Deputy Roads Minister has given a July 2018 deadline for the construction of deadly Kpandai Roads in the Northern Region.

Anthony Karbo says the Kpandai town roads have been a major priority for the government ever since it assumed office in January and steps have been taken, including the provision of the bill of quantity for the construction of the roads.

According to him, the entire stretch of the Eastern Corridor roads including the Bimbilla-Yendi, Salaga-Kpandai as well as the Salaga Binmbilla roads including parts of the Volta Region roads will all be constructed.

The assurance by the Deputy Minister follows a heart breaking story about the challenges pregnant women go through when they are being transported to the hospital for delivery.

The documentary-“Dangerous ride to deliver’ which was put together by Joy News’ Joojo Cobbinah captured how pregnant women are transported on motor bikes through dusty bumpy Kpandai roads to the hospital. Some of them die before they get to the hospital whilst others suffer complications during delivery on account of the poor roads.

According to the Ghana Health Service, 136 women died while giving birth in 2016 in the Northern region alone.

The situation, according to the Member of Parliament of the area has become alarming.

Mathew Nyindam who is MP for Kpandai and Deputy Majority Chief Whip said the roads in his constituency "are so bad."

Mathew Nyindam

Cobbinah also reported about the poor state of the facilities in the hospital which sometimes makes it difficult for health care providers to save lives of pregnant women and their children.

The MP said he has made several attempts to the Roads Ministry to have the problem of poor roads solved.

He is hoping his colleague ministers who have given him several assurances will “begin to walk the talk.”

Anthony Karbo said developing the Kpandai and the Eastern corridor roads is high on the agenda of the NPP government.

He said contractors will soon be selected after a thorough bidding process has been done.

Agric Marshal Plan

On what the government is doing on other roads across the country, the Deputy Minister said the government has made it a policy in the 2018 budget to link roads to major agriculture areas in the country.

He said as part of the “Agric marshal plan” roads leading to food growing areas will be developed.

He said the Eastern corridor roads which has been on the drawing board for years will be constructed.

He added a total of 99 bridges will also be constructed as part of the Eastern corridor project.