Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten, Member of Parliament for Tema-East Constituency has called on the government to extend the asphaltic road construction to the constituency to enhance both vehicular and human movement.
He said when transport systems were deficient in terms of capacity or reliability, they could have economic cost such as reduced or missed opportunities and lower quality of life adding that, efficient transportation reduces costs in many economic sectors.
“I want to call on the Ministry of Roads and Highways that the asphaltic roads that are being done, Tema-East deserves our quota and that is in 2021 - 2022 national budget so I expect that they will take action on our roads,” he stated.
Mr Odamtten was in a reaction interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema after some residents had called on the MP to intervene to address the bad road network in Tema East.
He said, when transport systems were efficient, they provided economic and social opportunities and benefits that resulted in positive multiplier effects such as better accessibility to markets, employment and additional investments.
The MP said less attention was given to Tema partly because of how they had been magnanimous with the government by not agitating for its road to be fixed.
He said Tema roads needed to be fixed as it contributed to the country’s economic development due to the numerous industries located in the Tema Administrative Region.
He said most of the roads were in bad state and needed engineering works which were beyond the capacity of an MP to construct, “If it is possible for the MP to fix, I will fix it, but these are roads that are engineered and so you need the urban roads and engineers to look at it”.
Mr Odamtten urged the constituents to sustain their confidence in him in all sectors of the local economy.
The Tema East MP said the issues of bad roads in Tema would continue to be tabled on the floor of Parliament as well as lobby the rightful authorities to focus on the industrial city for development.