Nobody has the right to encroach on the road space – Road Minister

By Emmanuel Todd, GNA 

Accra, March 12, GNA – Mr Kwesi Amoako-Attah, Minister of Roads and Highways on Wednesday said nobody has the right to encroach on the road space because it is solely the property of the government and no citizen had such privilege.  

He said citizens should desist from the practice of blocking roads, creating speed rumps, laying of pavement blocks on roads amongst other road works without the appropriate authorization.

“If any private individual wishes to work on any road within their community, it is welcomed, but should seek approval through their respective Assemblies, Feeder Roads, Urban Roads, or the Ministry for Roads and Highways for permits and technical support to execute such projects.

Mr Amoako-Attah stated these sentiments during a routine tour within the Tema Metropolitan Authority to inspect the nature of roads.

He said it took a lot of safety measures and technical skill to construct a road; such encroachment within the road space puts users at risk and destroyed national investments in the road sector.

The Minister who went on the tour in the company of Mr Nii Anang-La Felix, TMA Chief Executive Officer; Alhaji Abass Awolu, Director of Urban Roads; and Mr Kofi Brako, Member of Parliament for Tema Central.

The team supervised the demolishing of about 100 Metres road construction project made with pavement blocks by Mr Sam Opoku Arthur on ‘Thirdes Road Extension’ in Community 12, Tema.

Mr Nii Anang-La Felix said his attention was drawn to the project by the residents of the area with the complaint that the road had been blocked for weeks by Mr Arthur and no alternative diversion had been made.

He said he visited the Project site on Monday, March 9 and invited Mr Arthur to his office for some discussions with regards to the project but he never showed up.

He equally advised residence within Tema who had the development of the community at heart not to take things into their own hands but contact the appropriate offices before embarking on any project.

Alhaji Abass Awolu said the materials used for the project was not appropriate, in that the pavement blocks used were not for roads but walkways and its strength did not meet the right standard.

He said the project had been awarded to a contractor who was onsite working and would complete within two week, hence was not lawful for a third party to be engaged for the same project.

“The contractor can take us on in situations such as this,” he said.

The team also inspected the Community 10 Junction road, Community 11 traffic junction, Bengali Hospital road in Community 11, Agapet road in Community nine and some shops which had been built on roadways within the Tema Communities.

GNA

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