Residents of Koforidua and its environs, on Saturday, defied the relatively heavy rainfall to peacefully march through some selected streets in the New Juaben South Municipality to register their displeasure over some poor roads and streetlights in the area.
Some notable relatively bad roads and in darkness at night are in communities such as Apenkwa, Agbogri, Nyamekrom, Monrovia, KTU area, Asokore, Oyoko, Akwaadum, Mpaem, Simpoa Miensa, Zongo and neighboring areas.
Unlike the usual demonstrations which take place through matching through the principal streets, the ‘Fixed our Roads Demonstration,’ which was organised by Koforidua Development Advocates (KDA), adopted an unconventional method of moving to the stations in the aforementioned communities one after the other.
The strategy was not only to woo public support, but also to interview passengers and drivers who plied their trade on those stretches of bad roads.
In an interview with the Chief Convener for KDA, Mr. Godsway Agbodo, he stated that the group decided on the demonstration for some months ago, but it was suspended following an intervention by the New Juaben Traditional Council to give the city authorities a grace period to fulfill a promise to fix the roads within a certain period.
He continued that, on the back of this, the Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juaben South, Michael Okyere Baafi, announced that 80% of Koforidua roads had been awarded a contract and that they were going to be fixed.
Mr. Agbodo stressed that although some portions of the Koforidua town roads had been asphalted, others leading to the suburb communities continued to deteriorate as the season unleashes incessant rainfalls daily, making them almost immotorable.
To this end, the demonstration forced the city authorities, the MP, and by large the government, to fix the rest of the roads within the municipality.
Agbodo Komla Godsway stated that: “The Koforidua Development Advocates is made up of all community members with a common purpose and devoid of party affiliation. It’s time to demand better roads, streetlights, and essential amenities for our neighborhoods. We are organising a peaceful demonstration to press the authorities and make our voices heard.”
Highlighting some possible dangers of bad roads and lack of streetlights, he was quick to mention that they posed a significant risk to commuters, pedestrians, and motorists. Pot-holes, cracks, and uneven surfaces increase the likelihood of accidents and injuries.
The Convener further touched on the fact that bad roads restricted access to essential services like healthcare, education, and markets, which go a long way to hinder economic growth and development.
