Frustrated drivers and commuters along the Nsawam–Pokuase highway have lashed out at the government over the worsening state of the road, demanding urgent intervention to ease the suffering of road users and revive local business activity.
Appearing on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Wednesday, August 6, several aggrieved road users voiced their anger and disappointment over the lack of progress on what they describe as a “deadly and economically damaging” road stretch.
Kofi Mensah, a commercial driver who plies the route daily, did not mince words in expressing his displeasure, directly calling on President John Mahama to take immediate action.
“I direct this to President Mahama; he should stop this play. It looks like he is just playing. We heard they’ve awarded the project and funds to a contractor, so where is the contractor?” he questioned.
“The road is very bad to the extent that if you drive on it, it’s full of potholes. They should stop playing with us. We weren’t crazy when we voted for them. We’re all human beings, just like them. They’ve been allowed to lead, and if this is how they treat us, we thank them and their families,” he fumed.
Another driver, Yaa Owusua, lamented the economic impact of the dilapidated road on her business.
“This is very bad. The market is not moving because of the road. I drive on it about 20 times a day because I do business here, and this road has been bad for nearly five years,” she said. “We are not seeing any contractor working on it.”
The Nsawam–Pokuase stretch is a major link between Accra and parts of the Eastern Region, serving thousands of commuters and traders daily. Yet, residents and drivers say repeated promises by successive governments have yielded no visible results.
The current outcry follows a heavy downpour on the night of Tuesday, August 5, that worsened the already deplorable condition of the road, flooding key sections and stranding vehicles, some of which were left producing vapour due to overheating in stalled traffic.
Meanwhile, Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, has said contractors working on the Ofankor-Nsawam Dual Carriage Road project are expected to significantly scale up work activities this week, as payment of over GHC400 million has been made for work to continue.
