I live off the Spintex Road in Accra, and my morning route to my office takes me through the neighbourhood of Regimanuel Estates and Manet. Until about one year ago, it was a fairly pleasant drive on the Emmanuel Highway as you approached the roundabout with the anchor, and then turned onto the highway that takes you directly to the Palace Mall roundabout.
Now, that drive is no longer pleasant. Right at the anchor roundabout is a coffee shop whose patrons park on both sides of the road, making it very difficult to enter and exit the branch roads and posing a danger to motorists.
Compounding the problem are individuals with motorbikes parked there, who I have been informed are land guards guarding a parcel of land opposite the coffee shop and ensuring that those developing the land are protected.
Again, I am reliably informed that the Ghana Police has been notified about the presence of the intimidating land guards, but they have adopted an attitude of ‘see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil.’
I am also reliably informed that the metropolitan authority has been informed about the presence of the coffee shop right at the confluence of roads and the traffic chaos it causes, but they too have adopted an attitude of ‘we don’t care, just pay your property rate.’
As I exit the anchor roundabout, I observe emerging developments on both sides of the highway, now filled with shops whose entrances literally front the roads. These shops have no parking spaces and therefore use the roads as their car parks. Again, the municipal assembly, LEKMA, appears not to care.
As I approach the second roundabout towards the Palace Mall, I notice motorbikes riding in the opposite direction, many of the riders not wearing helmets. The bus bays have now been taken over by coconut sellers and vulcanisers, making it impossible to park there, yet LEKMA does not seem concerned and appears only interested in collecting property rates.
At the Palace Mall roundabout, police personnel are always present directing traffic. They observe helmetless riders and overloaded Pragias driving recklessly, yet take no action.
Right after exiting the roundabout towards Action Chapel, the bus bay has been taken over by waakye sellers, coconut sellers, kenkey sellers, and others. Trotro vehicles refuse to use the designated bus bays even when they are vacant, all in the full view of police personnel who again take no action.
As I proceed towards the Airport Bypass, I notice illegal money changers operating openly on both sides of the road towards the Airport roundabout—just minutes away from the Airport Police Station.
At the Airport junction on Independence Avenue, I often see at least three policemen sitting on their motorbikes, with one moving from car to car checking vehicle documents. Meanwhile, motorbikes ride against traffic and even run red lights in full view of the police.
By the time I get to the office, I feel a deep sense of hopelessness and frustration with this country. Where are we headed as a nation, I ask myself?
My conclusion is that we are gradually slipping into an abyss of lawlessness, and if nothing is done soon, we risk becoming a failed state.
