The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza has commended the contractor working on the 23 kilometre Takoradi Agona-Nkwanta dual carriage road, JUSTMOH, for doing a quality job.
According to the minister, quality of work being executed by the JUSTMOH has reinforced his belief that the local contractors must be empowered to properly handle road contracts in the country.
The Minister was in Takoradi last Friday to inspect the progress of work on the dual carriage road. Minister Agbodza congratulated JUSTMOH and few other contractors who have so far not abandoned their contracts, though they have not been paid for the work done.
He, however, assured the contractor of government’s readiness to honor payment when things begin to stabilise.
The 23 kilometer dual carriageway began in 2024 and is expected to be completed in March 2027. The Consultant to the project is Compriem.
Briefing the Minister on the progress of work, an Executive of Compriem, Ingineer Kofi Adjei Frempong, saidthat the Contractor had resources and materials to rehabilitate the road.
The Consultant also informed the Minister that the project, which started twelve months ago, was 51% complete and that 90% of earthworks had so far been done with culverts and drains almost at 78% complete.
That aside, 56 out of 67 concrete drains have also been completed. With regards to the Sub-base and asphalting, Ingineer Kofi Adjei Frempong said they are at the various stages of completion.Two major concrete bridges he further informed the Minister have been completed and open to traffic.
The Managing Director of JUSTMOH, Justice Armoo, explained that one thing hindering rehabilitation of the road was the issue of compensation.
He saidthe money budgeted for compensation was not enough and that had slowed down the speed of work.
Currently, he said GHC35 million is owed in compensation to persons who have had their properties affected.
“Those whose compensation have not been paid are unwilling to relocate for their properties to be destroyed”, he told the Minister.
What is more, compensation for relocation of water and electricity services, non-payment of contractors were other issues he raised.
MinisterAgbodza, on his part told Justice Armoo that since he had shown good faith, his outfit would make everything possible to ensure that he had been paid for the work done.
Government, he stressed, would not shy away from the fact that most contractors have not been paid.
The Contractors, the Minister emphasised, are owed GHC21 billion.
