Suame Magazine in the Ashanti Region witnessed tense scenes as hundreds of artisans and spare parts dealers took to the streets to protest what they describe as the “total neglect” of the Suame Interchange and Suame–Offinso road project by contractor Rengo Construction Limited.
Demonstrators, visibly angry and carrying placards, blocked the Maakro Road and set lorry tyres ablaze, causing significant traffic disruption.
According to the artisans, Rengo Construction vacated the site weeks ago without notice, leaving deep pits, dust pollution, and exposed road surfaces that endanger both traders and motorists.
“We are suffering. The dust is too much. Our shops are covered every day, and customers can’t come here. If they won’t work, they should tell us,” one frustrated artisan said.
Others claimed their appeals to authorities, including the Suame Municipal Assembly, have gone unanswered, forcing them to resort to protest.
The Suame Interchange project, announced in 2022, was designed as a major government intervention to ease chronic traffic congestion and rehabilitate deteriorating road infrastructure in Suame, a key industrial hub and home to West Africa’s largest automotive spare parts market.
The project includes a four-tier interchange, road upgrades from Suame to Offinso, and drainage improvements.
Rengo Construction Limited was assigned sections of the work, while other components were to be executed by multiple contractors under the Ministry of Roads and Highways.
Although initial works, including earthworks and utility relocation, commenced in 2023, the project has since faced delays. Local authorities cited funding challenges and coordination issues among contractors, but residents complain of minimal communication from the government.
Today’s protest is not the first. In previous years, artisans at Suame Magazine demonstrated over poor road conditions, prompting government pledges and the eventual commencement of the interchange project.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Isaac Justice Bediako
