In a recent parliamentary session, Honourable Francis Asenso-Boakye, Member of Parliament for Bantama and former Minister of Roads and Highways, delivered a strong critique of former President John Dramani Mahama’s State of the Nation Address. Asenso-Boakye took issue with Mahama’s stance on road infrastructure debt, arguing that the former president’s concerns were contradictory and failed to recognize the economic benefits of such investments.
Asenso-Boakye pointed out what he perceived as inconsistencies in Mahama’s address, noting that while the former president emphasized the importance of road infrastructure for national development, he simultaneously criticized the debt incurred to finance these projects. The Bantama MP stressed that borrowing for infrastructure should not be viewed negatively, provided it contributes to economic growth.
“Debt, in itself, is not bad; it depends on how it is used,” Asenso-Boakye stated, citing the U.S. interstate highway program of the 1950s, where every dollar invested reportedly generated six dollars in economic returns. He argued that well-planned infrastructure projects serve as catalysts for development, improving trade, transportation, and overall economic productivity.
Asenso-Boakye also took the opportunity to defend the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) achievements in road construction. He highlighted that between 2017 and 2024, the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration worked on 13,624.25 kilometres of roads—significantly more than the 4,636 kilometres completed under the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
He clarified that this figure includes various road projects, such as construction, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and upgrading efforts, emphasizing that the NPP administration had made significant progress in addressing the country’s infrastructure needs.