By Yunus S Saliu
Rounding up his weeklong tour of the road project sites under construction nationwide, the Honourable Minister of Transport, Work and Infrastructure has challenged doubters to visit the famous Hakalang Road to see the quality road there.
Minister Ebrima Sillah made these remarks on his inspection tour to the Niumi Hakalang under the rural roads category in the North Bank Region (NBR) on Thursday, 30th January 2025. The Minister was accompanied on this site’s inspection by the Deputy Permanent Secretary at MOTWI, the Managing Director of NRA, contractors, senior officials of MOTWI and NRA as well as members of the press.
Minister Sillah who had earlier visited other road project sites in the region such as Bannie-Salikenni-Njaba Kunda road maintenance and so on disclosed that lots of people have scapegoated, hit or criticized the government severally over this Hakalang road by saying “We are not committed to delivering and that it was all fake election promises.”
Notwithstanding, after the inspection, he happily enunciated “Today, the road is almost completed, and we challenge the doubters to come here to take pictures or come with any expert in road infrastructure to look at the quality that has gone into this road.”
Without mince of words, he confirmed the Hakalang road to be one of the best roads in the country, “it can withstand the test of time, and a lot of quality and energy has gone into making the road what it is right now.”
The MOTWI Minister thanked the National Road Authority, the consultants as well as the contractor, saying it was a huge collective effort with the supervisory role of the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure, but also with efforts of the Ministry of Finance that mobilized the necessary funding of these projects.
In an extension, he thanked the Ministry of Local Government and Lands which has been supporting with the valuation of properties and other critical road alignment issues, the Ministry of Justice for the legal advice, and the entire cabinet and the government for the support.
He, therefore, assured of completion of the work on time and “hopefully by the end of April or May this road will be inaugurated,” by His Excellency President Adama Barrow.
Ousman Sanyang, Managing Director of National Road Authority gave a summary of the tour which covered a variety of ongoing road projects, including urban and rural road categories.
