Former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama
The 2020 presidential candidate of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has asked President Nana Akufo-Addo to endeavour to complete all infrastructural projects that were started by previous governments.
The continuity of projects, according to Mr John Mahama, will prevent the wastage of taxpayers’ money.
“No reasonable Ghanaian can feel happy when taxpayer funds are put into projects and they are not ready to be used for the benefit and use of projects just because government changed and, so, the projects are left standing without being completed,” the former president said on Bolgatanga-based URA Radio, as part of his Thank You tour on Tuesday, 17 August 2021.
He further bemoaned the deplorable state of unfinished projects that were initiated by his administration.
“It’s not just the E-blocks”, he said, adding: “The E-blocks have been one example but there are also hospitals that we were building”.
“Bolga Central Hospital, we did the first phase”, Mr Mahama pointed out.
“We were supposed to get some equipment from Saudi Arabia to finish equipping it so that we could utilise the first phase and we had also programmed the second phase but that has come to a standstill over the last five years”, the former president said.
According to him, “there are hospitals in other regions that we were putting up that have come to a standstill”.
“In many places, the wind has blown off the roofs of the buildings, fire has burnt some of the buildings”, he bemoaned.
Mr Mahama noted: “It is sad to see something like that because, as I said during the campaign, it is not my money”.
“The money didn’t come from John Mahama’s pocket. It’s our money as a country. And, so, when it goes to waste like that, I think it’s not something that is reasonable at all. I think that the government should avert its mind and try to finish some of these projects, including some of those that they themselves have initiated”.
Mr Mahama recounted that he promised on his campaign trail prior to the 2020 elections that if he won, he would commit to completing abandoned infrastructural projects.
“Right now, our focus should be on encouraging this president and this government to do what is right so that things get better in our country so that anybody who takes over in future can move it to the next level”.