President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, inspected the ongoing Pokuase-Nsawam road project and cautioned contractors to improve quality standards and ensure proper traffic management during construction.
The road, which forms a major link between Accra and Kumasi, is regarded as one of Ghana’s most important transport corridors. Addressing engineers and site managers, President Mahama emphasized the road’s national significance.
“This is a major arterial road in the country, because it connects the two biggest cities in Ghana. Any challenges with this contract affect a huge number of commuters because of the heavy traffic that passes through here,” he said.
While noting some improvement in traffic flow since the works began, the President warned that poor site management was still inconveniencing commuters.
“Yes, we know you have work to do, but one of your duties is site management—to make sure that your work does not impede the flow of traffic. Even while you’re working, you must create the conditions for traffic to flow,” he added.
President Mahama also raised questions over project financing, disclosing that despite an initial loan, supplementary funding had been required.
“A loan was taken for this project, and I don’t understand why the money is finished while the project is not over, and now we are asked to pay an additional 78 million from government funds,” he said.
To secure progress, the project has been moved under government’s Big Push Program, with significant resources allocated.
“This year, we have about 14 billion cedis, and next year another 30 billion cedis. There will be sufficient resources to keep contractors going,” President Mahama assured.
However, he stressed that government’s commitment must be matched by contractors’ performance.
“As government commits to pay you well, you too must commit to move faster on the road and also use quality materials. One of the major problems with road contractors in this country is the quality of material,” he cautioned.
The Pokuase-Nsawam road is expected to be completed by the end of the second quarter of 2026. President Mahama said the contractor’s reputation depended on delivering durable infrastructure for the thousands of commuters who rely on the route daily.
