It’s disgraceful when NDC claims Akufo-Adddo failed Ashanti Region – Osei-Mensah

Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, has taken a swipe at the opposition National Democratic Congress over claims the Nana Akufo-Addo administration has failed the Ashanti Region.

Speaking to Kojo Marfo, host of Abusua Nkomo on Abusua 96.5 FM, he went hard at the NDC for what he described as their failure to continue cardinal projects, including the Sofo Line Interchange and other headline infrastructural projects they inherited from the John Agyekum Kufuor administration.

The minister criticized the NDC for not making any progress on the projects throughout their 8-year tenure, from 2009 to 2017.

“From 2009 to January 7, 2017, I didn’t see anything added to the Sofoline project. In fact, they didn’t do anything. After their tenure, we continued with the project," he fumed.

He explained that the government under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo constructed the dual carriage from Cambridge to Bekwai Roundabout and finished some critical bridges.

“Additionally, we have completed the Apatrapa dual carriage, including all bridges, up to Abuakwa. The Bekwai to Santasi roundabout road is also currently under construction,” he stated.

Funding for the Project:

Recounting the state of the project at the time the New Patriotic Party took over in 2017, he pointed out that the project was riddled with unpaid contract sums that effectively halted the project.

“For 8 years, the NDC stopped paying the contractor. I met with the Chinese contractor to understand their grievances and later reported to the president, vice president, and Minister of Roads. We entered into negotiations with the China GEO, and then the site was reopened to continue the project,” he clarified.

Rate of Work left by J.A. Kufuor:

The regional minister failed to give specificity about the extent of work done before the NDC took office but insisted a considerable amount of groundwork had been done with some connecting roads touched.

"I recall the interchange construction starting in 2007 but cannot remember the percentage of completion when Kufuor’s administration left the project. But I remember it ended at the dual carriage on your way to Apatrapa. We had also done the Interchange Bridge up to Patase,” he stated.

Simon Osei-Mensah challenged the NDC to showcase their projects in the region, emphasizing the need for accountability.

“They should show me just 10 of their signature projects in all sectors of the economy, which they completed and commissioned for the benefit of the people of the Ashanti Region,” he dared.

Osei-Mensah continued his onslaught, describing the opposition as disgraceful and untruthful about their achievements in the Ashanti Region.

"I still insist the NDC is disgraceful. Which of the three interchanges in the Ashanti Region did they complete? Asafo, Sofoline, and Asokwa interchanges are all Kufuor’s achievements.

"The most disgraceful aspect is the Asokwa Interchange. When Kufuor left power, it was left with Lake Road extension, which was supposed to be dualized from Coca-Cola to Dompoase Junction. Funding was secured with L’Agence Française de Développement (AFD). For 8 years, they didn’t take the funding to continue the project,” he claimed.

Addressing critics of the government’s performance, Osei-Mensah defended the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government’s achievements, citing ongoing health projects.

“There’s this propaganda going on that Akufo-Addo has disappointed the people of the Ashanti Region. From where I sit, I don’t see it that way. Even though we haven’t gotten all the things we were expecting, it does not mean the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government has disappointed us. As a result, I’ve changed how I do my press briefings to sector by sector to propagate the works of the NPP”, he stressed.