Pressure Mounts On “Saboteur” Contractors

INTENSE PRESSURE is being mounted on local contractors in the three Northern Regions whose irresponsible demeanor seeks to sabotage government’s efforts aimed at enhancing road networks in the country, especially in the rural areas.

Savannahnew’s intelligent source in the ruling government hinted that such contractors would soon be descended on irrespective of their political affiliations since their actions and inactions were purportedly detrimental to the chances of the ruling party in the December polls.

Last month, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi terminated several contracts in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions during a surprise visit to some feeder road project sites in these areas.

The projects funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) were part of Northern Rural Growth Project (NRGP) aimed at opening up the rural communities and enhancing transportation of agricultural products to market centres.

According to the source, government had realized the significance of quality roads in promoting socio-economic wellbeing of the people and had thus decided to put premium on the reshaping and tarring of most roads in the three regions before the December polls. 

The latest to issue a stern warning to those “saboteur” contractors is the Upper West Regional Minister, Alhaji Amidu Sulemana. The Minister threatened to deal with irresponsible contractors in his region.

Some of the local contractors executing various projects in the area, according to the Minister had unjustifiably abandoned major road works with others also ran away with huge contract sums.

He has therefore issued a one week ultimatum to all the contractors to report on site or have their contracts immediately terminated and re-awarded.

Alhaji Sulemana issued the ultimatum when inspecting a bridge that had been washed off along the Tumu-Gwollu road by a heavy down pour recently.

He disclosed that government had awarded all major roads in the region on contract for reshaping and warned that any contractor who would want to thwart this effort of ensuring good roads in the region would not be tolerated.

Meanwhile, the three Regions of the North continue to remain poorer as a result of the bad nature of most of the roads. 

In the Northern Region for instance, about 90% of the roads are not tarred apart from Tamale-Yendi road. The other tarred roads; Tamale-Buipe, Tamale-Savelugu and Savelugu-Walewale were accidentally constructed because they are located on the Kumasi-Bolgatanga trunk roads.

Out of the 25 districts including the newly created ones, only four (4) are linked with the regional capital, Tamale. 

The situation has compounded the poverty situation of the people (predominantly farmers) as they found it difficult to transport their farm produce to the market centres.

The nature of the roads compelled most farmers to keep their produce on the farms which sometimes got consumed by fire, through the negligence of some Alien Fulanis herdsmen.