Demonstrations don’t build roads – Roads Minister

Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, says the government has plans to fix deplorable roads, and that it will be unreasonable for one to expect all bad roads to be done at the same time.

The Minister, while interacting with the press after inspecting the 31.7km Kwafokrom to Apedwa road in the Eastern Region which forms part of the Accra-Kumasi dualization project, expressed disappointment that some educated people join in demonstrations for their roads to be fixed.

According to him, such demonstrations will not get the roads fixed and so are needless.

“It is unreasonable for anybody to say that all roads everywhere should be fixed simultaneously. So these demonstrations should stop. Sometimes you get people who are supposed to know better, well-educated people who should advice their colleagues joining demonstrations. Demonstrations don’t build roads,” he said.

Demonstrations have become a common way community members in Ghana communicate their grievances and make petitions for their respective deplorable roads to be fixed.

Often times, the government is forced to give updates, and local assemblies have their attention drawn for action to be taken after such incidents.

Police have sometimes had to arrest some persons in the course of demonstrations when they turn violent and engage in illegal activities.

Meanwhile, Mr. Amoako-Atta urged the contractors on the Kwafokrom to Apedwa road to expedite work and open the stretch to the public by end of 2021.

“I have charged the contractors to ensure that they complete the stretch of the road covering a distance of 31km by the end of the year. I have asked them to introduce night work to compensate for any delay,” he said.

—citinews