Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah has announced that the government plans to terminate several road contracts in the Ashanti region due to delays.
The government has also reaffirmed its strong commitment to completing key roads connecting farming communities in the Ashanti region to the regional capital, Kumasi, and other regions.
Simon Osei-Mensah highlighted that the poor road network within the Asante Akim South Municipality is adversely affecting residents in and around the municipality.
He noted that the 12km road between Komeaboye and Kokoben and the 8km road project between Obogu and Kumeso will be terminated and reassigned to a different contractor for completion due to the delays.
“Some of the roads were awarded to three contractors. Unfortunately, the contractors at the beginning and the end have completed their projects and those within the middle parts have not completed. One of them [the roads] is about eight kilometres and the other is about 12 kilometres which we think must be terminated and re-awarded, possibly to the contractor who constructed the other roads within the same vicinity.
“Again, there are some critical routes we need to also have a look at, and that is between Obogu and Kumeso, which is about 8.5 kilometres. That road is very critical because it links Asante South Municipal Assembly to the Eastern region, that is Birim North and this is a very critical road.”
The minister made these disclosures after inspecting several road construction projects, including the upgraded 7km Juaso through Nkwanta to Obogu road, the 10km Banka through Otuokwai to Kokoben road, and the Komeaboye to Saabo Junction road.