The Member of Parliament for Sunyani West, Ignatius Baffour Awuah says the economic situation in the country has deteriorated to the extent that some unconventional responsibilities of the legislature have been affected.
Responding to a question at a Parliamentary forum organized at Odomase in the Sunyani West district, Mr. Baffour Awuah disclosed that the government owes road contractors to the tune of GH�740million.
The MP, who is also the Deputy Minority Chief Whip, said until the contractors are paid their due of most of the on-going road construction and other projects in the country, they would remain at a standstill.
The forum was organized by the Public Affairs Department of Parliament and aimed at sensitizing the public on the activities and the work of the legislature.
Mr. Baffour-Awuah observed that due to lack of funding, many on-going road projects in the country had come to standstill, while new ones have also been put on hold.
�The economic situation in the country is very bad to the extent that it has affected some unconventional responsibilities of the legislature,� he emphasized.
On his part, Mr. Dominic Nitiwul, the Deputy Minority Leader stressed that his outfit was aware and had taken inventory of all the road projects the government initiated in the heat of the 2012 electioneering campaign.
He emphasized that the minority would continue to mount pressure on the government to ensure that all projects it started during the election period were being executed.
Mr. Nitiwul, the MP for Bimbilla, said it was unfortunate that successive governments in their political campaigns performed numerous sod-cutting ceremonies that had not been factored into the national budget.
This situation, Mr. Nitiwul noted, had brought pressure on the MPs as their constituents have the wrong perception that it is they (MP) who have to construct the roads.
M. Masawud Mohammed, MP for Pru, said the government would do everything possible to ensure that work begins on all projects earmarked for construction.
He said the current economic depression had compelled the government to make some adjustments saying the government had no ulterior motive to worsen the plight of the people of Ghana.
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