The Minister for Roads and Highways, Governs Kwame Agbodza, has singled out two local contractors for high praise as he ended a two-day inspection of Big Push road projects in the Upper West Region, describing them as part of the future of Ghana’s road construction industry.

The tour, which covered several critical corridors, started on a high note in the Chakali enclave, where chiefs of Bulenga presented the Minister with a bull in appreciation of the quality of work being done on the long-abandoned Wa-Bulenga-Yaanyuoyiri road.

The 37-kilometre Wa-Bulenga-Yaanyuoyiri road, being constructed by local firm Astee Company Limited, has long been described as a death trap and a nightmare for motorists travelling to Yaanyuoyiri.

But progress on the project is now impressive, with work currently 27 per cent complete.

Speaking during the inspection in the presence of the Upper West Regional Director of the Ghana Highway Authority, Ing. Lovestone, the Managing Director of Astee Company Limited told the Minister that the project would be completed ahead of schedule.

“Originally, we were supposed to finish in February 2028. But... I gave you July 2027, inshallah,” he assured the Minister.

Minister Agbodza was visibly impressed, describing Astee as an example for young contractors.

“We are happy that a young man like you, coming from the area, is participating in the President’s road intervention. You are some of the people who would hold the industry and grow it,” the Minister said.

“It’s the second time I have come to this site, and remarks from the engineers appear to be positive. So keep it up,” he added.

For the chiefs and people of Bulenga, the road is more than just an asphalt surface. They said its completion would open up three or four paramountcies and improve access to the area.

Overwhelmed by the progress, the chiefs said they would have presented the Minister with yam, given that Chakali is a major yam-producing area, but opted for a bull because of his busy schedule.

“We thank you immensely for giving that job to a very serious man. This road passes through three or four paramountcies, so we are so glad that our area will be opened up,” one of the chiefs said.

On the Hain to Nandawala stretch, the story was equally encouraging.

P&W Ghanem Limited has completed the first seal on the stretch and, according to the Minister, there was not a single bad spot on the section inspected.

Before praising the contractor, Minister Agbodza interacted with a resident who commended the quality of the work but appealed for the construction of inner link roads.

“It’s done well but... we are needing roads they will prepare for us,” the resident said.

The Minister cautioned communities against constructing their own dangerous speed ramps and assured them that proper ramps would be constructed by the Ghana Highway Authority where necessary.

He then reserved strong praise for P&W Ghanem, describing the company as one of Ghana’s leading indigenous contractors.

“We think Ghanem is one of our best home-grown quality contractors. There’s no doubt about this. This is the first seal. So you can imagine. Did you see any spot on the stretch we’ve driven so far? No. Not a single spot that is not done properly. Ghanem is doing very well,” he said.

The Minister also tasked the company with carrying out an emergency intervention on the stretch from Wa towards Tumu.

“We just told the chief executive that the stretch from where your project starts all the way to Wa, we want you to do an intervention for us quickly so that when you leave Wa, the quality we see here is the same quality we see all the way to Tumu,” he stated.

Minister Agbodza also praised P&W Ghanem for being among the few Ghanaian companies that had successfully transitioned to a second generation.

He urged young contractors to learn from companies that had managed to build sustainable businesses and maintain quality standards over time.

The tour also carried a stern warning from the Roads and Highways Minister that contractors who fail to deliver under the Big Push programme will not be spared, while those who perform well will be rewarded.

The Minister’s praise for Astee Company Limited and P&W Ghanem Limited reflects the government’s emphasis on supporting capable local contractors in delivering major road infrastructure projects.

For the government, the two contractors demonstrate that when road projects are entrusted to capable companies and properly supervised, the Big Push programme can help open up deprived communities such as Chakali and Hain while improving access and easing the difficulties faced by residents and motorists.

The inspection is part of the government’s broader monitoring of road projects under the Big Push initiative, with the Roads and Highways Ministry expected to continue assessing progress and the quality of work across the country.