Roads and Highways Minister, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has revealed that some persons are deliberately influencing property owners whose properties are affected by road construction to demand compensation higher than the actual value from government.

According to him, although government often proposes competitive compensation, the influence of these saboteurs has led some property owners to go to court to demand more.

He said such acts are delaying some road projects in the country and causing the state to lose money.

“They sometimes encourage the property owners to go to court to put an injunction on the project. Due to this, we have lost a lot of money, and sometimes the projects are delayed,” he said.

The Minister added, “the people who value the property are the same people they went to school with, how come when they finish their evaluation, you tell the project-affected people you can get them four times more than that.”

Mr. Agbodza has urged those involved to desist from the act, adding that steps are being taken to report them to the Economic and Organised Crime Office [EOCO] for investigations.

“We are looking at the possibility of reporting two of those people to EOCO for investigations,” he added.

According to the Minister, the courts have often ruled in favor of the government.

The Minister made these remarks after visiting some road construction sites in the Kumasi Metropolis.

Accra-Kumasi Road

According to the Minister, the expressway, which is under construction, is not a substitute for the existing Accra-Kumasi road.

He said government will continue to work on the existing road concurrently with the expressway.

“One of the contractors on the existing road has completed work, another is back on site, and the two others are expected back on site before the end of the month,” he said.

To the government, the new expressway currently being cleared for construction is only an alternative route to link the two cities.

The Government has set a 2027 deadline for the completion of both road projects.

Mr. Agbodza said some parts of the road have been delayed due to some persons pushing affected property owners to take the legal route in a bid to demand more compensation.

“The problem with the expressway now is the bypass. Contractors came to the site, and people showed up with guns to assault them. Those people who are part of that should know the state is bigger than them. The lands are not being taken forcefully,” he concluded.

As part of his visit to the Region, the Minister inspected the partial reconstruction of the Emena, Appiadu and Donyina roads.

He also inspected ongoing works on the Kumasi Outer Ring Road Project.

Mr. Agbodza subsequently inspected works at the Suame Interchange and Ancillary Works.