The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration has, once again, delivered on a promise to supply district, municipal, and metropolitan assemblies with equipment and machinery that would keep our roads motorable all year round.
It would be the height of injustice not to also commend honourable Irene Naa Torshie Addo for supervising this all-important program.
As head of the District Assembly Common Fund, Irene Naa Torshie made sure that her outfit took up the challenge and responsibility of providing this equipment and machinery.
By this singular act, Naa Torshie has shown that the District Assembly Common Fund’s outfit she heads can be used to achieve more than we have been seeing over the years.
Dubbed the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), this is designed to empower Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) with the necessary resources and equipment to rehabilitate and maintain roads within their areas.
This initiative proposed by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia a few years ago aligns with the government’s commitment to decentralization, providing local authorities with the tools to effect meaningful change.
The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government has commissioned a comprehensive fleet of 2,240 pieces of equipment, including motor graders, backhoes, rollers, wheel loaders, bulldozers, tipper trucks, concrete mixers, water tankers, and low beds. These machines are expected to play a crucial role in the nationwide improvement of road infrastructure.
A four-member committee at each MMDA will oversee the implementation of the programme, ensuring high standards of quality and accountability. The committees will include technical officers from the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Roads and Highways, along with a representative from the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces. The Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) will chair these committees.
Job creation potential of the DRIP, is projected to be 10,000 jobs for mechanics, engineers, and artisans. He described the nation’s road network as the “circulatory system of our economy,” crucial for commerce, education, and healthcare.
The DRIP, as already indicated, is designed to empower Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) with the necessary resources and equipment to rehabilitate and maintain roads within their areas. This initiative aligns with the government’s commitment to decentralization, providing local authorities with the tools to effect meaningful change.
Irene Naa Torshie Addo’s exemplary leadership has seen to the fruitfulness of this important initiative of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.
The writer is P.K. Sarpong, Whispers from the Corridors of the Thinking Place
