch? Or is President Mills’ do little spirit worrying your performance from Asamando?

Humble Suggestion
Mr. Kwasi Amoako-Atta, we have accepted the stark reality that the contractor had abandoned the Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange Flyover Project and it appears you may not be able to complete this important road project before the 2024 general elections. Be that as it may, it has become extremely necessary that your Ministry does something about the awfully deplorable Abossey okai to Kwame Nkrumah Circle Road.

Mr. Amoako-Atta, at least, give a directive that, that portion of the Obetsebi Interchange should be leveled and some chipping poured on it to alleviate the plight of motorists including ambulance drivers and pregnant mothers who ply that route to and from Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

I do not know the last time you were driven on that stretch. Sadly, motorists using the stretch have been compelled to drive on dusty and undulating bare ground with huge holes. Seriously, I hope that this letter will reach you and that you will do something swiftly about the situation. ~Asante Sana ~

Philip Afeti Korto
Hospital Administrator
[email protected]