A 25-member delegation of the Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurances is currently undertaking a 10-day health and road project verification in four regions of Ghana.

The verification tour is led by Mr. Emmanuel Bedzrah, MP, Ho West (Chairman) and Mr Joe Baidoe-Ansah, MP, Kwesimintsim (Ranking Member) in Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Northern and the Volta region.

This verification visit forms part of the mandate of the Committee which is tasked to exercise oversight responsibility for the Executive.

Its major duty is to pursue all assurances, promises and undertaking given by Ministers from time to time and report to the House on the extent to which such assurances have been fulfilled.

“These visits form a key part of our mandate as we seek accountability to the Ghanaian people through their elected representatives and whatever information we gather will serve as evidence-based information to hold sector ministers accountable during our upcoming public hearings,” Mr. Bedzrah said.

The verification visit with support from STAR-Ghana begun on Monday October 26 and will end November 6, 2014. It started off with a courtesy call on the Ashanti Regional Minister, Samuel Sarpong and also inspected the reconstruction of the Sunyani road in Kumasi which includes the sofoline interchange.

The project began in 2007 is currently 78% complete. It is set to finish by the end of 2014 as stated in the 2014 budget statement.

Also in the Ashanti region, the committee members inspected projects at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital also expected to be completed by the end of 2014.

These included uncompleted Maternity and children's block which started in 1974, the completed and operational Eye Centre; Installation of new MRI and CT scan equipment.

The CGA also visited the uncompleted maternity block at the Tafo Government Hospital. The major drawbacks affecting the completion of both maternity blocks were lack of fund from the central government which the committee members noted and will raise with the sector Minister when they have their public hearing with him.

The committee is currently in the Brong Ahafo Region and has so far visited road projects in Atebubu, Kwame Danso, Kwadwokrom, the Prang-Kintampo road project (10.6-21.0km) and the five completed polyclinics in the region. From the Brong Ahafo Region, the Committee will head to the Northern Region where they will inspect Buipe-Tamale road as well as the Salaga-Makango road (20 km) project.

The verification visit will be rounded off in the Volta region with inspection of the Eastern corridor road (Nkwanta-Oti-Damanko, Dodo-Pepesu and Asikuma Junction-Have) Ho-Adaklu-Sogakope Roads projects.

This verification visit is the second undertaken by the CGA after the maiden visit to the Western Region where members inspected progress of work on the Atuabo Gas Plant, the Atuabo Thermal Plant and one of the promised 200 SHS by the government.