The ultimatum, which took effect yesterday, applied to all businesses within both ends of the tunnel.

Those who are likely to be affected include flower and pots dealers, petty traders and a private construction company (name withheld).

The expansion work is expected to begin immediately after the one-week ultimatum during which the Ghana Highway Authority, the client of the project, believes the space will be available.

Signs of frustration and depression were seen on the faces of some of the traders when the Daily Graphic team visited the area yesterday.

They were also seen idling, with their hands between their legs, while casting their eyes incessantly to court the attention of potential buyers.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the traders said they were unhappy with the authority because it did not give them enough time.

According to them, although they were aware that the land belonged to the government, they were not expecting the ejection to be that quick and urgent.

“As you can see, I am already frustrated because this notice has come at a wrong time. I have just received new goods from my suppliers and now I do not know what to do,” Ms Eunice Dampo, a trader, said.

Ms Dampo, who deals mainly in pots, said the challenge was so unbearable because “I cannot evacuate all my pots from this place before the Saturday, July 15, 2017 deadline.”

“My goods are many and I cannot get all of them out before the time. They have also warned us that, if we do not get them out, they will bring soldiers to come and destroy them,” she added.

Another trader, who refused to mention his name, also expressed concern about the short notice and timing.

“At least they can give us about two months to clear our goods, a week is too short to move out of this place,” he said.

Asked if they were being charged for using the place, he answered in the affirmative, saying they made some monthly payments but declined to name the receiving party.

Background

The Ministry of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta, during a recent tour announced that another tunnel would be constructed to ease the vehicular traffic for motorists on that route.

According to him, a reasonable amount of money had been earmarked for the project to be executed in six months.

“Within the next six months, I have directed the team to create a second tunnel so that there will be continuous flow of traffic instead of the current alternating flow that we are experiencing. Once we have the two systems in place, this traffic that occur will be a thing of the past,” the minister said.

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Source: Graphic.com.gh

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According to him, per the local government law, Act 936 such projects are to be undertaken by the MMDAs on behalf of the central government.

Mr. Kyeremanteng made the comment on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday when the poor state of roads in the country was being discussed.

[contextly_sidebar id=”MGkb06MTeXwmnAEQC6NTcnqJ8fyd2yDi”]Some Ghanaians who called into the show, expressed frustration at duty bearers over the deplorable nature of their roads.

But Mr. Kyeremanteng insisted that central government by law is only responsible for constructing highways but not feeder or urban roads.

“When we are talking about government, I think we should distinguish between the central government and that of the local government. We say that all governments are governments but when it comes to development, the local government is the developing agency of the central government. And the principal law guiding their operation is the new law that is Act 936. We were using the Act 462 from 1993 up to last year [2016] September until the new law was passed.”

He explained that the new law enforces the decentralization process and clearly demarcates remits of the central and local governments in terms of construction of projects.

“So what we are saying is that so far as the district assemblies are concerned, they have a department of feeder roads as part of the decentralization process and for the urban and municipal authorities we have the urban roads being part of the decentralization process. So what we are expecting is that any development that is supposed to be roads, streets, the construction of drains among others are not supposed to be the central governments work.”

He said the law further charges the MMDAs to set up a separate account where levies collected in the form of building permits are invested into, adding that such monies are supposed to be used for fixing roads and putting up other developmental projects within the districts and municipalities.

“Under the development permit, you are supposed to pay money for the construction of the roads, provision of water and electricity to your house. When the assemblies collect the monies they are supposed to put them in escrow accounts that will be used for the provision of the various facilities and infrastructure in the area.”

“In this country, all these laws have been set but successive governments refuse to apply it. So when people wake up they insult the central government but it is not the central government duty to provide in the municipal or urban areas the facilities that go into the various residential estates. The central government’s role is to provide highways, to provide money for the construction of the highways and even in that case they even collect tolls in other to recoup the kind of expenditure they spent on the project,” Mr. Kyeremanteng added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

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Mr. Amoako Attah said this when he appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee today [Wednesday] to be vetted.

“…If you take all the toll booths in the country as at now, we have 35 of them nationwide, and out of this 35, it is only four that are automated, and the four are the Ngleshie Amanfrom, Accra Plaza , Tema Plaza and the Amasaman booth.

“What I will do to improve on the toll collection is to improve on the automation of many of them as possible. I will ensure that those that can be automated will be automated to improve toll collection,” the Minister Nominee said.

He further stated that, government will “improve feeder road aspects of the total road network.”

This , he said, will “mean taking seriously the process of using the Road Fund, which is set up for routine and periodic maintenance.”

Mr. Attah believes that “If we use that fund properly, we will be able to put a lot of these feeder roads into good shape, obviously for economic development… by bringing foodstuff and other cash crops that are locked up in the hinterlands.”

He also emphasized the need to “sharpen competence in road toll collection, since it is the second highest contributor to the Road Fund.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post We’ll automate every toll booth – Kwasi Amoako-Attah appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.