Road contractors say over the last five years the government has failed to pay mobilization fees to enable local contractors continue with road construction across the country.
This comes at the wake of the back and forth between incumbent NPP government and former NDC government over the number of roads that were constructed under the former Mahama administration.
Speaking to Starr FM, a member of the contractors union Akoa Kofi Owusu blamed the government for delayed and nonpayment of work done by the contractors hence resulting in the bad roads in the country.
“Per our agreement, contractors are to be given 15-20% of the contract sum as advanced mobilization by the employer. For about 5 years now, the government has stopped paying the mobilization fee. We look for loans to construct roads and they fail to pay after work is done.''
“When construction starts and not completed, it goes bad. When contractors are not paid, they cannot finish work started and that gives rise to bad roads, â€another contractor, Kwadwo Okyere Darkwa lamented.
President Akufo-Addo stocked the road construction debate when dared the former Mahama administration to show proof of work done in the road sector.
In 2016, the President recounted how he was yet to see the so-called “unprecedented infrastructural projects†touted by his predecessor, John Dramani Mahama.
“He (Mahama) told me that I was asleep at the back of my car when I was going around the country, and that was why I was not seeing the infrastructure. And, yet, ever since I came into office, that is all they keep asking for – ‘our roads, our roads’. If the roads had been done, would they be asking for that?†President Akufo-Addo asked.
Meanwhile, the former Roads minister Alhaji Fuseini said the president is “deceiving†Ghanaians after cancelling most road contracts after assuming office.
“In 2016 John Mahama travelled the length and breadth of this country, did you record people carrying placards complaining. NPP came into office and stopped all the works. You can’t continue deceiving the people all the time,†Alhaji Fuseini indicated.