MPs do not construct roads - Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Suame Constituency, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stated categorically that it is not the duty of Members of Parliament (MPs) to construct roads.

In a response to his critics who share in the view that he is incompetent citing the bad nature of roads in his constituency as a basis, he stated road construction is the duty of the Roads Ministry and government and not that of an MP

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs stated that, his 22-years share of the Common fund can’t even construct a kilometer of an asphaltic road in his constituency even if he took up the challenge to use his share for that purpose.

According to him even if the amount was to be channeled into such an exercise, it will be a drop in the ocean considering how expensive it is to construct asphaltic roads.

He stated this during an inauguration of Jaman Radio 103.7MHz in the Jaman South District established by the MP of the area, Hon. Yaw Afful who double as the Deputy Minister of Aviation and witnessed the presence of the first Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Joseph Osei Owusu, the Dep. Minister of Information, Nana Ama Dokuaah, Hon. Anyinadu Antwi, MP for Asante Akyem Central and the Legendary Kwame Adinkra of Angel Broadcasting Network’s Pure FM fame, monitored by MyNewsGh.com.

The Suame legislator shared the view that his critics have been unfair to him as he continues to lobby for infrastructure projects to his constituency and continue to do projects with his meager common fund which is benefiting the constituency significantly.

He appreciated the poor road networks in his constituency and assured that, he will continue to appeal to the appropriate authorities to come to the aid of the constituency but until then, people should not be quick to conclude that he is watching aloof.

Background

The Minority Chief Whip in Parliament and MP for the Asawase constituency, Hon. Muntaka Mubarak asked the residents in Kumasi to blame their legislators for the poor infrastructure and road networks in their constituencies as they are lazy and only lording themselves over constituents.

In an exclusive interview with Kwame Adinkra on Kumasi-based Pure FM, Hon. Muntaka intimated that those MPs are comforted by the belief that, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would win any seat in the Ashanti Region, “even if a dog stood on its ticket to contest for the position of a Member of Parliament”.

He asserted that his colleagues, “instead of going down to serve their constituents, rather go about lording themselves over them, and in some cases, intimidate them with their security escorts”.

“Kwame, I can’t afford to be lazy with this work, because if I take a nap for even a second, I will lose my seat; but my colleagues feel their seats are safe so they are not pushing hard for the needed development to their various constituencies”, he noted.

In a subsequent reaction on the same platform, the Chairman of the Finance Committee in Parliament Hon. Dr. Mark Asibey Yeboah asked Ghanaians to ignore the Asawase legislator as MP’s are not engineers to construct roads for their constituents.

“Kwame, MPs do not construct roads. Like where I stay in Accra, my neighbors complain of the poor road network and the same is in my constituency but Kwame, it must be made clear that MPs do not construct roads, you can only draw the attention of the authorities and if the Road Minister agrees to do it for you, we say you have lobbied. Beyond that, you can’t do anything as an MP, you don’t even have the money to construct a kilometer of road.”

He further questioned that if Asawase MP, Hon. Muntaka Mubarak is an engineer that he goes about priding himself of the roads constructed in his constituency.