The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) claimed the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) initiative which was launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday July 31, 2024 was started by former president John Dramani Mahama.
According to the Member of Parliament for Banda Constituency in the Bono Region, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, the DRIP initiative was first launched by the flagbearer of the NDC, John Mahama in July, 2024.
He said the then NDC government failed to sell the policy to many Ghanaians like it is happening today because the former president emerged the Ministry of Communications and Ministry of Information together.
“All our roads were deplorable so President Nana Addo declared the year of road but it didn’t succeed. Aside from this, the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) was launched by former President Mahama in July, 2016. I am telling you. The problem was that, Former President Mahama scrapped the Ministry of Information so there were a lot of things that were put together.” The Deputy Minority Chief Whip said in an interview with OKAY FM monitored by Elvisanokyenews.com.
President Akufo-Addo has unveiled a fleet of 2,240 units of road construction equipment to ensure every part of the country gets good roads.
The equipment include motor graders, backhoes, rollers, wheel loaders, bulldozers, tipper trucks, concrete mixers, water tankers and low beds.
But Ahmed Ibrahim stated that these equipment were first given to the NPP government by former president John Dramani Mahama but they couldn’t take good care of it.
“Former president Mahama combined the Ministry of Information and Ministry of Communications together, so nobody was selling all the big projects he was doing to Ghanaians, and that was our problem. So Mahama launched the equipment for the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) in July 2016. But he didn’t sell it like what we are seeing today. And we lost the elections six (6) months later, so the caterpillars, graders, and other machines for the road construction were given to Nana Addo.” He explained.
“During the regime of Nana Addo and Bawumia government, a lot of the machines that were given to the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) became wasted because they couldn’t take care of them.” He added.
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com