Commercial activities in the Shama District of the Western Region was brought to a halt on Monday as indigenes and residents blocked all major roads in the town to express their grievances on the deplorable state of the roads.
At about 6am, scores of demonstrators were on the street, dancing and chanting songs with red bands while others held placards, some of which read ‘Be honest with the people of Shama’, ‘Is it right or not to have good roads’ ‘Enough of the deception; why are you punishing us’, among others”.
Workers, market women, commuters as well as school children were stranded as commercial vehicles were parked.
School children going to school had to alight at the main junction at Shama and then walk to their various campuses for about 20 to 30 minutes while some parents had to send their kids back home.
Smoke billowed into the atmosphere while the demonstrators burnt car tyres at some junctions within the district.
The Police reinforcement arrived to restore order for the residents to continue their demonstration. Confusion ensued between a young man and the police who was ensuring they had a peaceful demonstration; but unfortunately, he was punched beneath the right eye when he challenged the police and had to be sent to the hospital.
Workers going to their various offices in their private cars were allowed to use the road after 8am but commercial vehicles were not operating. The road was opened to the public after 2pm when they had sent their petition to the Shama District Assembly.
Why the demonstration?
According to the residents who demonstrated, successive governments have failed to listen to their concerns, thereby creating untold hardships in the Shama District.
The situation becomes worse when it rains heavily. Commercial drivers are unable to ply the road as their undercarriage get spoilt and have to see a mechanic thereafter.
Nana Akosua Gyamfiaba II, acting Queen mother of Shama, who led the demonstrators from Nyankrom to Shama Junction, expressed worry that “if authorities do not listen to our plea and do what is needful, we’ll continue to demonstrate to demand our rights and fair share of the national cake; the action will continue”.
She recalled that over the years, Nyankrom, for example, had yearned for a bituminous road but this dream has eluded them.
“Look at the road from Shama Junction to Shama township, it has deteriorated that commercial vehicles are sometimes reluctant to ply the road; pregnant women who are in labour suffer on this road and some even lose their babies. Even in the year of roads we are denied. Meanwhile, we have a lot of companies in this district who can support. We have government officials also using this road everyday but they are not perturbed,” she bemoaned.
She asked: “Are we also not Ghanaians? During heavy rains, Nyankrom is flooded and you have to spend close to two hours plying the road before you access the Accra highway. No commercial vehicle wants to ply this route, and so commercial activities are seriously affected”.
She noted incomes are greatly affected as traders find it difficult to access marketing centres.
John Armooh, Chairman of the GPRTU at Shama District, also spoke about the pain drivers endure in plying the Nyankrom, Botogeyena, Konfeiku, Aboadze, Abuesi routes, among others, in the Shama District capital.
“This is a serious matter which needs an urgent attention. Indeed, giving a face-lift to roads in Shama District is long overdue. Government must listen to the cries of the people in Shama,” he added.
Petition
In a petition on ‘the deplorable state of the Shama District roads’ signed by Nana Wurapa II (leader of the team), Nana Atta Kakra II, Nana Akosua Gyamfiaba lI, Nana Brekrom II, John Armooh (GPRTU Chairman, Shama Branch) as well as Nana Kow Mensah (GPRTU Vice Chairman) and copied to the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah through the Shama District, they said: “The road, which is now in a deplorable state, has become a recipe for frequent vehicular breakdown and accidents. Not long ago, two students of the Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI), who were riding a motorcycle on the road in question trying to swerve a pothole, collided with a car at the entrance of Shama Senior High School – resulting in a serious accident”.
The potholes on the road have caused immense damage to numerous vehicles, leading to high cost of maintenance and service of such vehicles. Driving on the road, which has no pavement or walkway for pedestrians and with numerous potholes, drivers are compelled to increase their fares as time and fuel consumed per trip become far from the normal.
“As Nananom, we are not oblivious to the fact that the constitution precludes us from engaging in partisan politics; however, we believe sitting aloof while the deplorable state of our most important road in the district is becoming a death trap should be our concerned” the petition said.
“We believe that the time is now to step out of our palaces as Nananom to express our utmost displeasure and disappointment to all the relevant authorities who have a role to play in making sure that the road is fixed. It is paramount to note, however, that our petition is by no means whatsoever an attempt to score cheap political points for any political party or person nor denigrate or sabotage any person or group of persons; but a clear objective to demand the best for our subjects,” the chiefs made it clear.
They continued that “there is no better time or opportunity other than this moment to adopt this approach, having seen that less than 5 kilometres of the road is in such a terribly deplorable state. We are, however, by this solemn petition asking the government to fix our roads, especially the most important road in the district Shama, the Shama-Junction and Nyankrom road, with immediate effect. As Nananom, we see ourselves as agents of development in the district”.
