Stephen Yakubu with officials from the Regional Coordinating Council at the equipment inauguration in Upper West
Three regions, Volta, Western and Upper West have taken delivery of equipment for road improvement under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP).
The regional ministers commissioned the road construction equipment in separate ceremonies.
Volta Region
At the Ho Jubilee Park in the Volta Region, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, the regional minister, commissioned road construction equipment prior to their dispatch to all districts in the region.
The equipment commissioned include backhoes, payloaders, water tankers, wheel loaders, rollers, graders, among others.
The minister indicated that the region has been divided into three zones (Northern, Central, and Southern Zones) to help undertake effective monitoring of the equipment.
“We have made arrangements for fuel depots also to fuel all the machines to undertake the needed roads in the districts,” he added.
The Technical Manager of JA Plant Pool Limited, Eric Anobaah, in his statement indicated that JA Plant Pool and their Chinese partners (LiuGonG) are providing technical support to the DRIP project.
“There are arrangements for knowledge transfers where Ghanaian technicians including students of technical institutions will be trained in proper handling of these machines,” he indicated.
Upper West Region
The Upper West Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, during the inauguration of the DRIP equipment, commended the government’s responsiveness to the needs of Ghanaians, particularly in road infrastructure.
“This is a fulfillment of our ‘Year of Roads’ promise,” Mr. Yakubu declared, expressing relief that the equipment arrived at a critical time, given the poor condition of roads in the region.
He assured the public that the equipment would be utilised effectively and deployed immediately to districts to begin roadwork.
Acting Regional Coordinator of the DRIP, Venantius Kuundri, stated that JA Plant Pool, a sister company of the Jospong Group of Companies, would monitor and maintain the equipment across Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
In collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and local assemblies, strict maintenance protocols would be adhered to, ensuring equipment longevity.
The Upper West Region, comprising 11 Municipal and District Assemblies, received 106 pieces of equipment under the DRIP initiative, including tipper trucks, motor graders, low beds, pick-ups, concrete mixers, backhoes, rollers, graders, wheel loaders, and water tankers, aimed at improving road construction and infrastructure in the region.
Western Region
The Western Region also took delivery of 110 pieces of road improvement equipment allocated to the region under DRIP.
The equipment included bulldozers, wheel loaders, concrete mixers, low beds, motor graders, water tankers, tipper trucks, backhoes, and rollers.
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, at the launch of the construction equipment for MMDAs at Apremdo, near Takoradi, explained that the President’s vision goes beyond just constructing roads.
“DRIP is about creating a connected and thriving Ghana, where every district, no matter how remote, feels the impact of progress. This initiative would ensure the progress and prosperity of the country at the local level,” he said.
According to the regional minister, DRIP is the largest investment ever made in the Local Government Sector, providing nearly 1,500 equipment to MMDAs across the country.
“This is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to improving local infrastructure by giving Local Authorities the tools they need to effect meaningful change in their local communities,” he said.
The DRIP project is expected to create nearly 8,000 direct jobs, stimulate local economic development, reduce post-harvest losses, since farmers will have improved roads to transport their farm produce to market, and improve general service delivery across the country.
He assured the MMDAs that the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council, seized with the mandate to co-ordinate the activities of MMDAs in the region, will closely monitor the effective utilisation of this equipment.
“Adequate preparations have been made for the maintenance and fueling of the earth-moving equipment and to effectively resolve all the pending issues concerning the smooth implementation of the programme,” he added.
With regards to the training of operators and drivers, he mentioned that 30 participants from each MMDA will receive training on the use of these machines. In all, 420 operators and drivers will be trained for the region.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Mpohor District, Ignatius Assah Mensah, lauded the government for this initiative, saying, “this will bring a total transformation in the district.” He explained that the district had no tarred road until recently, when government awarded the road on contract. “Work has already started; there are many roads in my district which are in deplorable state, and this affects our traders because crops and other vegetables, which are supposed to be transported to the markets and other urban centres, get rotten.”
The equipment, he said, have been received at the right time, stressing, “it will open up certain routes, make some of the roads accessible, as well as make transportation easier for all, especially our traders.”
A Daily Guide Report