'It’s a slap in the face' – MP on govt’s sidelining of Volta roads

North Dayi MP Joycelyn Tetteh has said the failure by the government to list roads in the Volta Region among those to be fixed as contained in the 2020 budget read to Parliament on Wednesday, 13 November 2019 is a slap in the face of Voltarians.

She condemned it as “unacceptable bias” against the people of her home region.

In the 2020 budget statement, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said: “In 2020, about 50 km of trunk roads and 25 km of urban roads will be constructed. There will also be the construction of seven bridges on the trunk roads, five on feeder roads and three on urban road networks, 17 engineering studies, comprising five on trunk roads, two on feeder roads and 10 on urban roads.

However, in a statement reacting to the budget, Ms Tetteh said: “Never in the history of our dear beloved nation Ghana has it ever occurred that a government (especially one that calls itself most competent) enjoined by our 1992 Republican Constitution to ensure it undertakes an even and balanced development of all 16 regions decided to aberrate that constitutional provision which is aimed at ensuring equity at all times.

“To even think that this is coming just days after the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo completed his two-day tour of the Volta Region where the people of the region warmly welcomed him and graced his programme (though we later noticed people were bused from the Oti Region), is, indeed, very unfortunate and disheartening, even to the membership of the governing NPP who feel totally neglected.

“This is, indeed, a slap in the face, an unacceptable bias toward the Volta Region and must be condemned by all. I respectfully call on the government to right the wrong in the 2020 budget immediately.”