Member of Parliament for Bantama, Hon Francis Asenso Boakye, has strongly refuted accusations from the Majority in Parliament that he is working to undermine the planned construction of the Accra–Kumasi Expressway by the John Mahama administration.
The Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, during parliamentary debate on Thursday, alleged that the Bantama MP had personally written to the President, asking for the cancellation of the project.
Dr Forson described the conduct of the MP as surprising and disappointing, arguing that a senior lawmaker from the Ashanti Region, which is expected to benefit from reduced travel time and increased business opportunities, should be championing such a major national infrastructure.
He questioned why an MP from a region that relies heavily on road transport for trade and industry would seek to stall a landmark development.
Speaking on Otec FM’s morning show ‘Nyansapo’, hosted by Kwaku Owusu Boateng on Friday, November 28, 2025, Hon Asenso Boakye dismissed the allegations as “false and a ploy to tarnish his and the Minority’s image.”
He stressed that he did not campaign against the road project but rather offered constructive input on how best the project could be executed to serve the national interest.
The former Minister for Roads and Highways clarified that although he wrote to President John Mahama on the matter, he only advised that the government should complete the existing Accra–Kumasi dualisation project initiated under former President John Agyekum Kufuor.
“It is better to continue a strategic and economically viable project that already has significant progress than to start a new undefined and unfunded one,” he argued.
He described the new initiative as “misguided,” insisting that abandoning a project that is already partially built would waste the country’s limited resources and delay the benefits the road is intended to deliver.
According to him, completing the ongoing works would significantly cut travel time by two hours, boosting commerce, tourism, and overall national productivity.
Hon Asenso Boakye noted that over 100 kilometres of the 240km stretch between Accra and Kumasi had already been dualised, with an additional 46 kilometres currently under active construction at locations including Anyinam, Osino, Enyiresi, and Konongo.
He added that only 94 kilometres remained to complete the project, stressing that “starting a fresh project instead of finishing this one will be wasteful and imprudent.”
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Francis Appiah
