President John Dramani Mahama has directed Maripoma Enterprise Limited to speed up work on the Ofankor–Nsawam dualisation project and uphold strict quality standards during a visit to the project site on Wednesday.
Touring the 33.4-kilometre corridor, the President also instructed the contractor to strengthen traffic management to keep people and goods moving along the Accra–Kumasi highway, a critical national corridor.
“As government commits to paying you well, you too must commit to moving faster on the road and also use quality materials,” President Mahama said, warning against shoddy work.
The visit followed recent public agitation over delays attributed to unpaid arrears. Raising concerns about the project’s financing, President Mahama questioned how earlier funds were exhausted before completion.
“A loan was taken for this project. I don’t understand why the money is finished and the project is not over. We’re having to pay a supplementary amount, equivalent to almost $78 million from Government of Ghana funds,” he said.
“We need to find out what happened. Was the estimate not done properly, or what went wrong?”
He noted that, given the strategic importance of the route, which links to major cities, the northern regions and onward to Burkina Faso, the project has been placed under the government’s Big Push programme.
Briefing the President, Chief Resident Engineer Kwabena Bimpong said the project is 75% complete and on course for completion by June 2026.
Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Agbodza and his deputy, Alhassan Suhuyini, accompanied the President on the tour.
“We’re happy to see traffic flowing,” President Mahama added. “But one of your duties is site management to ensure your work does not impede the flow of traffic. Sustain these improvements as construction progresses.”
