The President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, has commended the government for putting the Pokuase Interchange money to the benefit of the country.
The $84 million the bank gave the Government of Ghana was for a Three-Tier interchange, but that same amount was used to construct all four tiers, a feat that must be commended, he stated.
Mr Adesina made this remark on Wednesday when accompanied by officials of the bank to inspect and finally hand over the completed project to the government.
He said the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo must be commended for his commitment, and vision at the speed at which he was operating in order to transform the country.
Mr Adesina applauded the country for putting the project money to good use which would go a long way to determine the direction the country was heading.
The President of the bank stated that the decision by officials of the Ministry of Roads and Highways, implementation agency of the project, and the banks consultants to act in the interest of the people to further promote their socio-economic welfare, clearly exhibited that there were more fruitful years ahead of the country.
The project, which he said was the first in West Africa and the second in Africa clearly exhibited how the government optimised the grant from the Bank, adding its benefit was gratifying because it would reduce travel time for the socio-economic transformation of the local economy where the project was located.
Mr Adesina urged the strict enforcement of the traffic regulations and the laws to prevent unnecessary accidents on the transformed roads.
“This called for the vigilance of the various transport unions, the communities and spirited individuals to report drivers who misconduct themselves to be disciplined to serve as deterrent to others,” He added.
He commended the various women groups whose testimonies clearly exhibited that the bank was also concerned about the country’s presidential needs of the communities where the transformational projects were being executed.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwesi Amoako-Atta, on behalf of the government expressed gratitude to the Bank for the confidence reposed in its administration, and assured that future facilities would be effectively utilised for the benefit of the people
Work on the project begun in July 2018, to be completed in 36 months and involved the construction of the 6.5-kilometre Awoshie -Pokuase Road, an interchange at the intersection of ACP Junction to Awoshie to Nsawam road, two footbridges, the widening of the Nsawam Road by some two kilometres (km), drainage works, the provision of streetlights and the construction of 12km off town roads.
Other components are the rehabilitation of the Pobiman Women’s Group Centre to train women in pastry, bread, soap and bead making; the rehabilitation of the Manchie Gari Factory for the processing of cassava into gari and starch.
Also in the scope of the project are the protection of the three-hectare Gua Sacred Forest; the provision of ICT laboratories for 14 basic schools, which will help train some 10,000 basic school children within the Ga North, South, Central and West municipalities, in the knowledge of information and communications technology (ICT).
FROM LAWRENCE VOMAFA-AKPALU, POKUASE