PRESIDENT AKUFO-Addo has expressed worry about the increasing rate of road accidents in the country.
He has attributed it partly to poor planning, inadequate provision of safer access facilities to vulnerable road users, low level of institutional commitment to road safety, and rising levels of indiscipline on the part of road users.
The President made this known during the maiden edition of the Kofi Annan Road Safety Award in Accra on Wednesday.
Even though he admitted that the issue of road accidents was not peculiar to Ghana, he stressed the fact that it could be remedied if a conscious effort was made by all stakeholders to stem the tide.
According to him, his administration “remains committed to scaling up” investments in “road safety initiatives” and “building partnerships that will help engineer improvements.”
“We cannot rest on our oars. We must act timely, and decisively to arrest the situation,” the President said.
The President therefore emphasised the need to expedite action in order to arrest the situation.
Awards
The Kofi Annan Road Safety Award is an initiative of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Secretariat of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, and the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Ghana.
The initiative is supported by the Kofi Annan Foundation. Its main focus is to motivate key stakeholders (governments, private sector, and civil society organisations) to develop and implement innovative and outstanding initiatives to save lives on Africa’s roads.
Ghana received a plague of excellence at the maiden awards for excellence in the implementation of the Africa Road Safety Action Plan 2011 to 2020. Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Transport Minister, received the award on behalf of Ghana.
For her leadership in the ratification of the Africa Road Safety Charter, Namibian High Commissioner to Ghana, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, received a plague on behalf of Namibia.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria received the third award for Excellence in Road Safety Management. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Nigeria’s Minister for Transport, received the award on behalf of his country.
Morocco received the award for leadership in Road Safety Data Management. Benaceur Boulaajoul, Director General of National Road Safety for Morocco, received the plague on behalf of Morocco.
South Africa’s Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, received the Leadership in Mobilising Resources for Road Safety award on behalf of his nation.
BY Charles Takyi-Boadu