Residents of Community 25, Prampram, others protest over bad road
Residents of Community 25, Prampram, Dawhenya, Devtraco and neighbouring communities in the Greater Accra Region, have embarked on a demonstration to draw home the deplorable state of their roads.
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The residents said the poor state of the road stretching from the Kpone Barrier towards Prampram had become a major challenge for motorists and residents, especially now that the rainy season has begun.
The concerned residents took to the streets last Friday, to protest against the bad roads in the community.
Clad in red T-shirts, the residents massed up at the Kpone Barrier as early as 6 a.m. to begin the protest holding placards with inscriptions such as: “We are also Ghanaians, #FixTheRoads”, “Kpone Dawhenya Road also matters”, “Roads are a right, not a privilege”, “We pay property rate and taxes, fix our road”, “We are citizens, not spectators”, among others.
The protesters marched from the Kpone Barrier towards Dawhenya which has developed deep potholes which have been left to expand after reconstruction works were started in 2022 as part of the dualisation of the Tema-Aflao road that has stalled.
The road project forms part of the Abidjan-Lagos corridor connecting five West African countries; Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin and Nigeria.
The residents in a petition addressed to the Ministry of Roads and Highways said although the road was a critical artery for businesses and essential services in the nation’s economy and the West African sub-region, it had been abandoned and that had resulted in unbearable traffic congestion.
“Ghana is home to the head office of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and yet, one of the major facilitating platforms, that is this very road, is almost akin to an unpaved road to hell. How do businesses within the region derive the expected benefit from the policy objective?” the residents queried.
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They said the poor state of the road was endangering the lives of commuters, especially schoolchildren and workers, and had also resulted in the closure of shops and businesses along the stretch due to the immense gridlock experienced by commuters daily.
Policemen were dispatched in their numbers to oversee the march
The residents further indicated that the frequent accidents recorded on the stretch, including trucks turning over in the temporary roundabouts, among other dangers, had led to the loss of lives.
The residents urged the government to, as a matter of urgency, recall the contractor to complete the road project, provide a timeline for the completion of the road rehabilitation and ensure the safety of commuters and residents.
“In the interim, we demand the immediate grading or asphalting of all inner rounds in our communities, to ease the horrendous traffic situation. The presence of these inner roads, despite their deplorable nature, continues to ease the burden off the main roads.
It is only appropriate that they are upgraded to improve movement, as well as ease the stress on our vehicle parts.
“We appeal to your sense of urgency and responsibility to address this critical issue. The lives and livelihoods of thousands depend on it. And we cannot wait any longer,” the residents said.
Writer’s email: Benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh