Asenso Boakye Sets The Records Straight Akufo-Addo Constructed 13,624 KM Of Roads … And NOT 673 As Claimed By Agbodza

The former Minister for Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye has refuted claims by the new minister for the sector that the Akufo-Addo government constructed around 673 kilometers of roads.

According to the former minister, the claim was not factual, as the previous government constructed 13,624 kilometers of road in the eight-year period.

“Let me put on record, Honourable Speaker, that as of the end of December, per what is stated in the transition report, the Akufo-Addo government had constructed 13,624 kilometers of road,” the former minister for roads and highways said.

The Member of Parliament for the Bantama Constituency, Asenso-Boakye, gave the figures on the floor of Parliament on Monday, January 21, 2025 when debating the report of the Appointments Committee, on the vetting of the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza and others.

During his vetting on Tuesday, Kwame Agbodza claimed that the Akufo-Addo government constructed only 673 kilometers of roads in its eight-year term.

“The claim that 11,000 kilometers of roads have been constructed is misleading. The reality is that, since 2017, only 673 kilometers of roads have been constructed.

“This figure is based on the actual data and records of road projects completed during that period,” he stated.

MISLEADING

On the contrary, the immediate past minister for that sector, Asenso-Boakye, in a passionate debate on Monday, told Parliament that the new minister had misled the country on the figures.

The former minister observed that the incoming minister engaged in what he called political optimism, misrepresentation of facts regarding the number of roads that the Akufo-Addo administration constructed during his eight years of service.

Asenso-Boakye posited that the 13,624 kilometers constructed was against “4,630 kilometers of road by the previous NDC government in eight years.”

He explained that the nominee, in making the “misleading” statement during the vetting, picked the figure for new roads constructed, which is 673 kilometers, to represent the total number of roads the Akufo-Addo administration had constructed.

FIGURES

In his debate, Asenso-Boakye mentioned the figures contained in the transition report for the roads ministry.

He provided the figures that out of the 13,624 roads constructed, asphalt overlay alone was 1,955.25 kilometers; 35 bridges were constructed; graveling and re-graveling was 6,185.90 kilometers; rehabilitation was 1,665.07 km; upgrading of roads constituted 2,538.40 kilometers; resealing was 101 km; partial reconstruction was 231.90 km and new roads constructed were 673.27 km.

He said, “Mr. Speaker, today if you are reporting on construction of new rules, you will not talk about reconstruction and upgrading.

“Let me give you one example. Currently the government, the past government initiated the construction of the Ofanko-Nsawum road.”

Asenso-Boakye continued, “That’s about over 20 kilometers of road. That is an existing road, but it will not be; it is classified under upgrading and rehabilitation. So, it will not be counted under new roads, but it is a major construction project with major funding.

“Today, there is the Tema motorway reconstruction and upgrading. That is going to provide a facelift regarding the transportation network between the capital city and the …. This will not be classified under new roads, but it’s a major construction project that we know,” he noted.

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