Dear Mr. Appiah Kubi, I bring you warm greetings from Prampram, the beautiful fishing community outside of Accra. It is a home to fishermen, fishmongers, traders, drivers, ordinary teachers and LIBIDO killing vehicular traffic in the Ningo Prampram Constituency.
Our traditional area includes Dawhenya, Tsopoli, Afienya, Community 25 and many other smaller town.
We are bordered by the lovely town of Ningo to the east and Kpone to the west. Last Friday, the traffic suffering population of our community embarked on a demonstration to voice concerns about the terrible traffic situation – from Kpone barrier through to Dawhenya and beyond. The traffic on my our road is globally known. I want to believe you know about it. If not, you may want to ask our REPRESENTATIVES you share the chamber with. We recently staged a protest to express frustration and also highlight the negative impact it is having on businesses, personal health and marriages.
Those of us who live in the enclave, and the many who commute through the stretch to Ada, Sogakope and beyond, deserve to a medal for our continuous use of that road. The traffic is not a joke.
I know people who have been forced out of their own built homes because of the traffic situation. The homes were built with life savings but they remain unoccupied. For those of us who live there and commute to and from home for our daily grind, getting out of the traffic is like snaking a giant rope through the eye of a needle. It is a constant battle with the DEVIL. Imagine snatching under-10-year-old children out of bed before 5am, just because the parents want to avoid traffic so the children make it to school on time?
Or imagine getting out of bed at 4am and getting to your door after 8pm? How is this a reasonable lifestyle for any sane person? How do you even bond with your children or partner in this situation? But that is our daily hustle. That is our world. I know others too have similar stories to share.
Believe it or not, but some happy marriages appear to be melting away like ice in the sun. And it is partly due to the traffic situation. Most couples who live in traffic prone areas have been deprived of quality time with their partners and children.
Again, imagine the trotro driver from Prampram to Ashaiman or Tema, who has to endure more than an hour of traffic, wasting away fuel? How does he make sales to the owner, how does he raise enough to educate his children to fulfil ASPIRATIONS that are bigger than his? What about the market woman who has to go and sell at the Ashaiman Market? I have not even discussed the messy Tema Motorway and its own wahala for those of us who also use that stretch.
These are just some examples. I have witnessed your V8 driving colleagues with their BLUE & RED lights some describe as NATIONAL SECURITY lights, waft through traffic with speed and happiness, while we sit in the monstrous traffic, burning fuel and wiping away a never ending sweat.
I have seen an AMBULANCE with a sick person trapped in traffic and begging to be let go, just so a life can be saved. I have seen a heavily pregnant woman almost pass out in that traffic because she almost had heat stroke. I can write more than 230 pages of experiences on that my stretch. Like me who lives in Prampram, with the Prampram Junction being the only route for me to get out of town, the day that famous PRAMPRAM JUNCTION goes into locked down, then it means I have to ABORT any plans of getting out of town. Ask anyone who lives there. OURS IS A HOPELESS SITUATION. So an oppposition to the OBNOXIOUS LEGISLATIVE INSTRUMENT to give MPs,ministers, etc. a free pass through traffic situation, is not JEALOUSY or HATRED to the work you do.
According to you, MPs have essential work to perform so they need to be in Parliament on time. No debate about that. But have you thought about the CLEANER who has to switch three different trotros to get to your office to clean? Don’t forget this CLEANER has children to look after before getting out of the house.
You don’t think he or she is also providing essential services to the state? Or the driver of the MPs and ministers – you don’t think their work is essential? What about the REGISTRAR at the court who lives in Nsawam, Tsopoli or even Gomoa Budumburum, who has to wait by the roadside to fight to enter into TROTROs before getting to work; you don’t think their works are essential? Does it occur to you the torture the cleaner of the toilets you use at Parliament House go through to perform his or her duty, so you can SHIT with a SMILE on your face?
Nobody is jealous of the work of MPs.
We want our elected representatives to do right by us. Ours is a democracy which says we should vote to elect people to represent us. If they are fortunate, since that is how we have reduced office holding to, any of the representative may become a MINISTER, with all the goodies that come with the office. We elect you and your colleaguges with the RIGHT INTENTIONS and so believe you will do RIGHT BY US.
Our only HOPE is that you do right by us, the citizens. However, and rather depressingly, it appears our system is more of a SERVANT-MASTER relationship. Like the proverb goes; the MOUTH used in BORROWING MONEY IS NOT THE SAME USED IN PAYING BACK.
It appears we elect people to pick up positions with all the good intentions, but once they get what they want, they turn around and PISS on us. The truth is, not everyone can be an MP, MINISTER or any elected officer. That is why the benefits you enjoy are not extended to us.
You are provided with the appropriate tools to help you work in comfort, so you can work out a plans which also include how to tell your colleague minister who is a minister of roads how to pay attention to our situation.
But, if after collecting all these gigs you still come back and say you want another set of rules to help you escape the MESS so we the rest will live in it, then you are taking us for some brainless IDIOTS. Who does that? It is unfortunate how public service operates in our space. In certain jurisdiction, the elected representatives are the ones who speak out about the issues affecting their people. Why? Because they experience it themselves and can talk about it. Ours is the opposite.
Some of you appear to be feasting on the GROUP THINK culture where once it’s BLUE, no matter what you say, the blue adherents will applaud it. Same as if it’s RED. Most of you know this; so you capitalise on it and PISS on our freshly mint fabrics meant for social ceremonies and when we happen to bump into each other at those gatherings, you tell us we are not smelling well.
We want to see our elected officials work in better conditions, but what are they also giving us in return?
Yours sincerely,
The fisherman from Prampram.
PS: I first wrote this piece and posted on my Facebook page on the morning of July 16. I have done some edits. The bill has since been withdrawn.
