<<Print>>The government fulfilled a major promise to the people of the Northern region on Thursday when President John Dramani Mahama inaugurated the reconstructed Fufulso-Sawla road.
The 147.5 kilometre double-sealed surfaced road project, which provides the shortest direct link between Tamale and Wa, two of Ghana's main economic centres in the northern part of the country, took about three years to complete. It also provides the linkage between the central corridor and the western corridor of the county. The project, which passes through towns like Busunu, Damango and Larabanga also included the construction of 13km access roads spread accross Damango, Larabanga and Mole National Park as well as the construction of a 50m steel bridge across the Mognori river.
Another significant aspect of the project is that it embodies a programme of several projects spanning sectors including agriculture, sanitation, education, health, trade and tourism in a corridor that produces about 25 per cent of the food output in the Northern region. The African Development Bank funded the project with a grant of $166 million. Addressing a large gathering of chiefs and people at the inaugural ceremony at Larabanga on Thursday, President Mahama said the project called for celebration because of the many benefits it carried along. He said roads were an important catalyst for development that was why the government was investing heavily in the sector.
He indicated that one of priorities of the government in the road sector was to link all the regional capitals with all-weather roads, which was on course. President Mahama said there were those who thought the Fufulso-Sawla road could never be reconstructed having been deteriorated over a long period of time. In what appeared exceptional in project execution in the country, the President said, the government made extra savings on the project, which would be invested in other road projects including the resealing of the Sawla-Wa road Poorest regions Mr Mahama said the three regions of the north were the poorest in the country that was why the government continued to empower the people to improve their living conditions. In empowering the people, coupled with continued investment in infrastructure, the people must be able to put the vast agriculture lands into productive use especially in vegetable production.
He acknowledged the late President Mills who promised that he would reconstruct the road when he won the 2008 elections adding that on becoming President, he tasked him then as Vice-President to look for money to execute the project. Mr Mahama thanked the AfDB for readily coming in to finance the project when they were approached. President Mahama said across the country, many other road projects continued to be executed and mentioned the cocoa roads rehabilitation as an example.
So far, he said, about 600km of roads had been awarded under that project. He also touched on the Eastern Corridor road rehabilitation and said government was going to quicken the pace. Roads Minister The Minister of Roads and Highways, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, said the ministry was determined to open up every corner of the country with good roads. Dr Donald Kaberuka, the President of AfDB, said the project was a demonstration of Ghana's determination to further open up the rural areas for economic development. The Yagbonwura, Tuntumba Boresa I, expressed appreciation to the the government for the road and many other projects being provided the area.
Fufulso Water project Earlier the President Mahama commissioned the Fufulso water supply project China International Water and Electric System, the contractors, completed work at the end of July, this year, with a foreign complement funding of $6,593,586.13 and a local component of GHc2,560,365.95. Communities that would benefit from the project are Fufulso/Junction, Nyangwuripe, Ntereso and Yapei Yipala, all in the Central Gonja district. The system, which takes raw water from the White Volta, will pump 550,000 gallons of treated water a day to the communities.