Taking his turn at the meet-the-press series by the Ministry of Information in Accra yesterday, Mr Osei-Mensah dispelled claims that the government had abandoned legacy projects in the region, saying work on 6,498.75 kilometres of roads had been awarded on contract, out of which 1,515.06km had been completed .

He mentioned some of the completed road projects as Tanoso-Abuakwa, Dompoase Junction-Bosomtwe, Coca Cola-Dompoase Junction and the Anita Hotel-Juaben stretch.

He added that Parliament had approved a loan facility of €140m for the construction of the Suame Interchange in Kumasi.

The project, he said, involved the conversion of the Suame Roundabout into a four-tier interchange to ensure the free flow of traffic.

He said the project, which will commence in September 2022, would be completed within 36 months.

Health sector

In the health sector, he said 6,614 new health professionals, including doctors, dental surgeons, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, support staff, biomedical scientists and physician assistants, had been recruited to work in the region.

Mr Osei-Mensah said a 120-bed hospital at Fomena in the Adansi North District was 99 per cent complete.

He added that a 60-bed hospital each in Bekwai and Tepa had also been completed, while a 120-bed facility in Kumawu and a 250-bed hospital in Sewuah were at various stages of completion.

The minister further said work on the Afari Military Hospital in the Atwima Nwabiagya municipality was 97 per cent complete, while work had commenced on the government’s Agenda 111 hospitals in 14 districts in the region, including Obuasi, Bosome Freho, Atwima Kwanwoma, Atwima Nwabiagya North, Sekyere Central, Ahafo Ano South, among others.

He also said beside the construction of a Paramedic and Emergency Care Training School at Nkenkansu, the government had also supplied the region with 49 ambulances.

Education

On education, Mr Osei-Mensah said the government had completed the Kumawu and the Hemang Buoho Technical institutes and a business, secretarial and technical institute at Asokwa.

Other major legacy projects, including the Kumasi International Airport, accommodation for judges and phase two of the Kejetia Market, he said, were at various stages of completion.

“I am of the strongest conviction that the government has not performed badly in terms of the provision of development projects in the Ashanti Region.

“But for the global economic crisis which has had a devastating economic effect on the country, most of these projects would have been completed,” the minister added.

He also said the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, together with the Ghana Police Service, had rolled out strategies to improve security in the region.