Deputy Minority Leader drags Roads Minister to Parliament over abandoned Projects
The Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Hon James Klutse Avedzi has dragged the Minister for Roads and Highways to parliament, demanding the return of the contractor working on the Agorve Junction to Tadzewu and the Ehie to Agbozume and Dzodze to Penyi roads projects.
According to him, the current state of the roads are worse than before the contracts were awarded as the Contractors started working and then abandoned them half way soon after the 2016 elections.
He said the contractors were on site but left as a result of the ministerial directive to road contractors to leave the site in 2017, soon after the change of government, thereby making life unbearable for residents and travellers on those stretch of roads in the constituency.
Hon Avedzi made the demand when he posed some questions to the Minister for Roads and Highways, Hon Kwesi Amoako-Atta in parliament on Friday, December 10, 2021.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the contractor working on Agorve Junction to Tadzewu Road will return to the site to complete work after leaving the site in 2017 as a result of the ministerial directive to road contractors to leave the site.
“To ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the contractor working on Ehie to Agbozume and Dzodze to Penyi roads will return to the site to complete work after leaving the site in 2017 as a result of the ministerial directive to road contractors to leave the site,” Hon Avedzi quizzed the sector Minister.
In response, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Hon Kwesi Amoako Atta said the 21.40km Agorve Junction to Tadzewu gravel road was awarded on Contract for the upgrading under the title “Bituminous Surfacing of Tadzewu-Devego-Agorve Jn”.
According to him, works commenced on 7th October 2014 and was scheduled to be completed on 7th October 2015, but the completion date was extended to 7 th October 2017, due to the issuance of a variation order for additional works.
However, the Minister the contractor abandoned the works after executing 21.4km of sub-base, base and primer seal which constitutes 71% physical complete, while the final seal and road furniture works are outstanding.
He said following the long delay in completing the works, the Department of Feeder Roads would initiate the necessary contractual measures to terminate the contract and repackage for the award.
Touching on the 14.3km Ehi to Agbozume and Dzodze to Penyi roads, Amoako-Atta said are also gravel surface feeder roads were packaged together with other roads under a contract titled “Bitumen Surfacing of Ehi – Dzodze & Ehi Town Roads(14.3km), Agbozume-Ehi(8.8km) and Todome-Toh Kpalime Dzemeni (21.80km) Feeder Roads (44.9km)”.
He said the contract was awarded on 7th December 2016 and commenced on 3rd February 2017 for completion within twenty-four (24) months, however, following the government rationalization exercise in 2017, the project was re-scoped to bitumen surfacing of Ehi-Dzodze and Ehi town roads (14.30km).
The contractor, the Minister explained has since failed to remobilize back to the site, stressing that, “Warning letters were issued to the contractor but to no avail. The Department of Feeder Roads is taking the necessary steps to terminate the contract after which a repackaging will be done for the award.
But Hon Avedzi said the current state of the roads are worse than before the contract was awarded as the Contractor started working and then abandoned it half way soon after the 2016 elections.
He expressed unsatisfactory with the Minister response on grounds that, the roads are important economic roads which when completed would further boost agriculture and economic activities in that enclave of the country.
The MP who is the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament noted that issuing warning letters to Contractors return to the site without paying for the work done to enable the contractor return to the project site would have die consequence not only on the people of Ketu North but the entire enclave which produces food in large quantity to feed the nation.
Source: expressnewsghana.com
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