Nigeria lauds Ghana's road project

Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March '99

Accra (Greater Accra) 15 March '99 A six-member delegation from the Nigerian road sector currently in the country, today lauded Ghana's road network project and its supporting fund. Otumba M. O. Adesina, Chairman of the Nigerian Road Vision 2000 Steering Committee and leader of the delegation, said Ghana's example in the road sector must be followed by all countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa to create an effective network for improved regional trade. During a courtesy call on Mr Steve Akorli, Deputy Minister of Roads and Transport on Monday in his office in Accra, he noted that out of 450,000 kilometres of road network within the sub- region, Nigeria has 200,000 kilometres (km), adding that 20,000 kilometres of Nigeria's roads are in a state of disrepair. The delegation, made up of representatives of state and private road, transport, insurance, petroleum, finance and development sectors, are on a two-day familiarisation tour. Their main focus are the management of the road fund, road maintenance, the relationship between private, state and parastatal road sector stakeholders and the "road blocks" in the implementation of sectorial laws in the country. Otumba Adesina blamed the destruction of roads on poor maintenance due to negligence on the part of military governments and politicians. He noted that for the past decade, Ghana has distinguished itself in road construction and repairs and has proved that road network is an indispensable economic input which need to be brought to the market place to improve African economies. "It has therefore become necessary for other West African countries to learn from your experience if we want to improve the living standards of our peoples. "We must take advantage of the advent of the democracy and constitutions to seek proper legal instruments, set up road funds and autonomous bodies to manage them for the smooth development of road networks in the sub-region as Ghana has begun. Mr Akorli said Ghana has 40,000 km of road network, out of which, 14,000 km are trunk roads, 24,000 km are feeder road and 2,000 km urban or commercial roads. The current project which is being funded with grants from donors, the government and the road fund, is intended to link the various farming, commercial and industrial centres of the country. Mr Akorli noted that the road fund, bags over 70 million dollars annually from petrol and diesel sellers, vehicle examination fees and road tolls, adding that by year 2002, "we hope to be raising not less than 100,000 million dollars per annum into the fund." The management of the fund is in the hands of a 13-member board; eight from the private sector and five from the state. It is chaired by the Minister of Roads and Transport. Mr Akorli allayed fears that government's involvement in the management of the fund could bring mistrust, saying the laws regarding the fund are strict enough.