Joseph Oswald Ali Writes

It has come to my attention that Hon. Ambrose Dery, former Minister for the Interior under the previous NPP administration, faces unwarranted disparagement for his principled appeal to President John Dramani Mahama. His core advocacy—urging the Government of Ghana (GoG) to settle outstanding payments to contractors and fulfill commitments to reconstruct critical “Big Push” road projects, particularly the Wenchi-Sawla-Wa corridor linking the Upper West Region—deserves bipartisan support, not fierce rebuttal.

While it is acknowledged that the NPP government’s ambitious “Years 1 and 2 of Roads” initiative fell short on infrastructure delivery, this shortfall exacted a political price: electoral defeat at the presidential level and Hon. Dery’s own ouster from the Nandom parliamentary seat. Yet, his recent intervention was proffered in humility, devoid of any partisan animus toward the incumbent NDC administration.

Crucially, past governmental lapses do not strip a citizen—or a former public servant—of taxpayer standing or the right to engage in national discourse. Defenders of the JM-led government must balance vigilance for its image with fairness: silencing voices that champion projects benefiting all Ghanaians undermines democratic equity.

As I maintain, President Mahama risks a legacy of monumental underachievement—eclipsing even that of his predecessor—if the Wenchi-Sawla-Wa road remains unaddressed.

Let us unite for our region’s progress. God bless Ghana and all of us.