‘Year of Roads’ Slogan, an Elusive and Sad Promise!

We recall in the past bringing up in our editorials the issue of unacceptably, deteriorating bad roads, the last being as recent as June 25, 2023, barely two months ago. Sad to note, the situation of bad roads has remained the same, and is getting worse, and worse. The oft-shouted ‘Year of Road’ sloganeering, the past three or so years, has accordingly become a meaningless laughingstock!

Is it not sad that over 90 percent of the road between Wa and Bolgatanga, two regional capitals, has not had bitumen surface since independence?

Only a few days ago, the periodic spillage of the Bagre Dam and days of torrential rainfall in the Savannah Region destroyed the Bole-Bamboi-Wa Highway, washing away portions of the inter-regional road and cutting off travel access to stranded passengers. The same fate of washed-away roads has been reported in several parts of the country. Similarly, inner city roads, as well as some major roads across the country, have been reduced to an unprecedented, deplorable state due mainly to either poor maintenance or poorly constructed drainage systems.

A lethal mix of factors are responsible for our bad roads. They include underhand contract dealings, incompetent or unprofessional contractors, use of inferior material and poor technical supervision. These contributing facts are not unknown to policy-and-decision makers who dole out inflated highways and roads contracts. Some short- and long-term suggestions, made in our latest June editorial on Ghana’s bad roads, will bear repetition:

First, is the need for a dedicated road maintenance fund – for road upgrades and emergency road repairs. This will mean bringing back the road tolls to beef up and constantly sustain the proposed fund. Secondly, contractors engaged to build (not construct) roads should be legally held to account, within the life span of roads, to guarantee long-lasting roads. Thirdly, quality assurance measures must be introduced or tightened to ensure that road-building materials are of the highest quality to ensure durability. This implies that only professionally certified road builders are given the job, as against party-affiliated contractors. Is it not a pity, and less wonder, that many newly constructed roads deteriorate only a few months after they have been constructed? Finally, it is our view that existing monitoring mechanisms to ensure that vehicles do not exceed legally mandated maximum axel weights and prevent road damage have been ineffective.

We call on the Ministry of Roads and Highways to move away from a minimalist notion of ‘road construction’ to ‘road engineering and building’ and address these obvious issues of bad roads in the country.

What more does The Catholic Standard need to or must say, regarding our dangerously and very bad road network infrastructure and deficit? Aware of our annual, torrential rains, do we need somebody else to order us to ‘build on our roads’ to last? Must road contractors be begged to use quality materials to guarantee durability in road building? Must contract award-makers be reminded that they are the ultimate cause, who bears responsibility for the considerable loss of lives and blood-shedding in road carnage?

The removal of unused toll booths on the Tema-Accra motorway, as part of current road reconstruction, is a most commendable start and should be extended nationwide. In our economic environment, where funds are never enough to undertake regular road maintenance or rehabilitation, we renew our call for the establishment of a dedicated road fund, even if it means bringing back road tolls. So also, do we repeat our suggestion for the dualization of our major highways: Single-lane roads deteriorate faster by reason of constant, heavy traffic traction, the very reason advanced countries long ago have abandoned single-lane roads for multiple-lane highways and urban road networks. In this time and age, when 24- to 36-wheeler articulators are trucking tons of heavy loads across regions in other countries, Ghana should not be boasting of pre-independence, single-lane roads. Tourists must be scandalized by our notorious, widespread single-lane roads!

Essentially, what we need to do most is to ensure that contractors build roads and also do a good job using materials of high quality to ensure road durability. Is it not a pity that many of our roads deteriorate only a few months after construction/building? Contractors, engineers and consultants of fresh roads that fail to durability stress within months of building must be held to account and blacklisted. Henceforth, a substantial amount of contract withholding fees must be imposed, to be used as a guarantee for works that turn out shoddy. Apart from being compelled to redo the roads, the above-mentioned parties should all be jointly and lawfully prosecuted forbreach of contract.

We know the ultimate cure for bad roads in Ghana, namely impunity and failure to enforce rules. They are two major fingerprints of policy failures, to the extent that these twin Ghanaian cultural traits always open a revolving door for criminal contractors. The eventual responsibility, therefore, for our bad roads must be laid at the feet of the Government, who wield the last words on policy directives.

The Catholic Standard will continue to say and insist that it is not institutions or procedures that create occasions for inefficiency and abuse, but the people put in charge who decides to mismanage.