By Issah Olegor
Roads and Highways Minister, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has expressed strong frustration over the slow pace of work on the 71.25-kilometre Enchi–Elubo road project in the Western North Region after discovering that only five percent of construction had been completed months after the contractor received GH¢80.2 million in mobilisation funds.
The minister made the remarks during an inspection tour of road projects on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, where he visited the site to assess the progress of work being undertaken by Top Engineering International Ltd, a Chinese construction firm.
According to officials, the contractor was mobilised to the project site in December 2025 under the ‘Big Push’ government infrastructure programme after the release of the mobilisation funds.
However, despite the significant financial commitment by the government, the project has seen very little physical progress on the ground.
Clearly displeased during the inspection, Agbodza openly questioned the contractor’s commitment to the project and warned that the government would no longer tolerate delays and inactivity on critical infrastructure projects.
“If we didn’t pay for the mobilisation, we would have terminated this job today. What is this? It is so annoying,” the minister fumed during the visit.
He subsequently directed the contractor to immediately deploy additional equipment, engineers, and personnel to the site and begin full-scale construction works without further delays.
The Enchi–Elubo road serves as a major transportation corridor linking several farming and trading communities in the Western North Region.
The stretch is particularly important to cocoa farmers, traders, transport operators, and residents who rely on the road for the movement of goods and access to schools, hospitals, and markets.
For years, the road has remained in poor condition, characterised by deep potholes, erosion, and damaged surfaces that have made transportation difficult, especially during the rainy season.
A previous rehabilitation intervention initiated around 2020 failed to produce lasting improvements, leaving many communities disappointed and frustrated over the continued deterioration of the route.
Since assuming office, Agbodza has embarked on several inspection tours across the country, where he has repeatedly criticised contractors accused of receiving government funds while delivering little or no work on project sites.
The minister has in recent weeks warned that the government would no longer grant automatic extensions to contractors who fail to execute projects within agreed timelines without valid justification.
According to sources familiar with discussions within the ministry, the government is also considering tougher measures against underperforming contractors, including pursuing beneficial owners of firms found to have grossly breached contractual obligations.
The renewed pressure on contractors comes at a time when the Mahama administration says it has already paid approximately GH¢12 billion out of an inherited GH¢40 billion road sector debt owed to contractors across the country.
Despite these payments, several road projects nationwide continue to experience delays, stalled works, and contractor inactivity, raising concerns about accountability and value for money in the execution of public infrastructure contracts.
