Industrialist condemns burning of tyres, combustibles on roads

Timothy Gobah Jan - 10 - 2016 , 05:51

An industrialist, Mr Anthony Elephant Zanu, has condemned the burning of tyres and other combustible materials on tarred and bituminous roads, particularly on festive occasions and during demonstrations.

He observed that such unscrupulous behaviours exposed the roads, which were built with taxpayers’ money, and the vehicles that use them to danger.

Mr Zanu, who is the Managing Director of Sarkozy Limited, said, “It is no wonder our urban and city roads and concrete curbs deteriorate with the emergence of the rainy season.”

Superstition

He alleged that some of those who engaged in such negative acts on the roads did them for ritual purposes and observed that “over the years, this has been the ritual by some superstitious Ghanaians who believe that by engaging in such acts, they are driving away all setbacks, evil spirits and misfortunes of the previous year”.

Mr Zanu, who was speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic, further indicated that such practices had not only cost the country and the taxpayer millions of Ghana cedis, but also contributed to the destruction of the environment and affected the health of the people.

Effects

The industrialist cited some of the areas that were developing serious potholes as a result of such practices as Sege in the Greater Accra Region; Sogakofe and Dabala Junction in the Volta Region.

Appeal

He, therefore, appealed to the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) and other relevant authorities to take stringent measures to forestall such practices.

“The import of this message is to inform the authorities to embark on effective sensitisation programmes to educate the people on the danger of burning such combustible materials on the roads. I have not travelled to other parts of the country but I strongly believe the practice cuts across,” he indicated.