Bad roads galore...
Driving towards Fintey, Volta Region, Ghana
Last Saturday, I went to Wegbe-Kpalime for a funeral. I was saddened to see that the road leading to my hometown is still in such a bad shape, especially the last leg from Anyirawase to Wegbe-Kpalime. The portion from the Adomi Bridge to Asikuma junction is also rough and filled with asphalt cracks and potholes. At a point last year the roads were patched but obviously, the 'interim' works haven't lasted much. In a discussion at the funeral about the state of the road leading to Ho, the capital city of the Volta Region, some were of the view that to travel to many parts of 'my side' of the Volta Region lately (i.e. areas close to Wegbe-Kpalime), one would need to travel in a '4x4' vehicle. Should this be so? It's not as though getting the opportunity to ride in the said '4x4' makes the journey enjoyable - check attached video out. To get to Wegbe via public transportation, one has to board a bus headed towards Kpedze at the 'Accra-Tema Station'; I wonder how long the entire journey from the station to the last stop takes now. I recall a point in my childhood when I asked my parents to send me to Wegbe during a school vacation to visit my aunt, Tasi Ella of blessed memory. My father dropped me off at the Accra-Tema station on a weekday (before he went to work) and I joined the bus and got off safely at my hometown. Such simple acts may no longer be feasible for many parents and guardians in our day. A parent could be tagged 'irresponsible' by others, to send off a young daughter on such a journey (because of many factors which include the deplorable nature of our roads)... but if we all work together on our systems and structures, we would have a better Ghana, largely safer and sound-er for all inhabitants. We should.
Not everyone who has/wants to travel has a 'big car', and the basic factors or items that enhance the quality of life for everyone have to be accessible to all, as much as possible. How about those who need to visit elderly/sick parents or relatives who live in areas quite a distance from Accra/Tema and have to travel by public transport? How comfortable is the journey for such? Have we as a nation paused to reflect on the numbers of lives lost on bad roads, the numbers of pregnant women who didn't make it to the nearest health facility based on issues bordering around bad road networks, etc? I saw pawpaws for sale along the stretch of the road close to Avenui and thought about how those fruits would make it to the nearest market or a place where they can be bought at a good price without spoiling.
Some years back, travelers to areas like Nkonya used to pass through Wegbe-Kpalime, connect to Bame, climb up to Kpeve and then continue their journey because the roads linking Peki to Hohoe, Kpando, Gbi-Wegbe, etc were in deplorable states. I hope those roads are better now. In the past 4 or so years, traveling around the Volta Region has largely boiled down to choosing a 'slightly better' route over a 'worse' one. At a point a couple of years back, some family and friends en-route Wegbe would branch off at Anyirawase, go through Ho, connect through Dzolo-Kpuita, descend towards Bame, and finally get 'home'. This winding route, though longer and a bit more expensive because of the extra amount of fuel used, is smoother. Consider traveling with an old lady or an old man and trying to make a bumpy journey a bit comfortable for them. Have we considered the impact of these bad roads on education, work productivity and the total wellbeing of all? Sometimes we think everyone should be 'sorted out' because we are 'sorted out' and have put 'structures' and 'systems' in place for our immediate family and circle of friends....BUT I have a dream - that one day soon, we would all treat the issues in our circles of influence as though they were our very own....that many more people in decision-making positions would chip in a word or two in relevant meetings for the good of the larger populace and not a select few....that in all sectors including road and transportation, education, agriculture, etc, we would dare to do our best for God and country. Selah.
Interestingly, I saw that today's Daily Graphic spoke to the Korle Bu roads. There's a lot that needs to be done in our country. We are all involved in building our motherland. Let's play our parts well.
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