Relocate Weija-Tuba tollbooth - Mpraeso MP urges government

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Mr Davis Opoku Ansah, has called on the government to immediately relocate the Weija tollbooth.

The current location of the tollbooth, he said, had caused encroachment and pollution of the area around the Weija Dam due to economic activities.

"The area is a buffer zone created to protect the Weija Lake and was compulsorily acquired by the Republic of Ghana as a 'no-go' area. However, the Weija tollbooth has attracted structures such as mechanical garages and carports, which have attracted massive commercial and trading activities that pollute the lake," Mr Opoku Ansah, who is also the Deputy Ranking Member of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament (PAC), said.

The Weija Dam serves 60 per cent of the population of Accra and many communities in the Central Region. The continuous pollution of the water body is a looming danger for the State.

Sitting

Mr Opoku Ansah made the call when the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Atta, and his deputies appeared before the committee.

"The tollbooth and the explosion of trading activities are, therefore, not compatible with the water resources conservation and production of treated water for communities, including Accra," he said.

Traffic

Responding to the appeal, Mr Amoako-Attah acknowledged the importance of the Weija Dam to the people living in Accra and some parts of the Central Region.

"The ministry is currently engaged in relocating some tollbooths due to urbanisation and it is being considered," he said, adding that the tollbooth also contributed to the build up of traffic on that stretch of a national highway.