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Though the Chiefs and people of Salaga in the Gonja East district of the Northern region are excited with announcement by the NDC government to begin the construction of the deplorable Tamale-Salaga-Makango road, they however, remain unconvinced, and are challenging President John Dramani Mahama to prove them wrong by ensuring that the project comes to fruition.

The Mahama-led administration has pledged to construct and asphalt the Tamale-Salaga-Makango road this year, and is in the process of awarding the project on contract, but inhabitants of Salaga and its environs are still pessimistic.

Their pessimism stems from the fact that successive governments, they say, from the Jerry Rawlings’ Provisional National Defense Council have all paid lip service to the construction of “this particular road.”

“Governments since the PNDC have severally pledged to construct this road. In all the cases what we hear is that the road has been awarded on contract…in fact in one of the instances, a contractor actually started work on the road but we didn’t know what happened he just disappeared,” one of the residents told The aL-hAJJ in an interview.

Some of the residents noted that although the Mahama administration is reported to have awarded the road reconstruction to a contractor, they are yet to be convinced his administration, just as the rest before him, will carry through the promise.

“Look, from where I sit, I don’t think this road will be done…I want the President to prove me wrong…I want the President to prove we the people of Salaga wrong by constructing the road because, we believe what we have heard so far is mere political talk,” a youth leader who does not want his name mentioned told The aL-hAJJ.

He added “until this road is constructed, we are not going to start jubilating simply because it has been awarded on contract. Yes, the President is one us; he comes from the North and he knows the nature of it, but the mere fact that his government has promised to construct it does not mean we should start rejoicing…he knows how we are suffering because of the nature of the road so I expect him as a Northerner and a Gonja himself to keep faith with his promise and not behave like his predecessors.”

In fulfillment of his campaign promise, President Mahama last week cut sod for the commencement of reconstruction of a 209 kilometer Oti Damanko-Nakpanduri Road, which is lot five and six of the Eastern Corridor roads.

The road, which is expected to be completed by October, 2016, is being financed jointly by the Brazilian Government and the Government of Ghana with a total amount of 240 million dollars and 50 million dollars respectively bringing the total contract sum to 290 million dollars.

According to the President, government will spend one billion dollars annually for the next five years to construct roads across the country.

He said the move forms part of government’s transformation agenda to build all-weather roads to link regional and district capitals.
He said the move will also ensure easy transportation and enhance economic activities.