Former President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concerns about the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) initiated by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, describing it as a well-intentioned initiative that lacked careful planning and foresight. Speaking at a public event, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag bearer acknowledged the importance of improving road infrastructure in Ghana’s districts but argued that the programme has fallen short of expectations due to poor execution.
According to Mahama, while DRIP’s primary goal of addressing the nation’s road infrastructure deficits was commendable, the initiative was not backed by adequate planning and resource allocation. He stressed that budgetary provisions for the programme were insufficient to meet the actual road infrastructure needs of many districts, making it difficult for the intended impact to be realized.
“The idea behind DRIP is a good one, but it was not well thought through. There was not enough attention given to the scope and the financial requirements needed to make it successful,” Mahama said. He added that a more strategic and comprehensive approach was necessary to effectively address the infrastructure challenges faced by districts across the country.
Mahama assured Ghanaians that if elected to power, his government would apply a more thorough and well-planned strategy to improve the nation’s road network, ensuring that the funding and execution of infrastructure projects, such as DRIP, would be aligned with the real needs of local communities.
As part of his broader infrastructure development agenda, Mahama promised to prioritize the improvement of roads in underdeveloped areas to promote economic growth and improve access to essential services. His comments are part of a larger critique of the NPP government’s handling of national infrastructure projects and public spending.
