President Nana Akufo-Addo has courted the anger of the minority by suggesting the Eastern Corridor road left behind by former President John Mahama is horribly bumpy no one could have a jolly ride on it, let alone to sleep while taking a ride on that stretch.

Addressing chiefs and people of Hohoe in the Volta Region, as part of his three-day tour of the region, the president could not help but recount what he believes to be a terrible experience driving on that stretch.

He had been accused by his predecessor, John Mahama, of sleeping while driving on that road and could not possibly have given a fair account of the state of the road.

But the president, in a retort, said the bumpy nature of the road would not allow him or anyone to sleep on that stretch.

"The Minister of Roads and Highways is one of the busiest in my government for obvious reasons. The roads throughout our country is in a poor shape

"In 2016 when we were on our campaign, I came here. I also went to the Western Region, this famous Eastern corridor and I said that president Mahama was saying the period of his office had seen an unprecedented infrastructural development never seen in Ghana. And then I said I don’t see this unprecedented development because everywhere I go, I am on bad roads. He said I was asleep on the road that is why I didn’t see the good development that had taken place.

“Today, I have come on the Eastern Corridor road and I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t sleep, bobom, boboom boboom,” the president jabbed with humour as he described how bumpy the road was.

He promised that his government will fix the roads having already secured 110 million dollar loan facility, which has been approved by Parliament.

But the officials of the previous government are not impressed with the comments by the president.

Former Roads minister, Inusah Fuseini has challenged the basis for the President’s claims insisting the John Mahama government never said it had completed the eastern corridor roads.

“It is important for the president to appreciate the suffering that the people of the Volta Region go through by virtue of the non-completion of the Eastern corridor road.

The NDC never said it has completed the Eastern corridor road.

He explained the Eastern corridor had been divided into lots and the NDC worked on some of the lots before it lost power.

He was also quick to add that negotiations for the loan which the government has secured from the Chinese government for the completion of parts of the road was started by the John Mahama led administration.

State of the roads

Joy News’ Volta Region correspondent Ivy Setordjie reports that most parts of the Eastern corridor road is in bad shape.

According to her, residents of Ave Kope, Jasikan, Dambai etc have been complaining about the bad nature of the roads and want it fixed.

She reported Togbega Gabusu, the Paramount of the Gbi Traditional area as saying the Eastern Corridor road is so important for the people of the Volta Region and must be fixed.