Tema-Kpone road had no valid contract or approved scope of work – Roads Minister

The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, says the absence of a valid contract and an approved scope of work has hampered the construction of the Tema-Kpone Junction road.

According to him, the project will be restructured and completed under the government’s Big Push initiative.

Speaking during a tour of Big Push projects in the Greater Accra Region, Mr Agbodza said the existing arrangement for the road had to be completely overhauled before work could proceed effectively.

“So the original scope, and perhaps the contract, will have to be completely overhauled. Whatever, I’m not sure if the contractor has got a valid contract. He said, let me hear. Do you have a valid contract? You don’t,” he said.

Mr Agbodza explained that although the contractor was already working on the road when President John Mahama assumed office, there was no approved contract or scope of work guiding the project.

He said this had created the impression among residents and businesses in the area that the contractor was simply not working or was not being paid.

The Minister said President Mahama has directed that the road from the TOR roundabout through the relevant section be completed as a concrete dual carriageway, while the stretch from Medina to the Kpone Barrier will also be completed.

“We are here today to first of all, through Urban Roads’ directive to you, resume full operations on the project, and we’ll cover the full cost of what we are going to do,” he said.

Mr Agbodza said the project has now been brought under the Big Push programme, with the government committed to ensuring its completion.

The Tema-Kpone road has been a major concern for commuters and heavy-duty vehicle operators, with its poor condition causing significant inconvenience.

Tanker drivers recently staged a sit-down strike to demand urgent government intervention over the state of the road.

Mr Agbodza also questioned the level of support from corporate institutions operating within the Tema industrial enclave towards improving road infrastructure in the area.

He noted that major companies such as VALCO and the Tema Oil Refinery operate around the area and benefit from the road network.

“Ghanaians and corporate citizens are happy to pay to extend electricity to their houses. They are happy to pay and extend water to their houses, but no one wants to pay extra money to extend road to wherever they are working,” he said.