We will not tolerate indiscipline - Amoako-Atta

Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta, the Minister of Roads and Highway, has said his outfit would not tolerate indiscipline and reckless behaviour of individuals and organisations that would impede the construction works of government projects.

In that regard, he said, he would use the sovereign powers of the state to enforce the law and make sure people respected laid down regulations.

The Minister’s comments came in the wake of an unruly behaviour of an owner of excavators whose hiring equipment were within road reservation area, thereby hindering the progress of construction works at the Spintex Underground Tunnel, near Flower Pot Junction, which would link the area to East Legon.

Three persons were arrested in the ensuing scuffle and handed over to the East Legon Police Station.

Mr Amoako-Atta said this when he inspected ongoing construction works of the Spintex Underground Tunnel, near Flower Pot Junction and Tema Roundabout Improvement Works in the Greater Accra Region, on Monday.

He said upon completion of the two projects, it would ease traffic congestion on the Tema Motorway and other adjoining roads, because vehicles would be moving simultaneously, which would promote productivity.

The Minister noted that the Government put high premium on value for money and would make sure all government projects were properly executed to specifications.

Mr Feda Natour, the Chief Engineer of SONITRA, the contractors for the Spintex Underground Tunnel, said the 55-metre underground project was in three phases. He said the first phase involved the construction of a 21.5-metre stretch on the East Legon side of the road, a 21.5-metre stretch on the Spintex Road side and a 12-metre in the middle of the road.

Mr Natour, however, expressed worry that due to the occupation of the other side of the road by a private firm that had earth-moving equipment parked there, it would delay the construction works if urgent measures were not taken to eject them.

The project, estimated at the cost of GH¢15million, is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

At the Tema Motorway Roundabout, Mr Amoako-Atta inspected the ongoing improvement works, which was being funded by the Meridian Port Services (MPS) as part of the Tema Port Expansion Works.

The project, which was estimated at the cost of GH¢30 million, was being undertaken by Sinohydro Ghana Limited.

It involved the construction of four additional lanes from the main Tema Roundabout, construction of double lanes at the Akosombo and Tema Hospital ends of the roundabout, in order to ease flow of traffic as well as landscaping of the roundabout to enhance the beautification of the area.

Mr Mohammed Samara, the Chief Executive of MPS, who briefed the Minister, said the Company was funding the project as part of its Corporate Social Initiative. He said the actual construction works started from October 2016 and was expected to be handed over to the Government by August 31, this year.

The Minister of Roads and Highways later in an interaction with the media said the public was witnessing the benefits of the project in view of the ease in traffic situation on that stretch and, thus, urged the contractors to beat the deadline.