BAD ROADS, THE BLIGHT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT.

Road networks, just as any other catalyst infrastructure, opens up rural communities to development. Most rural communities in Ghana, particularly, the Volta Region, are under-developed due to bad nature of roads linking these communities to bigger towns despite being abound with a lot business potentials.

Potholes ridden roads are not just recipe for road accidents but the straw that stirs the drink of poverty as profitable ventures remain untapped. The case is not different in  some rural communities in the Anloga District of Volta Region of Ghana.

One road of importance in the Anloga District which is left to deteriorate is the 13 kilometres Savietula-Anyanui road.

This particular road links notable communities such as Savietula, Atorkor, Akplorwotorkor, Adakordzi, Dzita, Agbledomi, Anyanui, Atiteti, Fuveme, Tunu, Bomigo and Gblife.

The inhabitants of these communities are predominantly vegetable farmers and fisher folks who use this road on daily basis to transport their produce to near and far markets. Vegetables such as spring onion, pepper, okra, tomatoes, shallots, garden eggs are cultivated. Other food crops such as maize and cassava are also available on commercial quantities. The area is rich in crustaceans such as crabs, lobster, shrimps and prawns and marine fishes such as Cassava fish, barracuda, tiger, sole, redfish, captain fish and octopus. Traders who buy these fishes and farm produce finds it difficult to transport them to the market.

This road, however, leads to Anyanui market, inarguably the second largest market in the Anloga District, attracting traders from as far as Ada (Alorkpeme, Kpogodo, Azizakpui, Foah), Gamenu, Hawui, Adzidokpo, Dzogborve, Galo, Amedorme, Akalowe, Anloga, Keta, Aflao, Tefle, Vume, Kouledor, Tsopli, Tema, Ashaiman and Koforidua. The Anyanui market generates about hundreds of thousands of Ghana cedis per annum in a form of revenue to the assembly.

Some traders who spoke to Third-Eye Gh News complained bitterly on how drivers charge exorbitant fares due to the bad nature of the road which in turn, pushing some of them out of business.

Also, the favourable ecological setting coupled with places of historical value of Savietula-Anyanui enclave contributes to the rapid sprang of some hospitality facilities. "Meet Me There Africa Home Lodge", "the Chill", "Max Terrace" and Amevinya Guest are all hospitality facilities who pay taxes to Government of Ghana through the Anloga District Assembly. Tourists who visit sites such as the Atorkor Slave Monument and the estuary also contributes to the boost of the local economy.

But a check from these facilities reveals decline in patronage even before the onset of the Corona virus. Management at these facilities attributes the decline in business to the poor road network inhibiting easy access to their facilities.

Background

The 13-kilometres Savietula-Anyanui road was constructed by the erstwhile Rawlings regime from 1991-1993 to open the area to other districts in the southern Volta for smooth socio-economic activities. The high tidal waves of the sea, however, in 2007 started wrecking serious havoc on the communities along the coast; the most affected community was Akplowortorkor. 

Section of the road linking Akplowortorkor to Dzita and Savietula was completely eroded by sea thereby making it extremely difficult for people from Dzita and Anyanui area to access other communities for their socio-economic activities. 

This has brought undue hardships and great inconveniences to the people of Anyanui, Dzita, Akplowortorkor, Adakordzi and other adjoining communities for some years.

Due to the persistent appeal from the member of parliament for the area, Hon. Clement Kofi Humado, then Minister for Youths and Sports to  the government, in 2009, the Atta Mills government decided to secure fund for the coastal protection project from Atorkor down to Akplowortorkor. 

The first phase of the project which was valued $30 million, was started and saw the the construction of boulders on the shoreline to stop the sea from reaching the communities.

It also included the construction of 2 kilometres road and the laying of strong wire mesh to protect the coastline against the waves. Since then, this road had seen no major renovation.

A check from the Work Department and Urban Roads Units of the Anloga District Assembly reveals no immediate plans for rehabilitating the 13 kilometres Savietula-Anyanui roads despite the government's declaration of 2020 as "year of roads".

Other notable roads in the Anloga District which require urgent attention are Kome and Shime Roads.