Former Minister for Roads and current MP for Bantama Constituency, Francis Asenso-Boakye has strongly refuted Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s allegations that funds for the Ofankor-Nsawam Road Project were misused, calling the claims “false and politically motivated.”
Speaking on Oyerepa TV, Asenso-Boakye stated that the $200 million loan from Afreximbank was fully spent on the road project. “All the money borrowed was exhausted on the road project. If we had spent the funds on ourselves, we would have been imprisoned,” he emphasized.
He clarified that the loan transaction took place before his tenure as Roads Minister. “I was the Minister for Housing at the time. Hon. Ato Forson, as ranking member of the Finance Committee, and Hon. Abugya, ranking member for Roads, were responsible for managing the transaction. They know the facts but persist in spreading lies to incite Ghanaians against the NPP,” he said.
The Ofankor-Nsawam Road, one of Ghana’s busiest routes, involves extensive construction including interchanges, underpasses, overpasses, and bridges. The total project cost is $346 million, with $146 million expected from the Government of Ghana. Asenso-Boakye noted that about 70 percent of the project has been completed with the Afreximbank loan, with more funding needed to finish it.
He accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of using misinformation as a political weapon. “The NDC cannot fulfill their promises to Ghanaians, so they resort to spreading lies to cover their failures,” he said, adding that false briefings were even given to former President John Mahama.