Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Agbodza praised President John Dramani Mahama’s leadership on October 9 during an inspection of the Tepa–Goaso road project in Ghana’s Ahafo Region. Agbodza credited the government’s focus on quality, speed, and improved economic management for the progress in delivering durable road infrastructure.
Addressing President Mahama, Agbodza said, “Your Excellency, you said you are not building roads that the Ghanaian keeps complaining about. The cycle of building and it damages and we come back and do it, the Ghanaian is fed up with it and you are the answer to that.” He stressed that durability was a priority for the administration’s infrastructure agenda, aiming to break the cycle of roads deteriorating shortly after completion.
The minister’s remarks came as part of the President’s Resetting Ghana Tour, during which Mahama inspected ongoing infrastructure projects. Agbodza linked the government’s ability to fund road projects to what he described as superior economic management under Mahama’s leadership. “Your Excellency, you are delivering and you are only doing this because you are providing better leadership. And we are having a superior economic management leadership; that is why we are able to save money to do it,” he said.
Agbodza outlined the government’s approach to road construction as a response to public frustration with repeated rehabilitation of poorly built roads. He said the Tepa–Goaso road should last 30 years to ensure long-term service to communities. “When you get more money, we can extend this road to others who don’t have road yet,” he added.
He also called for recognition of contractors who perform well. “When contractors are not performing, we talk about it; when they are performing above our expectation, we have to talk about that one as well,” Agbodza said. This statement came amid ongoing concerns in Ghana about construction quality and accountability.
The minister expressed appreciation on behalf of the Ahafo Region for the road projects, linking the government’s Reset Agenda to the delivery of quality infrastructure at the expected pace. “Reset means quality and speed,” he said.
The Tepa–Goaso road is one of several infrastructure projects underway in the Ahafo Region, a part of the government’s wider push to improve transport links and stimulate economic activity in Ghana’s interior regions. The project’s inspection by Mahama forms part of his broader engagement with regional development efforts under the Resetting Ghana initiative launched earlier this year.
Agbodza’s comments underline the government’s public stance on infrastructure as a measure of leadership and economic stewardship. The emphasis on longevity and fiscal discipline reflects ongoing debates in Ghana about how best to manage public works amid budget constraints and demands for transparency.
The Ahafo Region’s residents have voiced frustration in past years over roads that quickly fall into disrepair, disrupting travel and commerce. The Tepa–Goaso road project aims to address those concerns with a focus on lasting construction.
Mahama’s Reset Agenda has prioritized infrastructure among its main goals, with road projects across the country receiving renewed attention. The inspection in Ahafo was one of several stops intended to assess progress ahead of upcoming government reports.
Agbodza’s praise of contractors meeting or exceeding expectations signals a shift toward balancing criticism with recognition in Ghana’s construction sector, which has faced scrutiny over project delays and quality issues. His remarks also suggest that the government sees infrastructure as a tangible outcome of its economic policies.
The Tepa–Goaso road is set to become a test case for this approach, with officials aiming for a three-decade lifespan. The government’s ability to extend such projects further depends on continued fiscal discipline and leadership, according to Agbodza’s briefing.
The inspection concluded with a reaffirmation of the Reset Agenda’s promise to deliver infrastructure that meets public demand for quality and speed. Whether these promises translate into sustained improvements remains under close observation by both the government and Ghanaian citizens.
According to 3News.
