Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Former President John Mahama
It has emerged that the cost of constructing one interchange during the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration is almost the cost of the entire amount being used by the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration to construct four major interchanges across the country.
The Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange in Accra which the NDC and Mr. Mahama named Circle Dubai alone cost the country $260 million, but the four interchanges that President Akufo-Addo and his NPP are constructing in Tema, Obetsebi Lamptey Circle, Pokuase and Tamale, all put together, will cost $289 million.
The three-tier Circle Interchange built by the NDC was in two phases: the Phase One cost 70 million Euros approximately $100 million while the Phase Two was $ 160 million.
In the case of the four interchanges being built by the NPP administration, the Tema Motorway Phase One which is a two-tier concrete cost $54 million, with Obetsebi Lamptey Circle Phase One, which is made up of composite steel, at the cost of $35 million.
Obetsebi Lamptey Phase Two is at the cost of 87 million Euros which is approximately $100 million, bringing the total of the Kaneshie project alone to some $135 million.
The Pokuase Interchange which is four-tier and will serve as the biggest interchange in West Africa when completed is at the total cost of $65 million while the Tamale Interchange is being built at $35 million.
Interestingly, it was the NDC that negotiated the Pokuase Interchange in the Ga West Municipality and pegged the project cost at $84 million and was supposed to be a three-tier interchange.
When the NDC lost power and the NPP took over, President Akufo-Addo got his team to renegotiate the whole Pokuase project and it was redesigned to be expanded to a four-tier interchange at the cost of $65 million which is far lower than the $84 million the NDC government was supposed to pay for a three-tier if Mr. Mahama had won the 2016 election.
Town Hall
Yesterday at a Government Town Hall and Results Fair at the Academy of Arts and Sciences, Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia took his time to list the various infrastructural projects the Akufo-Addo government is executing to transform the country and did some cost benefit analysis.
He outlined infrastructural projects from all sectors, particularly roads, education and health.
Firing from all angles yesterday, the Vice-President said, “Ladies and gentlemen, it is important to note that the cost of the Tema, Pokuase, Tamale, and Obetsebi Lamptey interchanges total $289 million while the Kwame Nkrumah interchange alone was constructed at a cost of $260 million.”
He said Pokuase is the cheapest interchange being built in Ghana under $70 million for a four-tier project compared to the three-tier Kwame Nkrumah Circle interchange built by Mr. Mahama at a cost of $260 million.
“We are constructing four state-of-the-art interchanges. The Tema Interchange, where the loan, sod-cutting and completion were executed by this government. Tamale interchange under the Sinohydro programme, the first ever interchange in the northern sector of the country is at 44% completion and expected to be completed by the middle of 2021.”
“Pokuase interchange (the first four-tier interchange in West Africa – 75% complete. The loan agreement for this project was signed in November 2016 for a three-tier interchange. We subsequently renegotiated for a four-tier interchange. Obetsebi Lamptey Interchange – 55% complete,” he added.
The Vice-President also said that sod had just been cut for the Nungua Interchange to commence, saying “this is the highest number of interchanges (5) being constructed in the first term of any government since independence. A sixth interchange, the PTC interchange in Takoradi (the first interchange in the Western Region) will start in early September.
Road Infrastructure
“Improvement of road infrastructure has been a major priority for this government. On assumption of office, we were met with protests across the country about the poor state of the road network. We have implemented several initiatives to improve the road network of the country to enhance economic activities of citizens and to improve access and living conditions of our people. We have declared this year as the Year of Roads,” he said.
The Vice-President stated that “in total, we have since 2017 undertaken a total of 1,927 road projects across the country. Out of that, 1,307 of them are completed while 620 are currently under construction.
“In the Urban areas, across the country, since the beginning of 2017, we have done 589 km of Asphalt Overlay, rehabilitating and upgrading of 143.61 km of roads, reconstruction of 97.8km and resealing of 48.82 km of roads across the country.
Concrete and Steel
He said, “We are also constructing 79 steel, concrete, and footbridges across the country, and 46 of them are completed and being used while the remaining are at different stages of construction,” adding “government has selected three critical roads in every region.”
Dr. Bawumia said, “Work is ongoing on all these critical roads and are at various stages of completion, including the famous Eastern Corridor road; for example, Jasikan-Dodo-Pepesu road, Bolga-Bawku (80% complete) and Lawra-Hamile (complete).”
“The road infrastructure we are undertaking is the highest in the first term of any government since independence. There is road construction ongoing or completed in every region of the country. Under the previous government, for example, after eight years in office, not a single major road was completed in many regions, including the Upper East and Upper West regions!,” he pointed out.