Accra, Ghana — Rising fatalities along the Accra-Kumasi highway have drawn sharp criticism from a prominent spokesperson, who attributes the worsening situation to government negligence in road maintenance and safety oversight. Yaw Opoku Mensah, representing Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has described sections of the highway as a “death trap” resulting from the current administration’s neglect of crucial infrastructure projects.
Opoku Mensah holds President John Dramani Mahama responsible for the increasing number of road-related deaths, pointing to a lack of prioritization in ensuring safe travel conditions for both vehicles and pedestrians. He noted that many bypass constructions initiated under previous governance have stalled, leaving travelers vulnerable on one of the country’s busiest routes.
Statistics from the National Road Safety Authority indicate a grim reality: Ghana suffered 2,949 road fatalities in 2025, alongside thousands of injuries in over 14,700 accidents. The Accra-Kumasi corridor, in particular, has been highlighted for its alarming rate of deadly incidents. Early indications for 2026 suggest that this trend of accidents, injuries, and loss of life remains unabated.
Opoku Mensah stressed that these tragedies are not merely unavoidable accidents but rather the result of poorly managed infrastructure and insufficient safety measures. “Each life lost on that highway is a reflection of the government’s failure,” he said, asserting that completing the bypasses could save numerous lives.
Further emphasizing the importance of continuity in governance, he argued that future administrations must build upon the successes of their predecessors, rather than allowing essential projects to languish. He lamented the reality where citizens are dying on roads that could have been made safer, labeling it an unacceptable norm.
In light of these concerns, Opoku Mensah urged citizens and civil society to exert pressure on the government to finish the halted bypass projects. He underscored the notion that road safety is a collective responsibility, calling for immediate actions to curb the ongoing fatalities.
As discussions of road safety in Ghana heat up, the government faces mounting pressure to take definitive steps toward addressing these fatal hazards, ensuring that the lives of citizens take precedence over stalled initiatives.