Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority
Petroleum Tanker drivers can heave a sigh of relief. The government will begin construction on the 5.4km road from the VALCO Roundabout to the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) depot area.
The construction will be done in 24-months and will begin in two weeks.
This was disclosed by the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Stephen Jalulah, when the Chief Executive (CE) of the National Petroleum Authority, Dr Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, took officials of the Ministry of Roads to the Tanker Yard in front of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR).
The visit was to assess the extent of deterioration on the road stretching from the Valco Roundabout to the depot areas around TOR.
Dr Abdul-Hamid undertook this visit as part of his engagements with stakeholders in the downstream petroleum industry. The deplorable nature of the road has been a source of worry for tanker drivers, who had served notice of their intention to abandon their trucks from Monday, 26th July 2021, if the road is not fixed.
Dr Abdul-Hamid assured them that action would be taken immediately to level the tanker yard and make the movement of their vehicles easier while the contractor mobilises to move onto the site and begin actual construction on the 5.4-kilometre road.
The delegation, led by Dr Abdul-Hamid, included some senior officials of the NPA and the Director of Urban Roads, Mr Abass Awalu.
Addressing the tanker drivers, Dr Abdul-Hamid acknowledged the vital role they play in ensuring that petroleum and gas products reach every nook and cranny of the country. “You are a very important part of the value chain in the downstream petroleum industry. We do not take you for granted at all,” Dr Abdul-Hamid told them.
He appealed for them to use dialogue in putting forth their challenges rather than threatening strike action at the least opportunity. “We are equal stakeholders in the development of this country. When the country works, we all benefit; when it fails, we fail with it. Let us, therefore, work together to address our common challenges,” he added.
Throwing more light on the construction, Director of Urban Roads, Mr Abass Awalu, said the first two kilometres will be dualised and will be concrete because of the heavy nature of the vehicles which ply the road.
Mr Abass said the remaining 3.4 kilometres would be asphalt. He assured them that the construction would be done with minimal disruption to vehicular movement.
Mr George Nyanu, Chairman of National Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union, thanked Dr Abdul-Hamid for honouring his promise and assured him of their preparedness to support him as long as he continues to dialogue with them.
He called on the NPA to also pay attention to roads leading to other depots, especially those in Kumasi and Takoradi, because they are also in a very deplorable state.
The Chairman of the LPG Tanker Drivers Union, Shafiu Mohammed, on his part, thanked the CE of the NPA and posited that if he continues to deal fairly with them, they will contribute their quota to the rapid development of the downstream industry.