The Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwame Governs Agbodza, has warned that steel manufacturing companies who buy metal gratings installed in roads by the government from individuals will be prosecuted.
In addition, he indicated that individuals who sold the metal gratings to the steel manufacturing companies would also be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Mr Agbodza gave the warning when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Parliament on Wednesday.
“We are about to start the prosecution of the steel manufacturing companies that we have traced the metal gratings to, and we will jail any steel manufacturing company who buys scraps and the metal is coming from our metal grating that we install in roads. We will come after the person who sold it or we will come after you,” Mr Agbodza warned.
He also indicated that the Ministry had been able to prosecute and jail an individual who was caught removing guard rails on the Obetsebi Lamptey road and selling them as scrap metals.
Mr Agbodza lamented that the destruction of roads and removal of other road furniture such as guard rails and metal gratings by individuals was putting pressure on government expenditure, as the government had to use monies budgeted for other projects for road maintenance.
He, therefore, cautioned individuals who indulged in such acts to desist from it as they would not be spared when they were caught.
Mr Agbodza urged the road safety units to take the needed steps to put in place the necessary safety measures before the construction of new roads in the country.
Moreover, he urged political actors, government officials, and the citizenry to adhere to road safety regulations when they use the roads to help minimise road mortality.
Mr Agbodza also bemoaned the destruction of various roads as a result of overloading by axle load vehicles, especially from the ports.
He indicated that none of the loading centres that were required to weigh vehicles before exiting the ports were functioning, as the loading vehicles bypassed the loading points.
According to Mr Agbodza, the Ghana Highways Authority had difficulty in managing the axle loading stations that had been established across the country.
“Though Highway has jurisdiction, many of the times, the individuals at the axle loading stations appear to be having their strength from beyond Highways,” he pointed out.
Mr Agbodza noted that the laws that governed axle loading were no longer fit for purpose, adding that, “I think we need to have a limit as to what tonnage of loads you can carry on our roads.”
“No amount of fines taken from drivers or over loaders can ever be enough to repair the damage caused to the roads you and I invested in,” Mr Agbodza said.
He said that the government had increased the fine for overloading from GH¢5,000 to GH¢50,000 to serve as a punitive measure to protect roads in the country from destruction.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
🔗 Follow Ghanaian Times WhatsApp Channel today. https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
🌍 Trusted News. Real Stories. Anytime, Anywhere.
✅ Join our WhatsApp Channel now! https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAjG7g3gvWajUAEX12Q
