The Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, has clarified that the recently constructed Navrongo–Chuchuliga road was funded directly by the Government of Ghana (GoG) and does not form part of the government’s flagship Big Push road programme.
The clarification was made during an inspection tour of the road, where the Minister said it was necessary to correct public misconceptions about the sections of roads in the region covered under the Big Push initiative.
According to Mr. Akamugri, the Navrongo–Chuchuliga stretch was undertaken after President John Dramani Mahama assumed office, with the objective of restoring reliable road access between the Kassena-Nankana and Builsa areas.
He explained that before the intervention, residents of Sandema were unable to use the road and bridge to travel to Navrongo, while people from Navrongo also faced difficulties accessing Sandema.
“This particular section, Navrongo to Chuchuliga, has been worked on under the Government of Ghana,” the Minister stated.
Mr. Akamugri explained that the roads covered under the Big Push programme begin from Chuchuliga to Chiana, continue from Chiana to Tumu, and also include a 10-kilometre stretch from the Chuchuliga Junction towards Sandema.
He stressed that these are the sections officially financed under the flagship infrastructure initiative and not the Navrongo–Chuchuliga portion.
“When they say the Big Push covers the road from Navrongo, Chuchuliga to Tumu, it doesn’t necessarily mean all the sections,” he noted.
Despite the different funding arrangements, the Regional Minister said the government’s priority remains delivering quality road infrastructure to improve connectivity and economic activity across the region.
“And whether it is Big Push or GoG, it is government funding. We want the road to be built,” he said.
Mr. Akamugri further assured residents of Navrongo and Sandema that the remaining protective works on the road would be completed to safeguard the infrastructure.
According to him, the outstanding works include stone pitching at vulnerable sections to prevent erosion from damaging the road.
“We want to assure the citizens of Navrongo and Sandema that the remaining work involves constructing stone pitching to ensure erosion does not eat into the road. We want to assure them that a quality job will be done,” he added.
The inspection formed part of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council’s routine monitoring of ongoing development projects to ensure quality execution and value for public funds.
Meanwhile, the Site Engineer for My Turn Ltd., Bismark Kpob, who is supervising sections of the Big Push road project, said construction is progressing steadily.
He expressed confidence that the current phase of the Big Push road works would be completed by December 2026.
“With the current pace of work on site, we are optimistic that the Big Push stretch will be completed by December 2026,” he said.
Ing. Kpob also disclosed that the company is looking forward to participating in the next phase of the programme.
“We are also hoping that, in the next phase of the Big Push contracts, the Ministry will award us the extension to continue the road from Sandema and beyond,” he stated.
