The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has disclosed that a first tranche of compensation payments has been disbursed to over 450 farmers affected by the Accra-Kumasi Expressway project.
The development follows the soldiers who cleared approximately 175.6 kilometres of land, wading through arable agricultural lands and forest cover from Greater Accra through the Eastern Region to finally the Ashanti Region.
Brigadier General Jonas Wiafe disclosed that the compensations have been made to more than half of the affected farmers.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony of the right-of-way cleared to the President, Director of Engineering Services at GAF, Brigadier General Jonas Wiafe stated, “As of today, the first tranche of compensation payment has been released to 469 farmers, and the process is ongoing”.
He further disclosed that the farmers were paid between GH₵ 350,000 and GH₵1,500 cedis based on the valuation data of properties destroyed during the clearance as released by the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
He further assured that 800 affected farmers are expected to be compensated by the end of the disbursement.
Brigadier General Jonas Wiafe also revealed that no physical property, including buildings such as mud houses or sandcrete structures, whether completed or not, was destroyed along the stretch during the clearing operation.
“This valuation and payment process, I must state, will obviously be recorded as one of the shortest turnaround periods in the construction industry,” he noted.
He further assured farmers yet to be compensated that the payment process will soon reach them as funds are readily available to make all those commitments.
In related news, President John Dramani Mahama has announced that $2 billion has been set aside to finance the construction of the Accra-Kumasi Expressway,
Mahama assured Ghanaians that funding will not be a challenge once work begins.
According to John Mahama, the money, which is taxpayers’ funds, has been placed in a special account at the Bank of Ghana to ensure prompt payment to the contractor throughout the project.
President Mahama also disclosed that all certificates presented by the contractor will be paid promptly to prevent construction delays.
Mahama also directed the Minister for Roads and Highways to incorporate the Ghana Armed Forces Engineers Regiment as a major subcontractor to the main contractor for the expressway.
Speaking at the handover ceremony of a 175.6-kilometre right-of-way cleared by the Ghana Armed Forces on Monday, September 14, “And let me also announce that this is our own money. We have not gone to borrow money from anywhere. This money is the taxpayers’ money”.
Also, Mahama disclosed that the proposed Accra-Kumasi Expressway will significantly reduce travel time between the two cities.
He revealed that the Accra-Kumasi Expressway to cut travel time to 2 hours when the project is completed.
Mahama stated, “When completed, as you were told, the recommended speed on the Expressway will be 120km per hour. You can drive at 120km per hour”.
“Even if he is travelling at 100km an hour, it means that the journey will take him two hours, instead of the five to six hours that we currently use on the old Accra-Kumasi highway,” President Mahama said.
Mahama emphasised that the reduced travel time would make it possible for people to commute between the two cities for business and return home the same day.
“And so Nana, when this Expressway is finished, you can leave Kumasi at 6am and you’ll be in Accra by 8am,” he stated.
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