President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his government’s commitment to linking all regional capitals with good roads as part of efforts to improve connectivity and facilitate economic activities across the country.

He said the government’s “Big Push” road programme was designed to prioritise major roads linking regional capitals, while ensuring that major districts also benefited from road improvements.

President Mahama made the statement when he inspected ongoing construction works on the Chuchuliga-Chiana section of the Chuchuliga-Tumu-Wa road as part of his two-day working visit to the region.

The 260-kilometre road spanning across the Upper East Region and the Upper West Region, when completed, would ease movement and improve connectivity between the two regions.

He said the road was important because it linked the Upper East and Upper West regions and formed part of the major corridor connecting Bolgatanga to Wa through Tumu.

“Our intention is to link all the regional capitals to each other with good roads. And then also some of the major districts will also receive road improvements,” he said.

The President said the entire stretch from the Upper East Region to Wa had been divided into several lots and awarded to different contractors to facilitate its completion.

He said the section being undertaken by MyTurn Construction Limited had been stalled for some time due to payment challenges, but the government had now prioritised payments to contractors under the Big Push programme.

President Mahama said under the programme, budgetary allocations would be made annually for priority roads, with contractors assured of payment within 30 days after certificates had been presented.

He expressed the hope that the road would be completed on schedule to enable government to commission it by next year.

“It is my hope that by 2028, the whole stretch from here to Wa would have been completed. And so, if we are driving from Bolgatanga to Wa, we will have a smooth road to ride on,” he said.

President Mahama also assured residents of the Upper East Region that roads which were not captured under the first phase of the Big Push programme would be considered under subsequent phases.

He said the government was already scoping the second phase of the programme and would also undertake a third phase to ensure that more roads across the country were improved.

“I know that many people are coming to me and saying, you did not add a road to the Big Push. We are going to do a second phase and even a third phase,” he said.

The President said the objective was to ensure that by the end of the five-year Big Push programme, roads across the country would have received significant attention.

Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza, Minister of Roads and Highways, said the government had paid GH¢23.1 billion to contractors, including payments to Big Push contractors and outstanding arrears.

He said the payment of the arrears had enabled contractors to resume and accelerate work on several road projects across the country.

Mr Agbodza said although two new certificates submitted by the contractor had not yet gone through the process at the Ministry of Finance, the government had cleared the outstanding indebtedness owed the contractor at the time of the inspection.

He said other contractors working on the road from the Upper East Region to Wa were also making progress, with some expected to complete their sections by the end of 2026 or the first quarter of 2027.

The Minister assured residents that the government would complete the road to Wa, saying the improvement of the corridor would address the long-standing challenges associated with travelling between Bolgatanga and Wa.

He said the government was also addressing road concerns across constituencies and districts in the Upper East Region, with more contractors expected to commence work in the coming months.

Other dignitaries who accompanied the President included Mr Alhassan Suhuyini, Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Education, Mr Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of Government Communications, Mr Mahama Ayariga, newly appointed Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Akamugri Donatus Atanga, the Upper East Regional Minister and other Members of Parliament in the region.