The Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo, has admitted that public criticism of Members of Parliament from the Upper East Region over their failure to meet residents’ expectations is justified.
He says residents are increasingly demanding tangible development outcomes, particularly improvements to the region’s deplorable road network, despite the National Democratic Congress (NDC) controlling all 15 parliamentary seats in the region and being in government.
Mr. Adongo made the remarks during a visit to the Bolgatanga-Bawku-Pulmakom road project, where he engaged Rango Construction Limited, a company assigned to undertake remedial works on a one-kilometre stretch around the Timber Market area.
The public dissatisfaction follows growing frustration among residents, particularly on social media, over what they describe as the failure of the NDC government and their elected representatives to deliver on development expectations.
The Bolgatanga-Bawku-Pulmakom road, which was nearing completion before the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration left office, has become a major source of concern, with residents complaining about its deteriorating condition, potholes and thick dust.
The frustration has been compounded by repeated assurances from government officials, including the Upper East Regional Minister, some MPs, President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, that the road would be addressed, with little visible progress on the ground.
The situation has reignited questions about the performance of the region’s 15 MPs, particularly because the NDC campaigned ahead of the 2024 general election on an Agenda 15/15 slogan, promising to win all parliamentary seats and use its return to power to address the region’s development needs.
Before the 2024 elections, the NDC held 14 of the region’s 15 parliamentary seats, while the NPP occupied one. The party argued that its MPs faced difficulties lobbying for development projects because the NDC was then in opposition.
The 2024 elections, however, saw the NDC sweep all 15 seats, with President Mahama securing 75.80 per cent of the valid votes cast in the region against 22.37 per cent for the NPP’s Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Acknowledging the public frustration, Mr. Adongo said residents were no longer satisfied with assurances and behind-the-scenes lobbying but wanted to see concrete development interventions.
“MPs in this area have gone through a lot of attacks. I’m sure those of you on TikTok and social media, you see the justifiable concern by our citizens,” he said.
He added that residents expected results because the MPs belonged to the governing NDC and their party controlled the government.
“They also know that our government is in power and therefore no matter what we do, until they see the results, they know they are not moved by the lobbying that we’ve been doing in the background and all of that,” he stated.
Mr. Adongo said the visible commencement of work on the road was important in demonstrating that the concerns of residents were being heard.
He disclosed that he had discussed the road with the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, in Parliament and was informed that the project had been captured under the government’s Big Push programme following a directive from President Mahama.
According to him, the NDC parliamentary caucus, through its leader, had also been engaging the Roads Minister on the project. Mr. Adongo said the Minister had assured him of a visit to the region on Tuesday to engage stakeholders and provide further clarity on the arrangements for completing the entire stretch.
He said he had rescheduled a major meeting in Accra to enable him to engage the Minister when he arrived and communicate the concerns of residents as well as the appreciation of the parliamentary caucus for the intervention.
At the site, Peter Alnaa, Site Engineer for Rango Construction Limited, explained that the company had been engaged to undertake remedial works on the Timber Market section to address the dust problem.
He said the company would apply a double surface dressing, similar to the treatment used on the original Bolgatanga-Bawku road project.
Mr. Alnaa clarified that the assignment was limited to the identified section and did not include the bridge works, which he understood were being handled under a separate arrangement with the original contractor, Queiroz Galvão MI.
He said Rango Construction Limited was given a maximum of two weeks to complete the one-kilometre stretch.
The site engineer also disclosed that the company had engaged the MCE for Bolgatanga Central and DCE for Bolgatanga East for support with water supply and traffic management during construction.
He said the assemblies had agreed to assist with a water bowser and facilitate police support to control traffic, particularly during school commuting hours and market days.
Mr. Alnaa identified access to water as one of the challenges facing the project, explaining that the company had initially considered drawing water from the Kulaa River but abandoned the plan after discovering that the water source had been dammed for dry-season farming.
The company subsequently moved to a dam at Zono, where it was able to secure water for its operations with the assistance of the assemblyman.
Isaac Adongo expressed hope that the remedial works would be completed within the stipulated period, but stressed that the intervention must be followed by a broader plan to address the remaining sections of the 117.94-kilometre road.
He said the parliamentary caucus would use the expected engagement with the Roads Minister to seek clarity on the involvement of other contractors and the overall arrangements for completing the project.
The one-kilometre intervention is expected to provide temporary relief to motorists and residents who have endured persistent dust and difficult driving conditions along the busy corridor, while uncertainty remains over the timeline for the completion of the entire road project.
A1 Radio | 101.1Mhz | Joshua Asaah
