Suddenly, collecting toll on our roads has become a topic being discussed on major Radio and TV stations. The NPP are going around saying they are going to bring back toll collections on our roads based on the 2023 Budget statement, which among other things stated that they will begin collecting tolls on NEW roads they are going to construct.
Ghana is officially bankrupt so the question Ghanaians should ask the government is, where is the money to build the NEW roads? Do Ghanaians know how much money this government owes road constructors? Definitely, this new born toll debate is another way the NPP is using to revive their 2024 campaign message and people should not take them seriously.
I however, have three things I would suggest to my NDC on this road toll debate:
- They should tell Ghanaians in plain language that they are the ones coming to restore the road toll. In so doing, they should tell them how and what the toll money will be used for.
There are many disadvantages on toll collection in Ghana and if we are not careful and just join in the debate, the NPP, with their loudmouth, will win the debate. Take for instance, there is a toll booth on the Kasoa road and about 5 to 10 meters after paying your toll going to Kasoa, you are faced with several potholes. How do I become happy if NDC will bring back the toll booths?
- The NDC should shut this road toll debate down by assuring Ghanaians that all those involved in stopping the collection of tolls on our roads will face the law in 2025. In other words, the Minister for Roads and his deputies are all going to jail for causing financial loss to the state.
- Again, the NDC should shut down the road toll debate by assuring Ghanaians that there will be full forensic audit on the income and expenditure of the E-levy. The audit should include the reasons for the E-levy, how it was passed in parliament and why E-levy should be collected together with the road toll. People should go to jail on the E-levy.
My fellow NDC members, the NPP, between now and December 2024 will try to be relevant in the political space by trying to come up with bogus campaign messages. We should not entertain those messages at all. We should rather find ways and means to shut their messages down.
We should not debate them on their cooked messages. We should assure Ghanaians that the next NDC government is not going to govern with sloganeering but with action. 2025 will see a far better Ghana with NDC in power. Bam.
Mahama reba
Dr. Lawrence is the Founder of the Diaspora Progressive Movement in USA.
