Government to blacklist road contractors over shoddy works – Minister

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako Atta, has assured that his Ministry will blacklist road contractors who deliver shoddy work.

The Minister also warned that President Nana Addo led NPP government will deal ruthlessly with constructors who will do shoddy works on our roads.

Speaking to the media at Sofoline in the Kumasi Metropolis during day one of his three day tour to some road projects within Ashanti Region, the Minister reiterated his government’s commitment to sanction contractors who fail to give value for money for their work.

“There is no way that the people of this country will accept any shoddy work from any contractor from now going, and I have said it and indicated that, we as a government and the employer, will make sure we discharge our side of the obligation, and we shall take every engineer, every contractor who does a shoddy work.”

He said it is a fundamental aim of this current government that they won't allow anybody to take money belonging to the country into granted and miss use it.

“Woe betides anyone who will miss use state fund and do shoddy work" he warned.

The Minister is accompanied by,HonOwusu Aduomi one of his Deputies, Engineers, from Ghana High Authority as well as Urban Roads, the Ashanti regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, KMA Chief Executive, Osei Assibey Antwi and some MPs from the region.

Among the areas they visited were Bohyen, Sofoline interchange, Kyerapatre Tech where he ordered the removal of 4 major roundabouts and many more.

According to him, the NPP government is committed to release the burden of the Ghanaian people in terms of deplorable roads and for that matter they are not going to joke with road projects.

At Sofoline, the contractors of the interchange complained about financial obstacles as a bane for the stalled project till date making motorists going through hell before they can cross over.

Meanwhile, the Road Minister categorically stated that the Kumasi - Sunyani road is a key project in Kumasi and Ashanti region at large so the government will not joke with it.

According to him government will do everything possible to find a lasting solution to the problem to enable them complete the project in order to ensure smooth vehicular movement in the area.

"We are very much concern about this project so whatever the current government will do to complete the project we will do, and us a government we will joke with anything in the country whether in Ashanti region, Greater Accra region or Northern region everything is important to us, " he emphasised.

"We won't let anybody to stress in Ashanti region whatever we will do to solve this problem we will do," he assured.

For his part, the Member of Parliament for Kwadaso Constituency, Hon Dr. SK Nuamah therefore urged the constructors to go back to the original plan and make it attractive.