The Minister for Roads and Highways , Kwesi Amoako Atta has called on Ghanaian journalists to help develop the country with their reportage.

This follows a campaign by the media on bad roads especially the 7.5 km Lekma hospital road.

Over the past few weeks, there has been heightened reportage on the road leading to the hospital following distress calls by residents living in and around the Teshie and Manet enclave.

Lekma hospital authorities have also been complaining about the effects of the dusts on the hospital machines.

Speaking on Accra base radio Joy Fm, the Minister Mr Kwesi Amoako assured residents that the construction will be completed within six m0nths.

He also said he has given contractors 6 months to fix the deplorable road in the area.

“I’m giving them six months, by six months’ time I will come here with you. Put pressure on me and I’m telling you the people of Jekuku that is not only this road but working on others too,” he said.

The Minister added that the ministry is putting in efforts to fix all deplorable roads before 2020.

Mr Amoaku further called on Ghanaians to be calm and note that all roads cannot be fixed in one day across the country simultaneously and therefore must be patient with the ministry of roads and highways.

He pleaded with citizens to avoid demonstrations in the country because such acts will not help in getting things.

“Demonstrations ni nea ma nea ma emboa (It will not help). Nobody can take decisions for us.”

He also asked journalists to stop bringing cameras to the site “please don’t take camera and come and stand here, those who want to embark on that route should come to the ministry and I will give them all the bad roads that we  are working on in the country,” he said.

Mr Amoaku called on media houses that wants to broadcast issues on deplorable roads to close their office and visit the regions to see the improvements in those areas.

“We have people in those areas that broadcast. They call us and we are working with them. Journalists! you should help us to develop our nation,” he said.

The government has released GH¢17 million for the construction of the seven-kilometre (km) Teshie link.
The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwesi Amoako-Atta, who made this known yesterday said the Ministry of Finance had already released the money to the contractor with a directive to him to complete the construction of the road in six months.

He stated this when he led a team from the ministry to inspect on-going work on some road projects in Accra, including the Teshie Link road, also known as the LEKMA road.

The road

The deplorable state of the 7.5-km Teshie road has been a subject of grave concern to many residents of the area and the public.

The road connects the Spintex Road to the Accra-Tema Beach road, but work on it had stalled since 2016.

Unfortunately, it is the only alternative route to residential areas around the Manet Estate, off the Spintex Road.

Residents and commuters alike have had cause to complain about the road, decrying the potholes which keep increasing in size and depth by the day.
During the tour of the road, it was observed that road construction equipment, including road rollers and caterpillars, had already been assembled on the stretch and part of it had already been tarred.

Assurance

Mr Amoako-Atta assured residents that the government was more committed to completing work on that road, indicating that “we are willing to complete all roads in the country. The problem is that there are not enough resources to enable us to touch all roads at the same time. Due to this, we have to prioritise some of the critical roads in the country”.

“This LEKMA road has been one of the critical roads in the country, reason being that it is the road which leads to a referral hospital, which is the LEKMA Hospital. We are going to ensure serious works on this road, so that it can be completed within six months,” he added.

Other places visited

From the LEKMA road, the team went to Ashongman Estates to inspect ongoing work on a bridge in the area.

The minister instructed the contractor to ensure that work was completed before September this year.

“We are going to make sure we provide you with enough funds to enable you to finish within the given time frame,” he added.

The team also visited Agbogbloshie to inspect work on the dual carriageway which is yet to commence.