The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta, has lauded the progress of work on the Tema Valco Roundabout through the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), to the Kpone junction, in the Greater Accra Region.
He stated that the contractor, Joshob Construction Limited, has done a remarkable work within a short period.
According to the minister the contractor had completed five out of the six coverts, on 7.1 kilometre road,- indicating a 25 per cent of total work completed.
Mr Amoako-Atta made the remarks when he paid his third working visit to the said road within six weeks, to familiarise himself on the process of work.
Yesterday’s visit also took him to other roads in Kpone Katamanso District and the Tema Metropolis.
It will be recalled that the Ghana National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union declared an indefinite sit down industrial action, recently.
However, the strike was suspended on the third day, when the minister intervened with the promise to fix the VALCO Roundabout road to Kpone Junction, and other access roads leading to TOR depots at Takoradi, Kumasi and Buipe .
Unlike the first day of nut-cracking negotiations, yesterday’s tour was one of harmony and praise-singing between officials of the ministry and union executives.
The union executives led by its chairman, Mr George Nyauna, commended the minister and his technical team for making the said road motorable, but urged him to provide more funds and logistics for the road to be completed on time.
He said the strike embarked by the union was for the good reasons to fix the roads and not to make the government unpopular.
In response the minister thanked the union executives for the respect and goodwill they had exhibited after the strike was called off.
According to him, the union did not embark on any violent demonstration rather a peaceful protestation to express concern about their challenges.
He added that the union executives had always shown good faith during their dialogues, which had ensured that peace prevailed.
He said the oil industry was an important partner in the country’s development and the government would ensure that their concerns were heard.
He said apart from the construction of the road, a car park would also be built so that vehicles that come to do business at TOR would have a spacious car park, adding that the contract had been awarded to Joshob Construction.
Similarly, the deplorable four-kilometre road from the Kpone Junction through Kpone- Kokompe to Kpone barrier had also been awarded to the same contractor.
FROM IAN MOTEY, TEMA
