MP for Chiana/Paga queries Minister over Chuchuliga – Chiana – Nakong Road project
The Member of Parliament for Chiana/Paga Constituency, Hon Thomas Adda Dalu has dragged the Minister for Roads and Highways to Parliament over the abandoned Chuchuliga – Chiana – Nakong road project which has been abandoned over the last four years.
According to the MP, the road which started in 2016 and is expected to be completed in 2018, had been abandoned since the change of government in 2017, thereby making the road inaccessible by residents and travellers.
Posing a question on the Minister in Parliament on Friday, December 10, 2021, Hon Dalu, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament wanted to know when the Contractor on the stretch of the 11km road would resume work.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when the contractor working on the Chuchuliga to Chiana trunk road will resume and complete works on the road,” the MP quizzed the Minister.
In his response, the sector Minister Hon Kwesi Amoako-Atta said the 11km road forms part of the Navrongo – Chuchuliga – Chiana – Nakong – Sissily Road, which is a National Road (N13).
According to him, “the Chuchuliga – Chiana road is bituminous surfaced and in poor condition,” adding that, the road is currently under construction as part of the project titled “Partial Reconstruction of Navrongo – Chuchuliga – Tumu Road (34.23km)”.
The contract, he explained was awarded in July 2016 and works commenced on 19th September 2016 and was originally scheduled for completion on 18th September 2018, but the completion date was extended to 17th September 2021.
“Mr Speaker, the Contractor has completed drainage, pavement, primer seal and seal works on the Navrongo to Chuchuliga section up to km 10. However, on the Chuchuliga – Chiana section, the Contractor has completed roadside clearing, scarification of existing bituminous surface, cross drainage (culverts) and 400m of U-drains,” the Minister stated.
HON THOMAS DALU
He added that, that the Contractor has completed the number of culverts from the Chiana to Nakong end of the project as the progress of work is estimated at 40% physically complete.
Hon Amoako-Atta further noted that “the Contractor has vacated site due to delay in payment for work done and several warning letters have been issued to the Contractor to return to a site. Efforts are being made to get the Contractor back to site to complete the outstanding works by the third quarter of the year 2022.”
But Hon Dalu said the current state of the road is worse than before the contract was awarded as the Contractor started working and then abandoned it half way soon after the 2016 elections.
He told EXPRESSNEWSGHANA, he was not satisfied with the Minister response on grounds that, the road is an important major road that connects to other regions and when completed would further boost agriculture and economic activities in that parts of the country.
The MP contended that, issuing warning letters to return to the site without paying the work done to enable the contractor to return to work would have die consequence not only on the people of the area but the entire enclave which produces food in large quantities to feed the nation.
While lamenting the poor state of the road and the plight of his people, Hon Dalu said, he would intensify lobbying at the Roads and Highways Ministry and its agencies to ensure that the contractor returned to the site to complete the work.
He, therefore, appealed to the Minister to revise the government timeline on the project and consider the road in the First quarter of 2022, instead of the third quarter.
The MP added that further delay in the execution of the project would worsen the plight of commuters travelling on that stretch of road.
Source: expressnewsghana.com
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