Opinions of Friday, 9 November 2018

Columnist: Nii Ogbamey Tetteh

Madina-Adenta, Aburi highway blessing or curse?

Over 100 lives have been lost on the Madina-Adenta road due to lack of footbridges Over 100 lives have been lost on the Madina-Adenta road due to lack of footbridges

Not a single footbridge (from Madina Firestone to Adenta) has been completed since the construction of the Madina–Adenta–Aburi Highway.

What shocks me is that the uncompleted footbridges have become advertising sites for politicians (incumbent and aspiring MPs) and some organizations among others.

Before you think of politicizing this post, let me remind you that both political parties have sat unconcerned as innocent Ghanaians die trying to cross this highway.

Corporate Ghana also looks at these structures that have become ‘white elephants’ and see an avenue to sell their brands by advertising on them and I believe government also makes money from this by charging these organizations money before they advertise on the uncompleted footbridges.

According to reports, more than 190 deaths have occurred on that highway as pedestrians are forced to compete with speeding drivers to be able to cross to the other side of the road. Just last night, a friend told me of another death that occurred on that same stretch.

For once, I think people need to be angry enough and tell those in authority to fix these bridges immediately else we might wake up someday and worse would have happened.

For those who ‘had’ and ‘have’ the opportunity to fix these footbridges on the Madina – Adenta – Aburi Highway but ‘turned’ or ‘turn’ a ‘blind eye’, I dedicate Damian Marley’s ‘Sabali’ and Worlasi’s ‘You Saw Me’ songs to you. #fixourfootbridgesnow.