The Upper East Regional Secretariat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is threatening series of demonstrations to compel government to complete the abandoned Bolgatanga-Bawku-Pulmakom road as scheduled.

Work on the road has stalled due to non-payment of government’s indebtedness to the contractor Quiróz Galvao, resulting in the contractor laying off workers and packing equipment from the site.

The party’s Regional Communications Bureau, attributed government’s reckless borrowing, careless expenditure and corruption accounting for most stalled projects in the region.

Speaking at a press conference in Bolgatanga, regional communication officer of the NDC, Salifu Abdullah, demanding government get settles its indebtedness to the contractor to return to site immediately or incur their wrath.

“We as a matter of urgency call on the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government to honour all its financial obligations to the contractor to return to site. We hold the view that if the necessary payments are advanced to the contractor, work on the project will be completed as scheduled. There must not be further delays to this project since it had already suffered enough delays.”

”Government must not abandon the project at this time considering the enormous benefits it will bring to the region and country”.

“The party is equally gearing up and mobilizing the youth to hit the streets if the contractor does not return to site as early as possible. We are not given any ultimatum yet, but I can assure you that if in the coming days we don’t see the contractor we shall obviously do the needful by demonstrating to demand the contractor’s return to site”.

Mr. Abdullah also bemoaned the stalled Chuchuliga-Sandema-Fumbisi and the Navrongo-Naaga road projects and impressed on government to pay the contractors to expedite works on the project and complete them on time to ameliorate the plight of residents.

However, Upper East Regional Highways Director, Philip Samini, debunked assertions that the contractor has abandoned the project stating that, the contractor has only slowed down work due to financial challenges.

The 102.55km Bolgatanga-Bawku-Pulmakom road project was awarded on August 26, 2016, at a sum of GHC 612.744m by the John Darmani Mahama’s government to Constructutora Quiróz Galvão but works on the project commenced on the December 7, 2016, and was scheduled for completion on June 4, 2019.

The project comprised three new bridges over the Kulaa, Red Volta, and White Volta with a 14.5km bypass.

On March 24, 2020, the project was renegotiated at an amount of One Hundred and Thirty-Five million Euros (€135, 000,000.00) and was approved by Parliament on March 27, 2020.

In recent weeks, the contractor Quiróz Galvão working on the major parts of the Bolgatanga-Bawku Pulmakom road project has moved all its heavy equipment and machines out of the region.

Even though significant work on the road has been executed, it is unclear when the contractor will return to site.

Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews