Mills Given Ultimatum Over Stalled Road Projects

President John Mills has been given a month�s ultimatum by a group called the Coalition for the Development of Ghanaians (CODGHA) to cause work to continue on all stalled major road construction works. According to them, the excuse of the non-availability of funds to continue such projects is no longer acceptable given the vast amounts that accrue to the road fund monthly. Major road works have stalled over several months, mostly in Accra. The Achimota-Ofankor-Apedwa road and the Legon-Madina Pantang road are examples. Mr. William Kwame Agyei, founder of the group, told Citi News that the about 29 toll booths across the country alone generate over Gh�3 million monthly and this figure does not include other revenue sources like fuel levy and vehicle registration. Mr. Agyei insisted: �We believe that there�s enough money for the government to lay its hands on to bring the contractors back, looking at the components and the various revenues that the toll booth and vehicle registration fees, the levy etc, about Gh�186 million." �The government cannot say it doesn�t have access to funds as (Roads Minister)Mr. Gidisu said when he was asked why the Ankobra road has stopped, he said there is no money, Tetteh-Quashie-Madina road, no money and other road projects, no money. So where is the money?� Mr. William Kwame Agyei asked. He added, �If you�re driving on these roads, you will drive in a low gear and if you drive in a low gear, it translates to more fuel consumption, carbon dioxide also comes out, people living close to these roads are at the risk of developing respiratory diseases. "The government cannot wait, he (President Mills) has to bring the contractors back on the road other than that we are going to persuade government and if persuasion fails we�re going to educate every passenger who boards a bus about government reluctance to provide funds to the contractors to complete the road. If he fails that one too, we will switch over to demonstration�.