The Minority Caucus in Parliament has challenged claims by the ruling New Patriotic Party administration of securing funds for the construction of the Volivo Bridge over the Volta River.
According to the Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Adaklu Constituency in the Volta Region, Honorable Kwame Governs Agbodza the claims by President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party administration are ‘completely false’.
He also debunked claims President Akufo-Addo made during his recent address at the Hogbetsotso festival that the New Patriotic Party administration has constructed over 432km in the Volta Region.
“The Minority in Parliament has become aware of a publication in the Daily Graphic of Tuesday, 14th November 2023 in which the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration claims to have secured a facility of about $100 million to construct the Volivo Bridge over the Volta River. These publications form part of recent attempts by the inept Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government to tout its non-existent record in road infrastructure, including laying claim to projects that they have no idea of their conception and actual execution”.
Governs Kwame Agbodza, Minority Chief Whip
The Minority Chief Whip further refuted claims that President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party administration have constructed 445.5km of roads in the Oti Region since its inception in government in 2017.
According to the Adaklu lawmaker, the Volivo Bridge project dates back to 2016, following an agreement made between the Government of Ghana and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a Japanese-funded Official Development Assistance loan of up to ¥11,239,000,000, which was equivalent of $100 million for the construction of the bridge across the Volta River as part of the Eastern Corridor Project.
He noted that the project design which was for the construction of a ‘new cable-stayed bridge’ with a length of 520 meters, making it one of the longest in West Africa, was signed by Seth Terkper, the former Finance Minister under the National Democratic Congress administration.
According to Mr Agbodza, the construction of the Volivo Bridge was expected to strengthen the transportation capacity of the Eastern Corridor of Ghana, and to stimulate economic activity both domestically and with Burkina Faso and other neighbouring countries.
Again, the Minority Chief Whip noted that the Volivo Bridge was also intended to improve upon the numerous economic disparities in the various communities closer to the bridge.
He therefore stressed that the Volivo bridge project cannot be credited to President Akufo-Addo and the ruling New Patriotic Party administration.
Minority Accuses Government of Abandoning Volivo Bridge Project
Moreover, Mr Agbodza accused President Akufo-Addo and the ruling New Patriotic Party administration of deliberately abandoning the project when it took over power in 2017 from former President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress administration.
He thus expressed his disappointment at President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party administration for refusing to ‘honour’ its obligation when it took over power in 2017 but subsequently turning around to re-announce the project as a new project to ‘deceive’ Ghanaians, particularly the people in the Volta and Oti Regions.
“Despite inheriting this laudable project from the visionary NDC/Mahama administration, the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government completely took their eyes off the ball for all these years”.
Governs Kwame Agbodza, Minority Chief Whip
Finally, the Minority Chief Whip admonished President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party administration to desist from its ‘deliberate campaign of disinformation’ especially about ‘non-existent projects’.
“It is a known fact that this failed Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has not only destroyed our economy but will also be remembered for its poor record in the area of infrastructure development. No amount of false narratives can change the NPP’s abysmal record”.
Governs Kwame Agbodza, Minority Chief Whip
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