Francis Asenso-Boakye, former Minister of Roads and Highways, has criticised current Minister Governs Agbodza for his response to concerns raised by the Minority Caucus regarding the 4-tier interchange project.
According to the lawmaker, the minister’s remarks were unnecessary.
The issue under discussion was the minister’s announcement that the government would not proceed with the original plan for the four-tier interchange due to resource constraints. Governs Agbodza had previously stated that the NPP government’s expenditure of over $100 million on the National Cathedral could have funded at least half of the Suame Interchange project in Kumasi.
He reiterated that redesigning the interchange to exclude the fourth-tier bridge was a practical solution considering new road developments, including the Kumasi Outer Ring Road under the Big Push Programme.
However, in a response on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Francis Asenso Boakye indicated that the Cathedral Project had no bearing on the discussion about the interchange.
He described the minister as inconsistent, noting that he had recently attributed the decision to redesign the project to lack of funds, only to change his narrative after criticism from the minority.
He stated that the current government says it has allocated sufficient resources to the Big Push Project, which includes the Suame Interchange, with approximately GHC43 billion allocated for the project this year.
He emphasised the need to hold the government accountable for its actions, particularly regarding the Suame Interchange, which cannot be redesigned while other projects remain unchanged.
He pointed out that the minister’s narrative on the project had shifted significantly shortly after the minority’s press conference, contradicting previous statements made to Ghanaians.
The minister had claimed that a new project, the Outer Ring Road, would render the four-tier interchange unnecessary.
He expressed concern over the minister’s inconsistency on a matter of such importance, stating that if the previous administration had completed the project, this controversy would have been avoided.
“The minority expressed profound concerns regarding the matter, whereas the minister sought to trivialise the significant issues we raised. How can I be held accountable? I was appointed minister at the end of February 2024 and concluded my term after we lost power. During that period, active construction was underway. I brought forth serious matters, yet the minister resorted to personal attacks. We are discussing national matters of great importance, not personal affairs. The National Cathedral and its political undertone are unwarranted in this context.”
He explained that his administration had secured financing for the project as early as July 2022, but due to debt restructuring following the COVID-19 pandemic, the funds were put on hold.
After reprioritising financing, alternative funding was secured from Afro Exim Bank, and the project commenced, albeit with delays due to the need to relocate Kumasi water pipes along the project’s path.
Despite plans to complete at least one layer by 2024, unforeseen circumstances prevented this timeline from being met.
“Within one week, the minister has changed his narrative on a major issue such as the interchange. It is disturbing and unfortunate; he keeps flip-flopping. It is also true that if the NPP had completed the project, this controversy would not have happened.
We had secured the financing for the project as far back as July 2022, but because of the Debt Restructuring Programme—which occurred as a result of COVID-19—those who intended to provide the funds withdrew them. The government then reprioritised its financing, following which we secured alternative funding from Afreximbank.
Once that funding was secured, the project commenced. However, there was a further delay because we had to relocate Kumasi water pipes that ran along the stretch where the pillars and piers were to be built. Our plan was to lay at least one layer of piers by 2024, but it couldn’t happen, and that was not anyone’s fault,” he said.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
