A demonstration by a handful residents in Ho, Volta Region to get their roads fixed has been pooh-poohed by two strong ministers, making an absurdity of the exercise.

Whilst the demonstrators list a litany of roads which they claimed were in bad shape, the ministers, on the other hand, pointed to several road projects currently ongoing in the region.

Roads and Transport Minister, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini told Joy FM’s Top Story if the demonstrators, of whom about two collapsed after the exercise, had engaged authorities they would have realized that the exercise was “totally unnecessary”.

The Roads Minister spent the best part of Friday inspecting some roads in the Volta Region. The trip was organized last week on the insistence of President Mahama, but not as a result of yesterday’s demonstration by about the ten men, Inusah Fuseini said.

Making reference to the Asikuma road, he said the team which toured the region observed that about 8 kilometers of the road is being asphalted and contractors working on site assured them that, that stretch would be completed by the end of this month. The entire 45 kilometers project would be completed within 15 months and handed over to Government, the minister said.

Specifically on the Ho roads, he said the Urban Roads Department was patching the potholes on some of the roads demonstrators mentioned.

He also stated that other roads have been earmarked for construction.

“I can tell you that presently we have started the procurement [process]. Letters are at the Ministry of Finance for a commencement certificate so we are able to start 10 kilometers of Ho township road including the Barracks road, the Dome road and Civic road. We are also going to do the dual carriage road at the Ho university into town," he said.

The Minister intimated that he was therefore "taken aback" by  the concerns of the protesters. 

Asked when the actual work on roads mentioned would start, he answered, as soon as funding is secured. Government does not want to award contracts for works to start and later stalled due to funding challenges, Inusah Fuseini explained.

He is however hopeful within 18 months the Ho township road would be completed, relying on the 2015 budget.

Also, he said, the ministry would meet three contractors working on the Adomi Bridge to illicit assurances from them that the project would be completed on time to lessen the hardship people who use that road go through.

Inusah Fuseini emphasized that Government is not insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians, and for that matter, the people of the Volta Region.

On her part, the Volta Regional Minister Helen Ntoso expressed her disappointment with the Ho residents who went on yesterday’s demonstration.

She reiterated that concerns raised by the demonstrators were already being addressed by government and found it surprising that they would embark on a demonstration on such a matter.

“So I told him (organizer) that this demonstration, it doesn’t make any sense organizing people to go on demonstration.”