The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region has called on President John Dramani Mahama to publish an immediate timeline for completing the Bolgatanga-Bawku-Pulmakom road, warning that its deteriorating condition is contributing to daily accidents and loss of life.
The 109km project, which runs from Bolgatanga through Bawku to Pulmakom near the borders with Togo and Burkina Faso, serves more than 750,000 people and passes through several communities.
It was intended to improve road safety, shorten journey times, support the movement of goods and strengthen trade and economic activity in a region that lies along traditional trans-Saharan trade routes.
The NPP says the project was 95% complete when it left office in January 2025, leaving only the final 5% outstanding. However, work stalled in early 2025 and the party says the road has since deteriorated significantly, with heavy dust affecting surrounding communities and businesses.
Residents of Bolgatanga Municipality and Bolgatanga East are reported to have died in accidents on the road, while others have suffered injuries.
President Mahama visited the project two months ago during his Accounting to the People tour of the region and assured residents that construction would resume. The NPP says the small number of workers at the site left soon after the president’s visit, and that work has not restarted.
Speaking at a press conference at Kulaa bridge, on the Bolgatanga-Bawku-Pulmakom road, Upper East Regional Communications Director of the NPP Dr Samuel Akonga said the project had made substantial progress before the party left power in 2024.
He referred to the 2026 Budget Statement, which he said records the rehabilitation as 95% complete.
“Indeed, the 2026 Budget Statement, on page 74, reports that the rehabilitation of the Bolgatanga–Bawku–Pulmakom road is 95% complete. This is a significant admission by the current government. It means the outstanding work constitutes approximately 5% of the project, according to the government’s own figure,” he said.
“Our position is straightforward: Taking a project recorded at 0% physical progress in 2016, as captured on page 101 of the 2018 Budget, to 95% completion is a record that deserves recognition. Even so, we acknowledge that the work remains unfinished.”
Dr Akonga said the road’s condition was damaging residents’ health and increasing the risk to motorists and passengers.
“The dusty nature of the Kulaa stretch is particularly disturbing. Every passing vehicle raises clouds of dust. The dust engulfs commuters, roadside residents and businesses. Beyond the dust, the poor condition of the road exposes motorists and passengers to danger. Only God knows how many cherished lives have been lost and how many vibrant young people have suffered injuries due to the conditions on this road,” he said.
“This situation cannot continue to be treated as an ordinary inconvenience. It is a matter of public safety, economic activity and the dignity of the people who depend on this road.”
The NPP urged President Mahama, the Minister for Roads and Highways, the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Highway Authority to explain how and when the remaining work would be completed.
It also appealed to Regional Ministers, the Upper East Caucus in Parliament, the 15 MMDCEs, traditional leaders, religious groups, the media and other stakeholders to press the government for answers.
The party said it would continue to seek accountability through legitimate democratic means, while residents have separately called for construction to resume immediately.
