Hot Source…Angry drivers set deadline for protest
Commercial transport operators have issued a one-week ultimatum to the Ministry of Roads and Highways to repair the deteriorating Pokuase–Nsawam road or face a mass protest that could result in vehicles being grounded.
In a joint statement signed by leaders of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the TUC, the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC), and other commercial driver groups, the operators described the stretch as “unmotorable” and “extremely dangerous” to motorists, commuters, and residents.
The project, undertaken by Maripoma Enterprise Limited, a local construction firm, is funded by the Government of Ghana at a cost of GH¢341.48 million.
In a statement issued on August 14, the operators stated that the poor condition of the road has made it nearly impassable, resulting in increased operational costs due to frequent vehicle maintenance, spare parts replacement, and reduced vehicle lifespans.
They stated that the poor state of the road had not only increased travel time but also imposed heavy operational costs on drivers, who are forced to carry out frequent repairs and replace parts more frequently, ultimately reducing the lifespan of their vehicles.
“The situation has become a predicament not only for commercial transport operators but all motorists using the road to destinations near and far, including Eastern, Ashanti and other northern regions, impacting daily lives and economic activities,” the statement read.
According to the group, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Kwame Governs Agbodza, had earlier assured them during a meeting that the road would be put in satisfactory condition within six weeks, but the deadline had long passed without any improvement.
They are therefore demanding urgent intervention, warning that failure to act will result in a protest “until our concerns are addressed.”
The transport unions also called on all motorists, commuters and residents affected by the situation to join the planned protest as a civic duty to compel authorities to act.
The statement was signed by Emmanuel Nii Ankrah, National Vice and Greater Accra Regional Chairman of GPRTU of TUC; Alhaji Abbas Ibrahim Moro, National PRO of GRTCC; Alhaji Tanko, National Chairman of GPRTU of TUC; Samuel Amoah, National Deputy PRO of the Concern Drivers Association of Ghana; Paa Willie, National Chairman of the Concern Drivers Association of Ghana; David Agboado, National PRO of the True Drivers Union; Yaw Barima, National PRO of the Commercial Transport Operators; and Asonaba Nana Owiredu.
“The present deplorable state of the road has made it unmotorable and poses extreme dangers to motorists, commuters and residents along the Pokuase Nsawam stretch.
“As commercial transport operators, we are grappling with high operational costs due to the bad nature of the road, which requires frequent maintenance and changing of spare parts, in addition to damage and shortened lifespan of our vehicles.
“In a recent engagement with the Minister for Roads and Highways, we were assured that the situation would be remedied in six (6) weeks and the road would be put in a satisfactory condition for ease of movement, but the timeline has elapsed and the situation remains same to our chagrin.
“We are therefore calling on the Hon. Minister of Roads and Highways to make it a priority and take immediate action to fix the Pokuase Nsawam road to alleviate the plight of motorists, commuters and residents on the corridor.
“If no meaningful action is taken within one week, the GPRTU of TUC, GRTCC and other commercial transport operators will park our vehicles and embark on a protest against the Government till our concerns are addressed.
“We call on all motorists and commuters who struggle to navigate this unmotorable road, residents along and beyond the corridor who have to deal with increased travel time and constant struggle to get vehicles to their destinations during inclement weather and all Ghanaians to join us as a civic duty to compel authorities to act accordingly.
Indeed, in March of this year, the Minister of Roads and Highways charged the contractor working on the Ofankor-Nsawam road project to speed up work and bring relief to motorists.
Work on the 33.4km road commenced in 2022 and was expected to be completed by July 2024; however, work slowed down in November 2024, with 75% of the work completed.
Speaking to journalists during an inspection tour, Mr Agbodza expressed his unhappiness about the progress of work. While acknowledging the financial constraints faced by contractors working on various government road projects, the Minister urged the contractors to expedite work on the projects.
“I acknowledge that the majority of road contractors are having a crisis of not being paid because the volume of work that had been awarded without any sustainable source of funding is the issue. That is the bottom line,” the Minister said.
He added that: “I agree every road is necessary, every single road that is under contract is necessary, but you know the corridor you are working on is a very critical one. “You have to actually increase your activity on this corridor in good faith because surely we owe, and you will be paid.”
The Minister was accompanied by Alhassan Suhuniyi, Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways as well as directors of the ministry and the Ghana Highways Authority.
The Ofankor-Nsawam section of the National Route Six (N6) serves as a major arterial road for communities in the Ga West Municipal Assembly, including Pokuase, Amasaman, Medie, and Sarpeiman, among others.
It also serves as a vital link for trade between Ghana and its neighbouring landlocked countries – Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and for transit cargo to move from the country’s ports to those destinations.
The project was awarded by the Akufo-Addo administration at a cost of GH¢341.48 million to Maripoma Enterprise Limited, a local construction firm, which is also working on the 17km dualisation of a portion of the Tema-Aflao and the Tema Roundabout to Akosombo road projects, where the Minister had demanded similar actions to ensure their timely completion.
On the Tema-Aflao project, for instance, Mr Agbodza directed the contractor (BHM) to, as a matter of urgency, fix the defective portions of the stretch to make it motorable to users.
The £80.3 million project is funded through a partnership between the UK and Ghana. On the Tema Motorway Roundabout to Akosombo project, Mr Agbodza urged the contractor to step up work to ease the burden of motorists.
Mr. Agbodza had assured the contractor of the government’s commitment to help him clear the right of way, paving the way for the project’s second and third phases.
Additionally, he reiterated the government’s commitment to completing all ongoing road projects, despite the current economic challenges.
“The President is committed to continuing and completing every ongoing project as long as the fiscal space and the financing of these projects can be made available by the Finance Minister. “We all listened to the outcome of the Economic Forum yesterday. We are not in a good place, financially.
Despite that, we are committed to completing projects like this because it is another priority project,” he said.
Mahama Abdulai, Project Manager for the Ofankor-Nsawam project, attributed the slowdown in work to ongoing litigation, compensation, and financial challenges, and called on the Minister to help address them.
In July, the contractor working on the Ofankor-Nsawam road promised to return to the site immediately following a directive from the Minister of Roads and Highways.
Again, during a meeting with contractors on Monday, July 8, 2025, Mr Agbodza stated that the government is committed to completing all ongoing road projects across Ghana, stressing that contractors will be supported, revealing that the government plans to release GH₵4 billion out of the total GH₵21 billion owed to road contractors.
According to the Minister, the contractor has agreed to resume work immediately and has assured the government and the public that significant improvements will be made to the road within the next six weeks, thereby reducing the daily struggles faced by commuters.
The Roads Minister pleaded with road users to be patient during the construction period while admitting that the work may cause some inconvenience, but said the long-term benefits will be worth the wait, as better roads are essential for national development.
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport has also conducted a working visit to the project site early this year. It was led by its Chairman and Member of Parliament (MP) for Wassa East, Isaac Adjei Mensah, and the Ranking Member, Kennedy Osei Nyarko.
Resident Engineer of Fas Consult, Owusu Sekyere Antwi, cited the issue of compensation payments and stressed the need for all stakeholders to join hands and resolve all the thorny issues to allow for the smooth execution of the Ofankor-Nsawan and other road projects.
The Ranking Member on the committee, Kennedy Osei Nyarko, said the work done by the contractors was generally satisfactory and needed to be sustained and completed. However, he expressed concern about the protracted shifts in the completion dates of the Ofankor-Nsawam dualisation project.
“This is a 33.4-kilometre road project that was supposed to be completed within 24 months, but it has elapsed for almost a year now, and we are made to understand that as long as it keeps delaying, it is costing the government and the taxpayer more money.
“If we are not able to resolve the outstanding issues for the contractor to be able to complete the project, we will end up paying almost double the initial project cost,” he said.
He emphasised the need to swiftly deal with the issues of encroachment and compensation for the project to rebound.
Interestingly, public transport drivers who ply the Ofankor to Nsawam Highways have resorted to taking advantage of the slow pace of work being done on the road.
The drivers who ply the road complain of how the slow pace of road development is contributing to the breakdown of their vehicles. They say the rate at which contractors and architects have left the road in a deplorable state in the name of rehabilitation is really costing them their daily sales.
Not long ago, a driver who plies the road daily said that the only way they can recoup the money spent weekly on maintenance and repairs is to increase fares or limit short distances. He added that they are aware that passengers complain, but as it stands now, they have no option. The only way out, according to him, is when the road is completed and ready to use.
“Boss, every week, the majority of the drivers who use this road visit the shop to either change something or get something in the car fixed. The only way we can get our money back is to do what we are doing. We are not happy when we hear passengers complain about the fares they pay.”
In a bid to salvage the money they spend weekly on vehicle repairs and maintenance, these drivers have resorted to only covering short distances, which costs passengers more than they spend on transportation. This advantage-taking nature of the drivers has become the norm, and passengers have little choice but to succumb.
“One can only complain and shout at the apex of their voices, but the situation remains the same until the rehabilitation of the road is quickened and opened to motorists. I think that can be the only end to these irrational acts of these drivers,” one passenger said.
An early morning trip from Nsawam to the capital reveals the plight of stranded commuters at various bus stops.
Drivers, upon seeing how desperate passengers are to get to their destinations, either do short trips at higher fares or a straight journey at a much higher fare than usual. With jobs at stake, one will have no option but to succumb and do the short trips or pay the higher fares being charged.
This is gradually eating into the expenses of citizens who are in this situation. A call or plea to the government to quicken up the rate at which road rehabilitation is the only way out now, lest people lose their jobs and savings on transportation at the expense of the current unstable economic trends in the country.
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