Public anger continues to mount in the Krobo area following the abandonment of the Somanya–Odumase–Kpong road, as a coalition of civic groups has rebuked comments made by Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, Member of Parliament for the Lower Manya Krobo Constituency and Deputy Minister for Interior, describing protesters as people who “have no shame.”
The remarks were made days after hundreds of frustrated residents from the Yilo and Lower ManyaKrobo municipalities staged a massive demonstration on Tuesday, October 14, 2025 to protest the deplorable condition of the 24-kilometre stretch, a critical artery connecting communities and markets across the Eastern Region.
Led by a coalition of Krobo civic groups – KlomaHengme, Adolf Nomo and Dangme Youth for Development, demonstrators marched through the dusty cratered road to demand urgent government intervention.
In a petition to President John Mahama, they described the road as a “daily affliction” for commuters and residents alike, citing worsening potholes, dust pollution and life-threatening driving conditions since the project was abandoned earlier this year.
The groups said the road’s deterioration has resulted in rising respiratory diseases, high vehicle maintenance costs and the collapse of small businesses dependent on the route.
Ambulances, they added, now struggle to reach patients on time, turning emergencies into tragedies.
According to the petition, the project, which has faced years of neglect, began in 2016 and was halted in 2017, following a change in government, re-awarded in 2024 and abandoned once again in early 2025, after yet another change of administration.
Calls for Presidential Action
The petition, signed by Isaac TamateyOtu, Chairman of KlomaHengme and Simon Teye, President of Dangme Youth for Development urged the President to direct the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Ghana Highways Authority to ensure that the contractor returns to site within 60 days.
They also demanded the use of durable materials capable of supporting the heavy limestone trucks that ply the corridor and requested interim reliefs such as grading, dust control, and protective barriers near schools and health centres.
Failure to act, the groups warned, would leave residents with no choice but to intensify civil action.
“The patience of the Krobo people has been stretched beyond endurance,” the petition read, adding “This is not merely a call for road construction but a plea for justice, equity and respect for citizens who have long fulfilled their civic duties.”
MP’s Remarks Spark Outrage
However, what began as a civic protest has since morphed into a political controversy as deputy minister Terlabiaccused the demonstrators of being members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), alleging political motives behind the protest.
The Coalition of Krobo Groups has strongly condemned the comments, calling them “reckless, offensive and unbecoming of a Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister.”
In a public statement issued on October 22, the Coalition said the MP’s remarks undermine the dignity of Parliament and insult citizens exercising their constitutional right to protest.
“To attack suffering constituents rather than empathize with their plight is morally indefensible,” the statement said, demanding a public and unqualified apology from MrTerlabi to the chiefs and people of Krobo.
The coalition also urged the MP to recommit himself to the principles of humility, decorum, and public service, and to represent all constituents fairly, irrespective of political affiliation.
Reaffirming that the protest was not organised on a partisan basis, the groups emphasized that their campaign is about basic human dignity, not politics.
“The demand for a safe, motorable road is not political,it is a call for fairness, justice and respect for the people.”
For now, Krobo residents remain hopeful that their collective voice amplified through protest and public advocacy will finally compel action on a road project that has come to symbolise broken promises and official neglect.
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