Just a week after the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) organized a massive press conference demanding the return of the Brazilian contractor in charge of the Bolga-Bawku road Queiroz Galvao who left site due to alleged issues of debt restructuring and so on, the Communication Breau of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region has responded to the NDC in what was also described as another massive press conference. Read full details below: REGIONAL COMMUNICATION DIRECTORATE “THE ABANDONMENT OF THE BOLGATANGA, BAWKU POLIMAKOM ROAD, SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT- THE HARD TRUTH”. PRESENTED BY; HON. PETER AYINBISA AYAMGA, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Introduction Good morning distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the press and thank you for joining us today. We have called this press conference to address some of the recent statements made by NDC concerning the Bolgatanga, Bawku-Polimakom Road and the purported shortage of some routine vaccines in the region. We will therefore use this opportunity to set the record straight thus setting the record straight, the HARD TRUTH. We in the NPP believe it’s important to provide a different perspective on the real issues at hand, deliver a truer representation of the issues, and to offer a response to the deliberate misinformation peddled by the NDC. This will thus offer clarity on the matters and to offer a path forward that is based on facts, common sense, and a commitment to the well-being of the people of the region. It is commonplace that a healthy and vibrant democracy requires a diversity of viewpoints and a willingness to engage in open and honest discussions about the issues that affect us all. To do this, our discussion will focus on the following thematic areas. We will seek to question the moral-rightfulness of the NDC to talk about the Bolatanga Bawku –Polimakom road. Punch at some deliberate attempts to suppress the facts for political expediency. Offer you some background of the project with up-to-date progress report. Highlight on some major achievements of the government on road infrastructure in the region. Comment on the purported shortage of routine vaccines in the region. The NDC Cannot Question Us on the Bolgatanga, Bawku-Polimakom Road Ladies and gentlemen, prior to the coming into office of the NPP government in 2017, the region was bedeviled with bad roads. The abysmal performance of the NDC in the road sector reflected the terrible nature of our roads at that time. An accurate and true reflection of the NDC’s double standard and indeed hypocrisy is cited by Mr Offei-Akoto Ayeh’s report as captured by A1 Radio in 2016 which details the travesty of the NDC’s deceit, concerning this road as far back in 2012. A portion of the statement reads as follows; “In 2012, the youth of Bawku and commercial drivers hit the streets to register their displeasure about the state of the road that leads to one of the nation’s busiest commercial towns. The protest was followed with commercial drivers refusing to ply the road, leaving passengers stranded and as expected in an election year, heavy duty vehicles and equipment’s were moved to the site and the supposed fixing begun. However, work on the road seized after the elections with all the heavy-duty equipment disappearing into thin air”. There is no gain saying that the pretense of working on the road was to trick the people of upper east for votes. Ladies and gentlemen, in the same report, the then sitting President made a categorical pledge to the Kusaug people to fix the road; “I want to promise you that the next time I come to Bawku the road between Bolga and Bawku will not be the main issue, as soon as I go back to Accra, I am going to speak to the road minister and you will see for yourselves the difference that will take place.” Additionally, in 2015, John Mahama is quoted by the above cited news report promising yet again on this road having done so three years earlier without any work to show. He was emphatic that “I know that is a very important road and I can assure you that by the time I’m coming back next year, it will be in a much better condition than it is now.” Ladies and gentlemen of the press, was this road anything close to better before the NDC left power in 2016? It is quite depressing if not heartbreaking that at the back of all the failed promise and ‘politrick’, they had as much as 12 Members of Parliament who could not convince their own President to attend to the teething plight of their constituents. It is therefore worth asking if the NDC and their John Mahama have any credible basis to be questioning the NPP about this road. You the good people of the upper east trusted them, you thought they were partners in development, but they shrugged you off with disdain and ridiculed your frustrations. I cannot even quote what their Regional Secretary said to you and all of us concerning this road at the time. In 2012, John Mahama raked in some 274,019 representing 66.43% of the votes in this region yet denied us such a critical project. On the other hand, Nana Addo received 120,814 representing 29.29%. Is it not fair to argue that to whom much is given, much is expected? NDC’s Attempts to Suppress the Facts Distinguish ladies and gentlemen, the erroneous claims by the NDC that the entire stretch of the Bolga, Bawku Polimakom Road was 54% work done is telling of how hollow and armchair nature of their research on this project. Our checks from the Ghana highways authority points to a contrary report of 64% work done (Reg. Director, Ghana Highways Authority 24/02/2023). The deliberate reduction of the percentage of work done by the NDC is shocking and unbelievable. The White Volta bridge was also said to have not begun at all. On the contrary, the institution with the expertise and oversight
Upper East NPP Communication Directors
