Angry residents of Huhunya in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region blocked a section of the Asesewa to Koforidua road on Friday to protest the excessive dust created by ongoing road construction.
The protest by residents of Huhunya on Friday was triggered by a fatal crash the previous day that left one community member dead and another battling for his life.
A commercial vehicle crashed into their motorbike but residents attribute the accident to poor visibility caused by the dusty road conditions.
The community has endured these conditions for the past three years due to the slow pace of work by the contractor.
In response, the angry youth of the community constructed four-speed ramps using sand and gravel to control the speed of vehicles, particularly the trucks used by the construction firm.
Residents accused the construction company of failing to adhere to environmental and safety measures, such as continuously watering the road to reduce dust.
This neglect has forced many shops to close, reduced visibility, and caused respiratory diseases among residents, particularly children.
Isaac Tetteh Kwame, chief of Huhunya, expressed his frustration on GHOne TV.
“They started this road three years ago, but work has been very slow. So since then, dust has been killing businesses here. We are getting various respiratory sicknesses; our children are sick. Go to the clinic and see. So we want the contractor to water the road for us to reduce the dust” he said.
An opinion leader in the community accused the contractor of disregarding the community’s welfare.
“They should water the road. We are pleading that we are not against the construction of the road; it is going to help us. So what we are saying is they should water the road for us so that the kind of diseases it is giving us, especially coughing and all, should cease” he bemoaned.
Some residents also complained about how the dusty road conditions have adversely affected economic activities.
Mavis Dede Donkor, the Assembly member for the area, said following engagements with the Police, the contractor has agreed to frequently water sections of the road in the community.
She said the community waits the contractor to fulfil the agreement to avoid any escalation of the agitation.
