Workers busy at the site
Residents of New Ablekuma Forest, a suburb of Afienya in the Greater Accra Region, have registered their displeasure over the lack of accessible roads to their homes in the ongoing construction of the railway project in the area.
The residents, who expressed unhappiness about the ongoing railway project, said the absence of accessible roads to their various homes, schools and workplaces was creating inconvenience for them.
They, therefore, called on the contractors to immediately address their concerns by constructing accessible roads to facilitate movement of vehicles and persons in the area.
Speaking to DAILYGUIDE, the Chairman of the Landlords Association in the area, Prosper Tetteh, indicated that the association had written several petitions to Afcons Construction and Engineer Limited, which is in charge of the Tema-Akosombo Railway Project over the challenges, but to no avail.
According to him, “Members of the association further wrote to the Afienya District Police to seek permission to embark on a peaceful demonstration to register their displeasure over the issues but we were stopped by the police commander.”
“For over a month now, we have not seen anything positive with regards to the issue we presented to him,” he further mentioned.
“Our wards would have to walk a distance of about 1.5 kilometers, before they get to school. Sick persons, as well as pregnant women, cannot get easy access to the hospital as a result of the lack of accessible roads in the area due to the blockage of the accessible road which links to the Afienya Highway,” he added.
Mr. Tetteh was of the view that without the construction of alternative roads in the area, it would be difficult for Police and Fire Service personnel to get access to the area in the event of any eventuality.
He noted that the construction of the railway line would block access routes which link Tema Community 25 to the main Afienya-Akosombo Road.
He further argued that the destruction of culverts in the area would result to severe flooding in the area.
According to him, “The construction of a small gutter, instead of an underpass in front of the Ghana Forestry Commission’s bungalow is not a good idea; it would impose hardship on the residents.”
He therefore called on the Railways Ministry, government, as well as relevant authorities, to address their concerns.
“The irate youth in the area who are not pleased with the worrying development, planned to mobilize themselves to halt the ongoing railway project in the area, but the association advised them against the move,” Mr. Tetteh added.
From Vincent Kubi, Afienya