This is deceptive – Kwesi Pratt on government’s road construction claim

The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has challenged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s claim that his government has constructed the most roads in the history of the nation.

Kwesi Pratt is skeptical about President Akufo-Addo’s claims because, according to him, there is no substantial evidence to show that indeed his government has chalked such successes.

Kwesi Pratt Jnr slammed President Akufo-Addo for using what he terms “imprecise language” to deceive members of the public in terms of roads constructed under his watch.

“The use of imprecise language is deliberately meant to deceive. When you say you have done more roads than any other government, what does the ‘road’ mean?

“So if there is 100 kilometres of roads and you put 5 patches on it, does it mean you’ve done 100 kilometres of roads? Is that not deception?” He quizzed while speaking on the Good Morning Ghana show, which aired on Metro TV and was monitored by GhanaWeb.

It will be recalled that during the State of the Nation (SONA) address in parliament on February 27, 2024, the president said a large amount of the money that the country borrows, goes into road construction and that the subject of roads constitutes a large number of questions that arise in Parliament.

“As I go around the country, I hear the pleas for roads, schools, and hospitals, and, as the rainy season comes, I wish, as every other Ghanaian does, that we would have built more drains than we have.”

“And I wish we had the resources to do more,” the president stated.

He stressed: “I am proud of the amount of work that we have done, especially in the road sector. Roads constitute the largest number of questions asked in this House by Members of Parliament; a large amount of the money we borrow is for road construction. Shall we dare stop constructing roads?”

President Akufo-Addo noted that his government has constructed more roads than any government under the 4th Republic.

“Mr. Speaker, I would like to state categorically that this government has built more roads than any government in the history of the 4th Republic, and Mr. Speaker, the details of all these roads are attached in the annex to this message,” he said.

The president further noted that he had to make public details of the roads his government has worked on so far available for evidence’s sake.

“I have done so because, last year, when I made a similar pronouncement, I was met with howls and gasps of incredulity from the Minority benches, and so I thought it appropriate, this time, to present it as an annex to the Statement, which will be part of Hansard,” he stated.

SB/EK