Scores of residents from Gyetiase and Tadiaso, communities in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region, have taken to the streets in protest over the poor state of their roads, accusing successive governments of neglecting their infrastructure needs.
The residents, mostly from farming communities, expressed frustration at their inability to access healthcare services in Asante Mampong and Nsuta due to the deplorable road conditions.
According to the protesters, teachers and healthcare workers have frequently refused postings to their communities, citing the poor road network as a major deterrent.
These grievances come at a time when the government is rolling out its District Road Improvement Programme, aimed at upgrading deteriorating roads in local communities. However, the people of Gyetiase and Tadiaso say they are yet to benefit from this initiative.
In a bold statement, the protesters warned that they would boycott the upcoming December 7 elections and prevent any electoral activities in their communities unless the roads are fixed.
“What we are saying is that the people of Gyetiase and communities are tired of bad roads. Our roads have been unconstructed and untilled since Ghana’s independence in 1957, so we are tired, we have had to put up with bad roads all this while,” said Prince Dwomoh, one of the leaders of the protest, in an interview with Channel One News.
Dwomoh also lamented the apparent neglect of their communities, despite other areas witnessing infrastructure improvements.
“We are all in this country and we are well aware of a number of roads being constructed by the government of Ghana. In fact, we praised the government for a lot of developmental projects being carried out. But we, the people of Gyetiase and Tadiaso, are not seeing anything here. We are part of Ghana, so we are demanding our share of the national cake.”
He reiterated the community’s demand for immediate action: “That is what we are saying, so the government should come to our aid and construct our road for us. Other than that, we shall not take part in the 2024 elections.”
The protesters also pointed out that they had informed all the relevant local leaders, including the District Chief Executive, Member of Parliament, and Assembly Member, but no action has been taken to address their concerns.
“All the top people there, the DCE, the MP, the assembly member, they are all well aware of our situation, so we have informed them,” Dwomoh added.