NDC has improved Western region roads – Agbenyo

Although a lot of road networks in the Western Region have been given a facelift by the Mahama government, not all of them have been constructed, a Deputy Communications Director of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fred Agbenyo, has said.

His comments follow differing views by President John Dramani Mahama and opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over the conditions of roads in the region.

While touring the region last week, Mr Akufo-Addo interacted with chiefs and opinion leaders who complained about the poor condition of the roads in the region, where people are engaged in cocoa farming on a grand scale. Following the complaints, he assured the residents that if elected as president in the December polls, it would be part of his priorities to give the roads a major facelift. He also criticised the president for failing to construct roads in the region.

But Mr Mahama, who is currently in the region campaigning, said on Tuesday August 16: “During my campaign in 2012, I realised that most of the roads here are very bad. I made the promise to invest heavily in roads here if I am elected president. I have kept my promise. Under the cocoa roads programme, most of the projects are in the Western Region. The majority of roads in this region are many, I cannot name them. I heard someone (Nana Akufo Addo]) came here and said he had not seen these roads. I am sure he was sleeping at the time.”

But speaking on Political Capital hosted by Paa Kwesi Parker-Wilson on Accra100.5FM on Wednesday, 17 August, Mr Fred Abgenyo said: “The truth of the issue is that we cannot say that all the roads in the Western Region have been constructed but a very God-fearing person in the Western Region knows that since the NDC came to power, several steps have been taken by the government to improve on the roads.”

“Takoradi town roads have been improved, the Elubo road is a first-class road, Tarkwa roads have been asphalted through to Ayanfuri. We haven’t said anywhere that we have constructed all the roads in the Western Region. The people there know that no government can construct all the roads at a go.”