Residents of Afiaman in the Greater Accra Region have raised concerns over the persistent neglect of their community’s main road.
Despite actively participating in elections over the years, they mentioned that their cries for road rehabilitation have been ignored. While some have resigned themselves to the status quo, others have appealed to the current Mahama-led administration to intervene and construct a more durable road network.
Patricia Ofosu Sarpong, a resident and trader, speaking to Citi News on Saturday, May 3, lamented that each downpour floods her home with red mud, making life unbearable.
“When it rains, the bad nature of the road drives muddy water into our homes. On days when there’s no rain, we are splashed with dust the moment a vehicle passes by. During Mahama’s first tenure, they were supposed to develop it, but it wasn’t done. The Akuffo Addo administration, too, failed to do so.
“Now, Mahama is back. So it’s been over ten years now since the road was tarred. So we are hoping that his administration will reconstruct it. When we clean our nostrils or ears, all we see is dust.”
Even on dry days, the community is plagued by clouds of dust. For food vendors like Helena Cobina, the dust drives away customers.
“My customers complain when dust settles on the food, and our clothes are left dirty after a few minutes on the road,” she disclosed.
Drivers also suffer the consequences of the unpaved road, which is riddled with potholes and uneven surfaces. Many highlighted that they are forced to spend significant sums on vehicle repairs.
They questioned the point of paying taxes when basic infrastructure remains unattended.
“Take a look at the condition of the road serving a community which is actively involved in casting votes during elections. We are tired of it. They should speedily come and have it fixed because we are in distress. See how bad it looks after a few minutes of rain. But we’ve been paying our taxes, which have provided us with no benefits,” Obo Nyarko, a driver, bemoaned.
Homes and businesses along the road, including the Afiaman palace, are coated in red dust. For Richard Bore, a resident, he has lost hope in seeing the road ever fixed.
He recounted the many protests and petitions that yielded no results during previous NDC and NPP governments.
However, Chief of Afiaman, Nii Afia III, described the government’s unfulfilled promises as disheartening and called for immediate intervention.
“We are praying that this current government will come to our aid to complete our road for us,” he appealed.
