Roads: Amoako-Attah’s record ‘unprecedented’, ‘unparalleled’ in Ghana’s history; there’s none like him – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Akufo-Addo (L) and Roads Minister Kwasi Amoako-Attah (R) in the studios of OTEC FM

Kwasi Amoako-Attah stands tall among all Road Ministers Ghana has ever had, President Nana Akufo-Addo has praised.

In his view, there has never been any like Mr Amoako-Attah, as far as roads are concerned.

“I don’t think there’s been a road minister who has a record like Kwasi Amoako-Attah,” the President told OTEC FM in an interview on Monday, 17 October 2022, in an interview during the second day of his four-day official tour of the Ashanti Region.

“He may be here [seated in the studio] and I’ll say it anywhere; I want anybody to come and tell me what road minister in our country has put together the package of roads that Kwasi Amoako-Attah has produced in these six years that we’ve been in office,” the president dared, adding: “Unprecedented.”

Radio Interview at OTEC FM OTEC 102.9 FM

He, however, noted that the government cannot fix and construct all roads at the same time due to the unavailability of funds.

“But we can’t do all the roads at a go; I’m sorry to have to say but that doesn’t mean I’m saying some roads are more important than others. All roads are important but because we are constrained with funds, some would have to be done before others,” the president explained.

The president also used the opportunity to take a dig at his predecessor, describing as “untrue,” the claim that infrastructural development under his term of office was “unprecedented.”

“My predecessor, Mr Mahama, used a certain expression that ‘infrastructural development in his time was unprecedented’, but during my tours of the country since I got into office in 2017 till today, everywhere I went, people cried for roads, everybody is complaining about roads.”

“So, it became obvious to me that what we were told about unprecedented infrastructure was not true,” the president noted.

“I can’t say such an elderly person lied but what he said about unprecedented infrastructural achievement was not true.”

During the same interview session, the president called the bluff of residents of Afigya Kwabre East in the Ashanti Region, who recently threatened to vote against the governing New Patriotic Party in the next elections if their bad roads are not fixed.

The constituency is a heavy supporter of the NPP.

It delivered about 80,000 votes for the party in the 2020 polls.

Directly responding to a specific question about the threats of the constituents, Mr Akufo-Addo retorted: “No problem,” adding: “I’m saying people make those kinds of threats; me, they don’t frighten me.”

“Somebody votes for you, somebody supports you because they want you to do things for them. I understand that. There’s no need for people to threaten that: ‘If I don’t do this, then that and that’,” the president noted.

Asked if he will fix the road nonetheless, Mr Akufo-Addo answered: “Of course, I’ll do it but if it comes to voting and you decide to vote for the NDC, it is your own matter, it is not my business.”

“Nobody is forcing your hand to thumbprint for a particular candidate. That’s yours to do. The important thing is that I have a responsibility and I understand the responsibility and we will deal with it,” he added.

The Afigya Kwabre East residents made the threat in mid-August this year.

They accused both the president and the MP of neglecting them despite their heavy support for the party.

Despite their electoral loyalty, the constituents bewailed that Mampongteng, the capital of the municipality, does not have a single kilometre of asphalted roads.