The National Coordinator of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, has disclosed the recruitment of 4,460 personnel to support the programme’s implementation nationwide.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Friday, June 27, 2025, Mr. Vanderpuye explained that every district now has a dedicated 17-member team made up of one coordinator and 16 equipment operators.
The teams are tasked with improving road networks under a government initiative aimed at enhancing rural connectivity and economic development.
Mr. Vanderpuye emphasized that proper training is a key focus of the programme, given past challenges with equipment misuse due to inadequate technical knowledge.
“Some of the people who were handling the equipment were not sufficiently trained,” he noted.
“You know some of the tipper trucks — you must know the level you should go, and there are so many things you have to learn in managing the equipment. So, we have to take our time now.”
He confirmed that training for regional coordinators is currently underway in Ada, after which district coordinators and equipment operators across the country will also undergo comprehensive orientation and hands-on sessions.
He further revealed that President John Dramani Mahama has given assurance of a warrant to formally integrate all recruits into the local government system.
“This will make them official staff of the various district assemblies,” Mr. Vanderpuye explained, adding that formal employment will ensure operational continuity, accountability, and long-term sustainability of the DRIP initiative.
