Dr. Bawumia being briefed on the project
Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has cut the sod for the construction and rehabilitation of Sunyani town roads in the Bono Region.
The project covers a total of 29 kilometres of Sunyani town roads, and it is part of major roads across the country being funded under an agreement signed between the Akufo-Addo administration, Sinohydro Corporation and the Chinese government.
The Vice-President said at the sod-cutting on Thursday that “the construction and rehabilitation of inner city roads, a total of 29 kilometres, is in line with President Akufo-Addo’s vision of improving and expanding road networks in the country.”
“As you are aware, His Excellency the President has declared 2020 as the year of roads. Even though we have experienced some challenges due to the Covid-19 challenges, our focus has been to deliver good quality roads to the good people of this country,” he said.
“In fact, there is road construction going on in every part of this country and Sunyani, this time, it is your turn. When completed these works will improve road access and improve traffic congestion throughout the city,” he added.
Dr. Bawumia highlighted the impact of the Sinohydro agreement on infrastructural development in the country, adding that the NDC elements tried everything they could to stop the agreement which had been beneficial to Ghanaians.
“When we passed it (Sinohydro agreement) in Parliament, they even wrote to the International Monetary Fund to stop this agreement from taking place after they had said it was 419. Today, we are cutting the sod for the Sunyani inner city roads. And this is not the only project that we are dealing with under this agreement,” he noted.
“The Accra inner city roads are being done: Kumasi inner city roads, Tamale Interchange project, PTC roundabout interchange in Takoradi, Adenta-Dodowa dual carriage roads, the Western and Cape Coast inner city roads, upgrading of feeder roads in Western and Ashanti, Akim Oda-Ofoase-Ayirebi road, Hohoe Jasikan-Dodo Pepeso road, etc.” he added.
“If we had listened to the NDC, none of these roads would have taken place under the Sinohydro agreement. They always think in terms of impossibility. We always think in terms of possibility. The NDC think impossibility and if we follow them, they will leave us behind (sic),” he pointed out.
About eight major suburbs and a total of 26 communities under these suburbs in the Sunyani Municipality are to benefit from the Sunyani inner city roads.
The major suburbs and their surroundings where the road construction and rehabilitation are to take place are Agyei Ano (Dr. Berko area roads), Mayfair area roads, Baakonlaba area roads, Newtown area roads, Estate inner link roads, Berlin Top area roads, Penkwase area roads and Sunyani inner link roads.
From Daniel Y. Dayee, Sunyani