Ibrahim Baidoo
SOME COMMERCIAL drivers and a youth group at Ashaiman near Tema in the Greater Accra Region, have threatened to stage another massive demonstration to express their displeasure over the deplorable nature of the roads in the area.
According to the group, known as Concerned Group of Ashaiman, and the drivers, the bad state of the roads gives motorists a hell of time when plying them – a situation that they claimed weakens vehicles easily and compels (vehicle) owners and drivers to constantly purchase spare parts at high prices.
The leaders of the youth, speaking with a section of the media, posited that they had exhausted all avenues to ensure that roads in the Ashaiman Municipality see some facelift, yet the situation remained the same.
They said plans for the demonstration were far advanced. They noted, ‘Politicians have deceived us for far too long. We now believe that the only language this government understands is demonstration.
‘Do you know why? The last time we demonstrated they quickly moved to construct the road halfway; and we will surely demonstrate again.’
According to them, they were currently drafting a proposal to be given to the Ashaiman District Police for permission before hitting the streets with what they described as a ‘massive demonstration.’
‘Politicians always deceive us into thinking that they would come to fix the road. We are sure they are waiting for the next election before they come to rehabilitate it. They are wicked People; and we will also show them how powerful we are,’ the youth posited.
A couple of weeks ago, some drivers believed to be at the Ashaiman main lorry park and other areas made a move to protest against the bad nature of the roads but they were stopped by the Police Service which deployed security personnel to most vantage points in the area.
The situation compelled the angry drivers and the youth to rescind their decision to stage a protest march and rescheduled it for another time because according to them, they did not inform the police before the date was chosen for the demonstration.
Samuel Amoah, Secretary of the Ashaiman Municipal Private Transport Operators Coordinating Council (AMPTOC) – an association which comprises all transport unions at Ashaiman – told DAILY GUIDE that investigations revealed that some Adjei-Kojo and Nungua drivers had a meeting to counter the proposed demonstration.
He advised the drivers who intended to protest to contact the mother driver’s association for its support.
Mr. Samuel Amoah noted that several meetings held with the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ashaiman, Ibrahim Baidoo, to iron out pertinent issues regarding the bad roads yielded no results.
From Vincent Kubi, Ashaiman
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