Mahama's roads were only in Green Book, not on the ground

President Nana Akufo-Addo has said his predecessor’s much-touted unprecedented infrastructural development was only in the campaign brochure, the Green Book.

He said at a Meet The Press session on Friday that a lot of the so-called projects were not on the grounds as claimed by National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer.

“So we have this major burden to discharge on how to bring our roads up to scratch. We have spent a lot of money on it, this year alone [paying over ¢2 billion to contractors and giving them the wherewithal to do the work,” he said. 

He said all the places he has visited since he came into office, the chiefs, opinion leaders and people only tell him to construct good roads for them.

Former President Mahama while on the campaign trail in 2016 said, he honoured his word by constructing roads and embarking on other developmental projects as promised earlier.

“During my campaign in 2012, I realised that most of the roads here are very bad. I made the promise to invest heavily in roads here if I am elected President. I have kept my promise. Under the cocoa roads programme, most of the projects are in the Western Region.

“The majority of roads in this region, are many, I cannot name them. I heard someone came here and said he had not seen these roads. I am sure he was sleeping at the time,” Mr Mahama said.

The President then, further revealed that his government had constructed about 120 schools under the free SHS programme.

This, Nana Akufo-Addo, who took over from him, has disputed. 

“I remember that a famous claim that was made that I was verbally slapped with ‘unprecedented infrastructural development’ by my opponent. And when I had the temerity to say that I have been travelling across the country and I had not seen it, I was told it was because I was asleep in the back of my car.

“But what I discovered when I came into office was exactly what I knew in opposition,” he said.

“I don’t speak like a lot of people do, just from sitting in Accra and being given statistics. I see it for myself because I am always travelling across the country...my Presidency is not about being immobilised here [Jubilee House] I am always on the road travelling and seeing things for myself,” he added.

He said that is why he is able to say with confidence that the issue of lack of infrastructure is being systematically addressed.President Akufo-Addo said good roads will open up the country for further economic and development.