Former Minister for Roads and Highways and Member of Parliament for Bantama, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has made an urgent appeal to President John Dramani Mahama, urging him to reconsider the government’s plan to construct a new six-lane expressway between Accra and Kumasi.
In a formal letter addressed to the President, Asenso-Boakye described this proposal as premature, economically imprudent, and inconsistent with Ghana’s constitutional obligation to ensure continuity in national development.”
Dualisation
He stressed the progress made over the decades by successive governments, emphasizing that Ghana is significantly advanced in the dualization of the existing 240 km Accra–Kumasi corridor.
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“As of now, over 100 kilometers of the 240 km stretch have been completed, and an additional 46 kilometers are currently under active construction. This leaves only 94 kilometers left to be dualized,” he noted.
He argued that abandoning this substantial progress to initiate an entirely new project would be counterproductive, especially considering that the new proposal is still in its earliest stages.
Asenso-Boakye expressed serious concern about the Roads Ministry’s admission that a consultant is yet to be hired to conduct the feasibility study for the new expressway.
“This suggests that there is no final design, cost estimate, or secured funding for the proposed expressway,” the MP stated.
He emphasized that President Mahama’s public assurance that the project will be completed before his term ends—less than three years—is technically impossible.
“With my expertise and experience, I can say, without any fear of contradiction, that this timeline is not feasible.”
According to him, announcing completion timelines before feasibility and financing “risks undermining Ghana’s credibility in infrastructure planning.”
The Bantama MP invoked Article 35(7) of the 1992 Constitution, which mandates governments to continue ongoing national development projects.
“Abandoning an ongoing project that is technically sound, economically justified, and already delivering results contradicts this constitutional directive.”
He also questioned the financial wisdom of discarding an advanced dualisation project for a far more expensive expressway at a time when Ghana faces significant fiscal pressures.
“It would be far more prudent to complete the existing dualisation project than to commence a new, significantly more expensive one.”
Asenso-Boakye proposed that resources earmarked for the new expressway should instead address other critical corridors, including the Eastern Corridor, Coastal N1, and Kumasi–Tamale Highway.
The former minister insisted that his appeal is driven by national interest, not politics.
“My concern is borne, not out of partisanship, but in the interest of continuity, prudence, and national development.”
He urged the President to review the current course” and provide leadership that consolidates existing gains instead of disrupting ongoing progress.