The Minority in Parliament has asserted that the recently launched District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), spearheaded by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is originally an initiative of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama.
According to the Minority, Mr. Mahama first introduced the project in July 2016.
On Wednesday, 31 July 2024, President Akufo-Addo unveiled the DRIP intervention and commissioned essential equipment aimed at enhancing the country’s road infrastructure.
This initiative seeks to address the longstanding issues of inadequate and poorly maintained roads in various districts.
However, the Minority contends that the project under Mahama faced significant challenges during its initial implementation.
They highlight incidents in the Bono Region, where state officials allegedly sold off crucial equipment, leading to confusion and dissatisfaction among the local population.
In a media interview, First Deputy Minority Whip Ahmed Ibrahim emphasised the importance of the current administration learning from past mistakes to ensure transparency and accountability in executing the DRIP project.
“We brought it. President Mahama launched the District Road Improvement Programme in July 2016. He brought all the road and earthmoving machines and two months ago, the Bono Regional Minister, together with the Bono people, sold all those machines that President Mahama brought, and it brought confusion in Sunyani,” Mr. Ibrahim stated.
He continued: “Then the NPP communicators in Sunyani, in Bono region met and said they were demonstrating against what their minister and the elders have done. And they were asking about the whereabouts of the equipment that Mahama brought for road construction. So this was Mahama’s brainchild. It is nothing new. So now that we are rejuvenating the same policy, let’s do it well and learn lessons from the previous policy.”
Source: classfmonline.com
