President John Dramani Mahama has assured the chiefs and people of Bono Region of their fair share of the national cake.

He noted that under the Government’s flagship programme, the Big Push Infrastructure Initiative, the Bono Region had been allocated the significant portion of roads construction.

The President gave the assurance when he received a delegation of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs led by its President Osagyefuo Oseadeeyo Agyemang-Badu II, the Omanhene of Dormaa Traditional Area.

The Delegation was at the Presidency to thank the President for the numerous roads construction projects the Region has begun to witness within the one and half year period of his assumption of office.

President Mahama said the government had decided to devote most of the Big Push Phase One funds to the road sector because when they came into office, despite claims by the previous administration that thousands of kilometres of roads had been constructed, they met a road sector in deep crisis; saying “almost every major arterial road was in a deplorable state”.

“In the Bono Region, we have captured quite a lot of roads. Indeed, if you scan the Big Push distribution, you will realise that Bono has received a very significant share of road infrastructure.”

He said several other critical roads were being scoped for Phase Two, which would begin next year in the 2027 budget.

He mentioned that the Akyeremasu-Gambia road, which leads to the hometown of the Dormaahene’s wife, would be constructed, stating that “it is very important, and you can rest assured it will be captured in Phase Two”.

The President announced that work had already begun on the Kumasi Expressway. “We have started clearing the right of way, and we gave that contract to the 48th Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, who are doing a fantastic job,” he stated.

“Before I travelled last time, they had cleared 51 kilometres. Currently, they have gone beyond 70 kilometres of clearing. Once the clearing is complete, we will hand over the right of way to the contractor.”

President Mahama said they had already started paying compensation to all people whose farms or properties would be affected.

This road, he said, would reduce Accra-Kumasi travel distance from 270 kilometres to 198 kilometres.

“Comfortably, if you are going to Dormaa Ahenkro or Sunyani, that Kumasi stretch should not take you more than two hours. We hope to speed it up and finish it as quickly as possible.”

Touching on the proposed Bono Regional Airport to be sited at Nsoatre near Sunyani, the President said they were working on the procurement processes for regional airports including that of the Bono Region.

He said on his last visit to the Bono Region, he personally visited the site that had been allocated many years ago for the airport but was never developed.

“Currently, we are going through the tender and procurement processes. As soon as an award is given, the chosen contractor will mobilise to the site and begin construction,” President Mahama said.

“It is my hope that by the time my term of office comes to an end, I will come and land with an aeroplane there and pick you to Accra.”

President Mahama said some of the Big Push focus had also gone into critical educational and health infrastructure, saying, “We are building new regional hospitals for the six new regions. We are also building new sports stadia for the six new regions,” he said.

“We have started three for three of them, and next year we will switch over. The other three will get regional hospitals, and the other three will get sports stadia.”

President Mahama said through the Ghana Medical Trust Fund programme, they were retooling all major hospitals.

He reiterated the government’s commitment towards establishing the Medical School of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR).

He said the initial GH¢10 million was devoted as seed money to the UENR Medical School so that the feasibility study and design concepts can be done while we work on the actual funding.

“You can be sure that the medical school for UENR will come into being. We want to train as many health professionals as possible.”

On his part, Osagyefuo Oseadeeyo Agyemang-Badu, who was full of praise for the President for embarking on numerous roads construction projects across the Bono Region and other parts of the country, pledged that should President Mahama complete the new Accra-Kumasi Expressway, he would personally embark on a journey on his foot all the way from Dormaa Ahenkro through the Expressway to the Presidency in Accra just to thank the President for the initiative.