By Ashiadey Dotse
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Agbodza, has warned that government will terminate contracts of road contractors who fail to deliver on time under the Big Push infrastructure programme.
The warning follows a working tour by the Minister to parts of the Bono, Savannah and Upper West regions, where he expressed concern about slow progress on several road projects.
According to him, many contractors only moved to site at the last minute after learning of his visit, while others had failed to honour their commitments.
One company that came under strong criticism was Maripoma Construction. The Minister accused the firm of lacking seriousness and warned it to complete at least 20 percent of the work within two months or face sanctions.
He stressed that no contractor is above the law, adding that government will not hesitate to terminate contracts and pursue legal action if necessary.
Mr. Agbodza also raised concerns about the slow pace of work on the Wenchi–Bole–Wa Highway, a major road linking parts of the Bono and Savannah regions. He said government is ready to reassign contracts to more capable firms if progress does not improve.
The Minister questioned why some contractors who lobbied for projects were now failing to deliver, describing the situation as unacceptable.
He further criticised what he called a long-standing culture in the construction sector, where contractors face little or no punishment for delays. He warned that the Big Push programme would not tolerate such practices.
Interestingly, the Minister noted that smaller contractors involved in the programme were performing better than some of the bigger firms.
Meanwhile, the Savannah Regional Minister also cautioned contractors in the region, revealing that authorities had intervened to prevent planned protests by frustrated youth over stalled projects.
He warned that strict action would be taken against any contractor who continues to delay work, as patience among local communities is running out.
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Source:
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