Akufo-Addo was misled on 10,875 km of new roads claim – Sam George

The Ningo Prampram MP, Sam George, has said President Akufo-Addo was misled when he announced the government had constructed 10,875 kilometres of new roads in the last five years.

Mr. George and other Minority members remain skeptical of the President’s figures.

“Let’s call a spade a spade. The president was misled. It won’t be the first time,” he said on The Big Issue.

He added that the President should not have taken the figures provided to him for his State of the Nation Address at face value.

“We would have expected more diligence on the part of the president. At least, if he had spent more time reading the speech and questioning it than being happy to [tell us to open our eyes.]”

He further challenged the government to provide more details on the roads it claims to have constructed.

The Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament, Kwame Agbodza, also called on the government to back the President’s update with data, and even threatened to resign as MP for Adaklu if the President was right.

“Give us a list of the roads and their mileage. Let them say in Tolon, this is what they have done. In Ningo Prampram, this is what they have done.”

“If they are not able to do that, the president owes us an apology and should also resign,” Mr. George added.

Following President Akufo-Addo’s update on roads constructed under his tenure, the Roads and Highways Ministry sought to clarify his figures by saying the 10,875 kilometres of roads constructed included ongoing works on unpaved roads.

According to the ministry, any activity on the road amounts to construction.

The construction work the Ministry said it does on unpaved roads includes grading, gravelling, re-graveling, and spot improvement.

It also says the projected road network as of the end of 2021 had increased to 94,203km.