Repackage Kandiga Junction-Sirigu road to boost economic activities - Chiana-Paga MP urges govt

The Member of Parliament(MP) for Chiana-Paga constituency, Rudolf Nsorwinne Amenga-Etego, has called on government to review and repackage the Kandiga-Sirigu road contract to cover more adjourning towns.

According to him, the road in its current condition needs to be repackaged and extended to other equally important economic towns, especially Yua and Manyoro communities within the Kasena-Nankana area.

The road, he noted does not only serve as a means for easy transportation but is also an economic route that links the North-Eastern enclave of Ghana to neighbouring West Africa nations- Burkina-Faso, Mali and Niger.

Amenga-Etego made the call after he put a question to the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako Atta in Parliament to explain what steps the Ministry is taking to rehabilitate the Kandiga Junction -Sirigu and the Chuchuliga-Chiana- Nakong roads.

"Mr Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for Roads and Highways what steps the Ministry is taking towards the rehabilitation of the following roads in the Kasena-Nankana West District, Kandiga Junction-Sirigu and the Chuchuliga-Chiana-Nakong roads," he asked the Minister in Parliament.

The MP said the road when completed would bring economic and social benefits as it would link farm producers to markets, workers to jobs, students to school, and the sick to hospitals, stressing that "roads are vital to any development as government can also draw more revenue as many more vehicles can easily access to our neighbouring countries."

He, therefore, called on government through the Ministry of Roads and Highways to allow the Contractor return to the site and as well extend the road from Sirigu to Manyoro and Yua to connect the Eastern enclave of the Kasena-Nankana West District.

The 17km road project which stretches from Kandiga Junction to Sirigu central started in 2011 and was expected to be completed in 2013, but has since been stalled.

The first 5km of the road has been bitumen surfaced from Kandiga junction to Bembiisi, while the remaining 12 km is in bad condition making it highly inaccessible by commuters, especially motorists during the rainy season.

Answering the question posed by Amenga-Etego, the Roads and Highways Minister, Amoako Atta said the contractor abandoned the project after executing works up to the sub-base level with about 37 percent physically complete.

According to him, the contract for the 17km road was awarded under the CCOBOD Feeder Roads Improvement Project (CFRIP) on 9th August 2011.

The contract, he said commenced on 25th October 2011 and was expected to be completed on April 24, 2013, a period of eighteen (18) calendar months.

But the contractor abandoned the works after executing works up to the sub-base level with physical progress of work projected at 37% complete.

He told Parliament the Department of Feeder Roads (DFR) is reviewing the current status of the works including initiating the necessary contractual procedure to terminate the contract for poor performance.

"Mr Speaker, as part of the review, engineering design and review studies will be conducted over the entire 12km gravel section by the end of the third quarter of 2020 for the upgrading of the road to bituminous surfacing. The execution of the works will be considered under the 2021 budget of the Department of Feeder Roads," the sector Minister stated.

??Touching on the Chuchuliga-Chiana-Nakong Road, the Minister said the 34 km road which formed an integral part of the National Road (N13), connects Bolgatanga through Navrongo, Chuchuliga, Chiana, Nakong in the Upper East Region to Tumu, Han, Lawra and beyond, in the Upper West Region.

The 34km road he said was awarded on contract for rehabilitation and work commenced on September 19, 2016, and was originally scheduled for completion on September 18, 2018.

He told Parliament that, the project starts at 2.65km from Navrongo (Tono Junction) and ends at Nakong and the first section of the project of about 13 km from Navrongo (Tono Junction)-Chuchuliga has been completed up to primer seal.

In addition to that, the Contractor has also executed some concrete drains, pipe culverts and scarification works within the second section from Chuchuliga-Nakong.

The Minister said the project was temporarily suspended for some time due to delayed payment for works done, but noted that the Contractor has since resumed work following receipt of some payments.

"Mr Speaker, as we speak, scarification and widening of the second section of the road are on-going and the project is at 38% physical completion. The works is expected to be completed by 31st December, 2020," the roads Minister told Parliament.

He said upon completion of the rehabilitation works, the road would receive an asphaltic concrete overlay under the maintenance intervention programme of the Ghana Highways Authority.