The much-hailed District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) has been locally launched in the Western, Volta and Upper West Regions.
Regional ministers for the Western, Volta and Upper West regions, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah,Dr. Yao Archibald Letsa and Stephen Yakubu launched the initiative in their jurisdictions respectively, to mark the official commencement of implementation of the DRIP initiative.
For the Western Region, 110 pieces of road improvement equipment has been allocated to the region under the DRIP, to resolve road infrastructure challenges.
The equipment includes; bulldozers, wheel loaders, concrete mixers, low beds, motor graders, water tankers, tipper trucks, backhoes and rollers.
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, at the launch of the construction equipment for MMDAs at Apremdo, near Takoradi, explained that the President’s vision goes beyond just constructing roads.
“DRIP is about creating a connected and thriving Ghana, where every district, no matter how remote, feels the impact of progress. This initiative would ensure the progress and prosperity of the country at the local level.”
According to the regional minister, DRIP is the largest investment ever made in the Local Government Sector, providing nearly 1,500 equipment to MMDAs across the country.
“This is a clear demonstration of the government’s commitment to improving local infrastructure by giving Local Authorities the tools they need to effect meaningful change in their local communities.”
The DRIP project is expected to create nearly 8,000 direct jobs, stimulate local economic development, reduce post-harvest losses since farmers will have improved roads to transport their farm produce to the market, and improve general service delivery across the country.
He assured the MMDAs that the Western Regional Co-ordinating Council, seized with the mandate to co-ordinate the activities of MMDAs in the region, will closely monitor the effective utilization of this equipment.
“Adequate preparations have been made for the maintenance and fueling of the earth-moving equipment and to effectively resolves all the pending issues concerning the smooth implementation of the programme.”
With regards to the training of operators and drivers, he mentioned that 30 participants from each MMDA will receive training on the use of these machines. In all, 420 operators and drivers will be trained for the region.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Mpohor District of the Western Region, Ignatius Assah Mensah, lauded the government for this initiative, saying “this will bring a total transformation in the district.”
He explained that the district had no tarred road until recently, when government awarded the road on contract.
“Work has already started; there are many roads in my district which are in deplorable state, and this affects our traders because crops and other vegetables, which are supposed to be transported to the markets and other urban centers, get rotten.”
The equipment, he said, have been received at the right time; “it will open up certain routes, make some of the roads accessible, as well as make transportation easier for all, especially our traders.”
DRIP IN VOLTA
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Yao Archibald Letsa, commissioned the road construction equipment for the DRIP to enhance road networks across the region.
At the Ho Jubilee Park, where all the road equipment had been parked and would be dispatched to all districts in the region, the minister indicated that the region has been divided into three zones (Northern, Central, and Southern Zones) to help undertake effective monitoring of the equipment.
He revealed that there are mobile maintenance teams comprised of Chinese and Ghanaian technicians that will be deployed to undertake routine maintenance of the equipment. “We have made arrangements for fuel depots also to fuel all the machines to undertake the needed roads in the districts,” he added.
Dr. Letsa expressed gratitude to the President of Ghana, the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Finance and the Administrator of Common Fund for their partnership in implementing a successful road improvement programme.
The Technical Manager of J.A Plant Pool, Mr. Eric Anobaah, Limited, in his statement indicated that J.A Plant Pool and their Chinese partners (LiuGonG) are providing technical support to the DRIP project. “There are arrangements for knowledge transfers where Ghanaian technicians including students of technical institutions will be trained in proper handling of these machines”, he indicated.
The equipment commissioned include backhoes, payloaders, water tankers, wheel loaders, rollers and graders among others.
UPPER WEST DRIP
The Upper West Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his visionary leadership in implementing the District Road Improvement Project (DRIP).
During the reception and inauguration of the DRIP equipment for the Upper West Region, Mr. Yakubu commended the government’s responsiveness to Ghanaians’ needs, particularly in road infrastructure.
“This is a fulfillment of our ‘Year of Roads’ promise,” Yakubu declared, expressing relief that the equipment arrived at a critical time, given the poor condition of roads in the Upper West Region.
He assured the public that the equipment would be utilised effectively and deployed immediately to districts to begin roadwork without delay.
Acting Regional Coordinator of the DRIP, Mr. Venantius Kuundri, stated that JA Plant Pool, a sister company of the Jospong Group of Companies, would monitor and maintain the equipment across Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
In collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and local assemblies, strict maintenance protocols would be adhered to, ensuring equipment longevity. Spare parts would be stocked regionally to address issues promptly, he stressed.
The Upper West Region, comprising 11 municipal and district assemblies, received 106 pieces of equipment under the DRIP initiative, including tipper trucks, motor graders, low beds, pick-ups, concrete mixers, backhoes, rollers, graders, wheel loaders, and water tankers, aimed at improving road construction and infrastructure in the region.
News Desk Report
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