Mr Kwame Baffoe Abronye, NPP Bono Regional Chairman
The Bono Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe Abronye, has described the claims of Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, that President Akufo-Addo has abandoned projects started by the previous Mahama government as “a clear reflection of partisanship”.
“John Mahama is not an enemy to President Akufo Addo and that Nana Addo must complete projects started by John Mahama. One day you will leave office, and will you be happy if your projects are abandoned?” the chief recently asked the President
Completed projects
Reacting to the chief’s comments, the NPP Bono Regional Chairman, during a media encounter at Sunyani on Friday, emphatically stated that the claims by Dormaahene were not only far-fetched, but a figment of his own imagination.
He stated that President Akufo Addo had completed several projects abandoned by the former President John Mahama in Nana Agyemang Badu’s own back yard at Dormaa.
Touching on the Saglemi housing project, which had been raised by the chief, the NPP Chairman explained that the original output target of 5,000 units at a total cost of US$200 million, as stipulated in the financing agreement presented to and approved by Parliament, had drastically reduced to 1,502.
“Of that number, 1,389 units had been completed, without a commensurate reduction in the overall loan financing. An amount of approximately US$197 million, representing 98 per cent of the financing cost, had been expended on 1,502 units, as against the planned 5,000 units,” he noted.
He further disclosed that the Saglemi Housing project currently is a matter of criminal litigation for which some appointees of the Mahama government, including Collins Dauda, are standing trail for causing financial loss to the state.
Dormaa projects
He noted that the asphalting of Dormaa town roads, which were awarded in the erstwhile NPP government led by President Kufuor, was totally abandoned throughout the eight-year tenure of the Mills-Mahama administration.
“However, the entire Dormaa township has witnessed unprecedented asphalted roads after President Akufo Addo re-awarded to a contractor in 2018. I do not remember Nana Agyemang Badu lamenting over the abandoned roads between 2009 to 2016,” he said.
He added: “Construction of Manje to Bui road was awarded in 2007 by President Kufuor but the contract was terminated by President Mahama. Between 2010 to 2016, that road was described as one of the most deplorable roads in the Bono Region. In 2019, after President Akufo-Addo had directed Amoako Atta, Roads Minister, to re-award the contract. Works have started progressing steadily and currently the road is 84% near completion”.
According to Abronye, it took the intervention of President Akufo-Addo to also reconstruct the road from Jamdede to Koraso, and New Dormaa-Kotokrom road.
He said John Mahama in 2009 abandoned a 3-storey 9-unit municipal police headquarters’ project at Berekum, which is the next door neighbour of Dormaa.
“A report was sent to the President just last year, and he promised through the Minister of Interior that works on the project would commence this year. So, why didn’t John Mahama complete such an important project initiated by Kufuor between 2009 to 2016, or is it the case that Kufuor is not a Ghanaian?” he asked
Similarly, he said, the Sunyani Regional Library and Sunyani Airport projects, which were abandoned by John Mahama, were captured in the 2022 budget and the projects will soon be executed.
He, therefore, wondered why Dormaahene is lambasting the Akufo-Addo over claims that it had failed to operationalise the Sunyani Airport.
“I do not want to believe that the NDC has hired Dormaahene to speak on their behalf. However, I am totally convinced that the respected chief has rather fallen for the sweet lies and propaganda of the NDC, and hence his recent inaccurate statements about the Nana Akufo-Addo led NPP government,” he concluded.
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