Kumasi: Mr Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, the National Coordinator of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), has embarked on a nationwide inspection of equipment distributed to various metropolitan, municipal, and district assemblies (MMDAs).
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Vanderpuye is conducting the inspections alongside a technical team from J.A. Plant Pool Ghana Limited, the country's leading supplier of heavy-duty equipment and the official distributor of LiuGong construction machinery. This inspection aims to assess the operational readiness of DRIP's fleet of heavy-duty equipment ahead of the programme's 2025 rollout.
The DRIP programme, launched in 2024 by the former government, seeks to empower MMDAs with the necessary tools and resources to rehabilitate and maintain roads, thereby enhancing road networks across Ghana. This ongoing inspection is part of DRIP's broader strategy to ensure accountability, efficiency, and sustainability in its operations.
During the inspection, Mr Vanderpuye expressed concern over the poor maintenance of equipment and the lack of suitable infrastructure to protect them. He highlighted the issue of many machines being left exposed to the elements, urging assemblies to urgently construct sheds to preserve these national assets.
The DRIP Coordinator admonished district coordinating directors and engineers for negligence and poor maintenance practices, expressing dismay at the state of uncleaned equipment. He warned that such practices could threaten the long-term functionality of the machinery and emphasized the need for regular cleaning and proper maintenance.
Mr Vanderpuye called on DRIP coordinators and machine operators at the district level to adopt a renewed sense of responsibility and pride in managing government investments in the equipment. He was accompanied by Mr Samuel Aboagye, Deputy Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and Ing. Ebenezer Danquah, Ashanti Regional Liaison Officer of J.A. Plant Pool Ghana Ltd.
