Joyce Bawa blasts gov’t for abandoning road projects

A former Deputy Transport Minister in the Mahama administration, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, has questioned the government on the status of its audit of road projects initiated under the erstwhile administration.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the past has challenged the government to release reports of the audit to justify the administration’s decision to suspend the contracts.

Joyce Bawa Mogtari who also doubles as aide to the former President accused the administration of abandoning the projects under the guise of the audit.

“When the transition took place and a new government came into office, one of the things we were told for example about the cocoa roads was that they were investigating. GH$10 million was spent on those audits. Where are we on those roads today? The portions of the eastern corridor leading to Hohoe that had been started and yet contractors were asked to stop work midway for audit to be carried out and then the rains came.”

“What does it do to the roads? What does it do to the taxpayer’s money? What it means is that even though these roads had been commenced and had gotten to a certain stage, once the work was stopped, most of the effort put in will be lost on the people who use these roads,” she stated.

The opposition NDC has raised many concerns about the government spending GH$10 million on auditing road projects.

The Akufo-Addo administration suspended work on cocoa road projects in 2017 for an audit, following corruption concerns.

The audits were done because the Mahama administration was accused of awarding over 230 different road contracts to the tune of GH₵3.5 billion to the detriment of COCOBOD’s finances.

Among those making the complaints was the former NDC National Organizer, Kofi Adams.

According to him, this move contributed greatly to Ghana’s current infrastructure deficit.

“All you needed to do was to stop payment or to pay for what has been done…so they [contractors] can continue with work whilst you [NPP government] investigate if there was any underhand dealing.”

Meanwhile, the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo has said that the report on the audit of cocoa roads will be published at the “appropriate time.”

Speaking to Citi News, he assured that the government is “not hiding” audit report” on the matter.

“Since the report is available and is still being looked at in detail, I think at the appropriate time, it will be published.”