The activities of scrap dealers in the national capital, Accra, are gradually posing threats on the road making it unsafe for users.
An innocent boy walking on the pavements to school could land into a death hole that once used to be the lid of a culvert.
One other thing that caught the attention of Adom News‘ Prince Owusu during his tour in the capital to monitor how thieves have raided roads of crash barriers and fences was the gutters.
Unfortunately, these gutters along the roads which have concrete covering have now become death traps due to the operation of scrap dealers.
During the road construction, the builders left square spaces on the covered gutters, through which the drains could be entered and dredged.
The holes were covered with removable metal lids.
But a few years on, it has been discovered thieves have picked most of the iron and aluminum metal covers which have created dangerous pits.
The situation was witnessed at Adabraka close to the cathedral square, Kokomlemle around the traffic light, in front of Accra Technical University aka Accra Poly, North Kaneshie close to the Awudome roundabout and the Supreme Court among other areas.
Some residents around these areas blamed the disappearance of the culvert lids on scrap dealers who on daily basis patrol the area in search of scraps.
However, some scrap dealers, who spoke to the team, fought off the claims, stating it could not be entirely true that they are responsible.
To them, there are miscreants in society who can be embarking on this illegality.
During the day, the adult pedestrian is likely to spot the gaping hole and skip but the situation is different at night.
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However, little children walking and playing at the same time are often absent-minded and can easily fall prey and that is exactly the fate that befell this kid who was walking on a pavement at North Kaneshie.
How do duty-bearers explain the multiple dangers on Accra roads occasioned by human acts of omission and commission?
Roads Minister Kwasi Amoako Atta told Adom News he is aware of the removals.
Mr Amoako Atta confirmed the suspicion that the culvert lids, crush barrier and median fence thefts are the handiwork of scrap dealers.
Asked what his solution is, he promised his ministry and the Police will swoop on the scraps markets to arrest suspects soon.
The Board Chairman of the Ghana Highway Authority, I.K. Mensah, appeared helpless when the team approached him as he was only thrown into lamentation.
He bemoaned the Ghanaian’s attitude towards state property, warning it will cost the taxpayer a lot to replace the lost barrier crushes, median fences and culvert lids.
Worse still, the stealing of the metal members of the roads pose dangers – not only to motorists – but to all road users, warns the GHA Board Chair