President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has launched the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) and presented a fleet of 2,240 road construction equipment to Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the country.
The equipment, which includes motor graders, backhoes, and tipper trucks, aims to empower MMDAs to improve road networks in Ghana.
Speaking at the Black Stars Square in Accra, President Akufo-Addo emphasized the importance of quality and accountability in the implementation of DRIP.
He announced that a four-member committee will oversee the program at each MMDA, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development, the Ministry of Roads and Highways, the 48th Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, and the MMDA Chief Executives.
The President highlighted the government’s achievements in road construction, noting that 12,830 kilometers of roads have been completed since 2017, in addition to six new interchanges.
He tasked MMDAs to take ownership of the initiative, prioritize road projects with the most significant impact, and work collaboratively with the 48th Engineer Regiment.
President Akufo-Addo also urged the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development to establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track progress and ensure accountability.
The Group CEO of JOSPONG, Joseph Siaw Agyepong, pledged partnership with Technical Universities to train more engineers and highlighted that the equipment was assembled in Ghana.
The DRIP aims to address the 73% of untarred road networks in the country by equipping MMDAs with the necessary tools for sustainable road network improvements.
