President John Mahama has announced that a whopping sum of $30.8 billion has been allocated to the Big Push program in 2026.
Speaking at the 77th Annual New Year School at the University of Ghana on Tuesday, January 6, the President stated, “We are investing massively in improving our infrastructure. And this year, we invested more than $13 billion in our Big Push Program. In 2026, we have allocated a whopping sum of $30.8 billion for the Big Push Program”.
“This will see massive improvements in our road network, in rail, in aviation, in health, in education, in agribusiness, and manufacturing.”
President Mahama also announced plans to cut sid for the commencement of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway.
He told critics of the project that he wished they were in the traffic jam over the New Year that was caused by a Believers Worship Centre.
Mahama explained, “For those who have spoken against this expressway, I wish that they were in the traffic jam over the New Year. When one single church holding a convention brought the Accra-Kumasi road into gridlock for more than seven hours. Accra is the biggest city in Ghana and the capital. Kumasi is the next biggest city in Ghana.
“And the traffic between these two cities, it’s a shame that we have a single-lane road linking our two major cities. This will be a thing of the past, and I’m looking forward to cutting sod early this year for the commencement of construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway”.
“For those people who miscommunicate and try to twist my words, the new city will not be the capital. The capital will continue to be the seat of government, and it will be the capital of Ghana.
“But we’ll create a new city that will be smart, that will be innovative, there will be no kiosks, no containers, and no beggars on the streets.”
Meanwhile, Patrick Yaw Boamah, the Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, has described the planned Accra-Kumasi expressway as unnecessary and a misplaced priority.
The lawmaker lambasted the Mahama government for failing to add to the existing road project, but rather seeking to undertake what he describes as a far-fetched project that lacks funding.
Speaking on the floor of parliament, Patrick Yaw Boamah stated, “Mr Speaker, if you look at the cover page of this year’s budget, you can see a clear Photoshop of a certain express road that the minister spoke about.
Mr Speaker, what is the crime of the people of this country, especially most of us who travel that road to our villages, especially from Accra to Paga and to Bawku, for eight years from 2009 to 2016, not a single kilometre was added by the NDC government.
You come into government instead of prioritising the completion of the dualization of the Accra-Kumasi road, you are telling us that you are going to construct an express road with what funds?”
The lawmaker added, “It is a completely misplaced priority. What the Ghanaian want to see is the completion of the dualization project that was started by the Akufo-Addo Kufuor administration, then you can look at that. Even the financial muscle does not help you, how are you going to construct this?”.
He further added, “In 2025, only, death on the Accra-Kumasi highway is 525 for the Eastern Region, Ashanti 570, and Greater Accra 331. A reasonable government will take the completion of the dualization program as a priority, complete it and save Ghanaian lives rather than taking another step of constructing an expressway way which I believe is not a priority for Ghanaians”.