By Juliet Aguiar DUGBARTEY, Apremdo
The Western Region will take delivery 110 pieces of road improvement equipment allocated to the area, under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) to resolve the road infrastructure challenges.
The equipment are bulldozers, wheel loaders, concrete mixers, low beds, motor graders, water tankers, tipper trucks, backhoes as well as rollers.
Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, Western Regional Minister at the handover of the first batch of 37 construction equipment for MMDA’s at Apremdo, near Takoradi explained that the President’s vision goes beyond just constructing roads.
“DRIP is about creating a connected and thriving Ghana where every district, no matter how remote, feels the impact of progress. This initiative will ensure the country’s progress and prosperity at the local level,” he explained.
According to the regional minister, DRIP is the largest investment ever made in the Local Government Sector; providing nearly 1,500 items of equipment to MMDAs across the country.
“This is a clear demonstration of government’s commitment to improving local infrastructure by giving Local Authorities the tools they need to effect meaningful change in their local communities,” he said.
The DRIP project, he said, is expected to create nearly 8,000 direct jobs, stimulate local economic development and reduce post-harvest losses – since farmers will have improved roads to transport their farm produce to market and improve general service delivery across the country.
He assured the MMDAs that the Western Regional Coordinating Council, mandated to coordinate activities of the region’s MMDAs, will closely monitor the effective utilisation of this equipment.
“Adequate preparations have been made for the maintenance and fuelling of earth-moving equipment and to effectively resolve all pending issues concerning the programme’s smooth implementation,” he said.
With regard to training operators and drivers, he mentioned that 30 participants from each MMDA will receive training on the use of these machines.
In all, 420 operators and drivers will be trained for the region.
Ignatius Assah Mensah, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Mpohor District of the Western Region, lauded government for this initiative, saying: “This will bring a total transformation in the district”.
He explained that the district had no tarred road until recently, when government awarded the road on contract.
“Work has already started, but there are many roads in my district which are in a deplorable state; and this affects our traders because crops and other vegetables which are supposed to be transported to markets and other urban centres get rotten,” he said.
These equipment, he said, have been received at the right time: “It will open up certain routes and make some of the roads accessible, as well as make transportation easier for all – especially our traders”.
