There was drama in the studios of Multimedia's JoyFM Saturday, when Felix Kwakye Ofosu, a former Deputy Communications Minister in the erstwhile Mahama-led administration, explicitly blamed the ruling government for the pedestrian deaths on the Madina-Adenta highway, and its subsequent public backlash.
To Mr Kwakye Ofosu, considering the amount of work the previous administration did on the over 5 kilometer stretch of road, the Akufo-Addo government should have completed the project in the blink of an eye, especially the footbridges, but failed to do so because it did not consider it a priority.
Thus, he said, it is quite nauseating to see government officials in the wake of last week's demonstrations, apportion blame to the NDC for it's dereliction of duty.
“it is surprising that even in the wake of this violent demonstration, we have had government officials refuse to take responsibility and go ahead to push blame on the previous administration. And if you follow that feedback that has emerged and the public backlash that government officials who have spoken this way have received, it shows clearly that the citizenry is not prepared for that kind of narrative anymore and that government simply should own up, take responsibility and do what needs to be done,” he said during a panel discussion on the Newsfile programme.
He asserted that at the time the NDC left office in 2016, about 90% of the job had been done; adding that "concrete slabs and pillars had been erected for footbridges to serve pedestrians. What was left was some finishing touches that would ensure that it was in good shape for pedestrians to use."
“Two years in my view is sufficient for the government to have fixed these footbridges. They have had plenty of opportunity and resources to do it. It does appear that they did not prioritise the completion of these footbridges. Because in terms of scope and scale, it is minimal compared to the overall size of that project. Having assumed office it was the duty of the government to complete it but if you do not complete it and people complain and they stage demonstrations, you need to be sincere and candid and admit that there was some laxity or lapse in your approach.”
But the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, slammed him for his "selective amnesia" and seeking to politicize the issue.
Accusing the former Deputy Communications Minister of attempting to exclude the NDC from their "line of responsibility" just to simply "gain partisan political capital", the seasoned journalist, citing official documents, revealed that the project stalled as far back as 2014 due to lack of funds; almost two years before the NDC lost power.
“Page 49 of the document details progress on traffic lights and footbridges. On traffic lights it said only metal poles are currently in position. On streetlights, works have commenced and 23 solar lights installed at six different locations. On footbridges, works have reached an appreciable stage on the six footbridges. The main elements outstanding on the footbridges are the approaches, landings and guard raids. The outstanding works can be aggregate at 25 percent...so anybody who comes to tell you that by December 2016 the contractor was working, tell the person that I say he is peddling an obvious untruth, not a lie,” he said.
According to him, “this selective amnesia that informs our discourse because we seek partisan advantage, otherwise my brother (Kwakye Fosu) should have also considered that if by 2014 this was the status of the footbridge and from 2014 to 2016 they couldn’t deliver but you are able to question why this administration also has not delivered, then they are excluding their line of responsibility to gain partisan political capital”.
Mr Baako's remarks stopped the NDC activist in his tracks, clearly disarming him.
Background
Residents of Adenta and its environs went on rampage Thursday by burning car tyres on the highway to register their protest over the rampant killing of people on the highway due to lack of footbridges and government’s inaction on the issue.
The violent protests came after an 18-year-old student of West African Secondary School (WASS), was knocked down and killed by a taxi driver on the dangerous N4 freeway on Thursday.
Their action forced government to take action on the uncompleted footbridges with the Ministry of Roads and Highways announcing that work on the six (6) uncompleted pedestrian bridges in Adenta will commence within a week.
Temporarily, the Ministry in collaboration with the Interior Ministry, requested the Ghana Police Service to deploy officers of the Motor Traffic Unit to prevent further deaths.
In the course of their protest, the Police fired shots and tear gas at the agitated crowd in a bid to control them.
The highway has claimed close to 200 lives this year; deaths, residents blame on a lack of footbridges, road markings and defective traffic lights.
Police say its preliminary investigations into the rioting show that its personnel employed the appropriate riot control methods.
The service discounted assertions that it used excessive force in restoring calm to the area after reports emerged that a stray bullet grazed a elderly woman but lodged in her 14-year-old son's thigh.
It admits, however, that “in the process, a boy of fourteen years was injured and was treated and discharged at the Nyaho Clinic in Accra. There is no record of any other injuries related to the riot control.”
According to the police, the taxi driver who knocked and killed the young lady has been arrested and is in police custody.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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God punished Kwakye Fosu, JOHN MAHAMA and those who support NDC to come back
It is reported Ade Coker said the Sky Train proposed by NPP cannot be done. Well, Nigeria has it. Ethiopia has it. It was done quickly in partnership with China and they are moving on with their lives. We need to deepen our engagements with China and get some of these done quickly, and amongst ourselves as a continent with respect to the strong integration of the AU in sharing expertise and leveraging on our strengths to develop the continent. I would have loved to see KNUST leading in such a project. By now we should be applying drone technology and AI to map out the Accra metropolis and it would show us clearly where the light rail would fit and address our traffic situation. These are some of the things KNUST was set up to do in our socio-economic development. Not the kind of shenanigans being thrown in by vested interests seeking to pursue a certain agenda.
For 8 years NDC could not finish this 5 km stretch of road with the ancillary works. Ofosu Kwakye should be ashamed of himself and stopped that ***barred word*** talk. Is that also forms part of the infrastructural works your president claimed he did?
Tramadol induced comment from Bill Williams.Massa you F001 PAAAA.
Can someone tells these ***barred word*** that the whole Ghana is not Accra and that there are problems in other regions who also vote as citizens.Robing Peter to pay Paul system in Ghana is colonial mentality type of system and must be squashed.
Ofosu Kwakye when is the court case coming on,the electoral commission woman accused you of taking $6 million out of the $12 million bribe NDC meant for them. You brag taking this woman to the highest court,what had happened to the case, shame on you.You and your father Kofi Totobi Kwakye all have benefited from mother Ghana in the name of PNDC/NDC loot and share politics.
I wonder how the NPP could not provide the info given by Baako. Their reps on discussion programs seldom do good to the government yet they say they have the men!!!
I am bringing a different perspective ,Kekay baaki said the government went for loan from an arab bank for the road from madina to patang.That there was money for the construction of the road from beginning to end .What baffles me is were is the rest of the money to complete the road ,also the former minister for the road sector put that road under the gang of 4 ,and went for additional loan to complete that same road.Double money for a single road ,is it that the ministers are chopping money or the rhe technocrats are deceiving the minister.If ghana is serious bni should take up this matter .White colour crimes are difficult to detect but one must follow the fine lines and the cracks the ***barred word*** will be exposed.
Keaku Rasta,bKwaku Baako's beef with Felix was the lies he was spewing on air. He never absolved this government of blame but put Felix on his tors regarding the history of the project. I live and use this road corridor, but I just don't cross it unless I get to the traffic and wait for vehicles to stop before crossing. Yesterday on my way to Accra. I saw this woman just 50 metres from the traffic light but attempting to cross. There was even a police man at the traffic light. What baffled me and my family was that this woman was carrying a load on her head while having another load under her armpit, how fast can she be.i said my God if she is knocked down no one will.blame her foolishness but the government. As citizens we must also protect ourselves by doing the right thing.
God punish Ofosu Kwakye for his l-ies. May Ofosu Kwakye have excessive diarrhoea anytime he seeks to deliberately mislead Ghanaians. Amen