'Don't come back': Agbodza gives Rango one week to resume Bolgatanga–Bawku road works

Roads and Highways Minister Kwame Governs Agbodza has given Rango Construction one week to mobilise and resume work on a bridge on the Bolgatanga–Bawku–Pulmakom road, warning that the contract will go to another firm if the company leaves the site again.

He issued the ultimatum during an inspection of the project on Wednesday, November 11, MyJoyOnline, 3News and GhanaWeb reported. 3News identified the site as the Kulaa Bridge.

The warning

"When I leave here, and you and your team leave the site, don't come back. Because you'll come back to see another contractor here," Mr Agbodza said, according to MyJoyOnline and 3News.

"Rango, I would say we are not happy. Because when we came here with the President, you were seen on site doing some work. You have absolutely no reason to pull back at any time," he said, MyJoyOnline reported.

Residents along the road have protested over dust and potholes and accuse the contractor of turning up only when officials are expected. GhanaWeb reported that the minister said residents had described this as "eye service", a claim he at first doubted but later found to be accurate.

The deadlines

Mr Agbodza directed the company to mobilise within one week and start work on the bridge, and said the government expected to see active construction within two weeks, MyJoyOnline and 3News reported. He said the contractor had undertaken to complete a temporary section for diverting traffic within one and a half weeks.

He also said he had no doubt the company was capable of completing the project.

'Not because of money'

The minister dismissed suggestions that funding or design problems were behind the delays. "It's not because of money; it's not because of lack of engineering design that this project is delayed," he said, according to MyJoyOnline and 3News.

GhanaWeb quoted him as saying the project "is fully funded by Big Push". Mr Agbodza noted that work on the road has dragged on since 2015.

He also asked engineers supervising the project to provide weekly progress reports, GhanaWeb reported.

3News reported that Rango has apologised to residents and promised weekly updates. GhEcho has not seen a direct response from the company.

GhEcho will follow whether work resumes within the deadline.