I travelled on the busy intercity trunk road on May 6th from Accra to Kumasi, and my experience was harrowing, with pain and sadness. We were on the road for close to 8 hours.

Ghana prides itself as the gateway to West Africa and the first country south of the Sahara to gain independence 69 years ago, but it looks like we are marking time even after constitutional governance was restored in 1992.

I am not able to estimate the traffic and number of private and commercial vehicles that use the road daily, but we don't deserve this as a nation.

That is the main road from the capital city of Ghana to the most cosmopolitan town in the country and the northern parts of Ghana.

Kumasi and Ashanti are noted for tourism and business - Kejetia, Manhyia, which is the seat of the Asantehene.

The road leads to major towns in the middle and northern parts of Ghana, neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and the northern parts of Togo and the Côte d'Ivoire. 

The road is a single lane except for the stretch from Accra to Apedwa, Nkawkaw bypass and from Ejisu to Kumasi.

It is poor, deplorable, and potholed and should receive immediate attention from the current government.

The gridlock at Nsutam, Osino (you can spend more than one hour here), Anyinam, and Konongo should be of urgent and important concern to duty bearers. 

Cargo trucks have taken over the road, and the lawlessness of some users and motorists is on the increase. Cars are driving on the shoulders of the road, causing many avoidable accidents. 

I understand President Kufuor wanted to dualise this arterial road from Accra.

The Previous administration under Nana Akufo-Addo also awarded contracts for bypasses meant to shorten travel time and keep vehicles from going through some of the major traffic-prone towns listed above. Some have been abandoned.

Illegal miners are still digging very close to the bypasses. 

A stitch in time will save precious lives.

The blood shared, the human capital lost, and vehicles destroyed, fuel wasted, and energy lost cannot go on, and we must stop it. 

GoG may have plans for an express highway, but the People at Nsawam, Teacher Mante, Asuboi, Apedwa, Bunso, Osino, Anyinam, Nkawkaw, Juaso, Konongo, Ejisu and others also deserve better roads. 

As a matter of urgency, the Minister of Roads and his team should visit the bad portions, assess, contract it out under a certificate of emergency and see to it that the bad portions, especially from Osino to Ejisu, are repaired and overpaved with Asphalt.

Let us not ignore this important road and kill innocent lives. A note to the Government. Let the big bush benefit users of the road before the Expressway.

-Rev. Edwin Afari