Scores of youth, commercial drivers and the elderly in Ablekuma Manhean, Oduman, Nsakina in the Greater Accra Region yesterday protested the bad condition of their roads.
The main road from Ablekuma Curve through Manhean to Afoaman and its adjoining communities have been nothing short of a disaster.
The visibly angry protesters set a bonfire on the main bridge linking the road to these areas and also burnt lorry tyres at all access points to the road.
This action, according to the demonstrators, was ostensibly, to prevent any vehicle coming in and out.
Private individuals with their own cars were equally not spared, as they were also prevented from plying the road.
The development caused undue delays to workers including nurses, teachers, petty traders and even school children who had dressed up and were ready to go to school.
When Today visited the area yesterday, it observed that the road has become extremely worse with the coming down of the rains recently.
Many parts of the road, Today observed, had developed what is often described by Ghanaians as ‘manhole’ in addition to very scaring potholes on virtually every step of the road.
Sadly, Today learnt that those who could not cope with the situation had no choice but to go back home.
According to the residents, as at 4:00 a.m., hundreds of traders and workers had started trekking from places including Afoaman, Manhean and Oduman to Ablekuma Curve to pick trotro to their various destinations.
Some of them also had to walk all the way from Peace Village and Tigo Pole to Ablekuma Curve which is on the Awoshie-Pokuase highway raod.
The demonstration, which lasted close to five hours, saw the protesters raising slogans against the central government, demanding an immediate repair of the road.
They said uncompromised laterite laid to strengthen and re-carpet the road were giving commuters a tough time and injuring pedestrians.
According to them, the road has been allotted to a private contractor but has failed to complete it.
“The only thing the contractor did was that he constructed open drains on both sides of the road, and since then we have no inkling of his whereablouts,” one of the angry protesters, Nii Aryee, fumed.
However, the development gave Okada operators Manhean and its environs a field as many cashed in on the situation.
Some of the riders charged between 10-15 Ghana cedis for a short distance while for a long distance. Patrons had to pay between 40-50 Ghana cedis.
Other commuters who were scared of Okada were compelled to use tricycles.
This was not the first time residents of Manhean and its satellite communities were embarking on such a demonstration, to impress upon government to have their road fixed.
It would be recalled that last year, residents protested the pathetic state of the road in the area.
Speaking to some commercial drivers who ply the road, they bemoned the situation and urged government to help fix the road.
According to many of them, almost on a monthly basis they are compelled to send their vehicles to the shop for repairs.
“I replaced all my four shock absorbers only a month ago, but I am seeing signs that I would have to speak to my car owner again so that we buy new shocks,” Kotey, a trotro driver, who plies the road said.
Furthermore, Today also learnt that several trotro drivers have had to turned their attention elswhere as they claimed the road was causing a lot of damage to their vehicles.
“I only work from Ablekuma Curve-Lapaz on daily basis. The reason is that this strech of the road is good and will not cause any damage to my car owner’s car,” a trotro driver, Edward Asare, disclosed.
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