Ahmed Ibrahim, the Minister-designate for Local Government, Chieftaincy, and Religious Affairs, has vowed to prioritise the continuation and effective implementation of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) if approved by Parliament.
The DRIP initiative, launched under the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration, seeks to enhance road networks across districts in Ghana, improving accessibility and driving economic growth.
Speaking before the Parliamentary Appointments Committee on Tuesday, January 21, Ahmed Ibrahim reaffirmed his dedication to ensuring that the significant investments made in DRIP are fully utilised. He also stressed the importance of optimising resources and machinery already procured for the programme.
The District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) was launched to address the challenges posed by poor road infrastructure in many parts of Ghana. It focused on improving unpaved district roads, which are critical for the transportation of goods and people, especially in rural and peri-urban areas.
However, the programme has faced implementation challenges, including delays and concerns about maintenance and resource allocation.
Ahmed Ibrahim highlighted the significance of DRIP in addressing the infrastructural deficit at the district level, which continues to hinder local economic growth and social development.
“If given the nod, we will work together to make sure that the DRIP project is materialised because the machines were procured to improve upon district roads that were not tarred and much money was used so you cannot use such an amount and allow it to go to waste
“Whether we like it or not, the machines have been procured and we must put them to good use, therefore, there must be proper structures, proper agreement, proper monitoring and systems to make sure that we make good use of the machines that we procured.”
