‘Killer’ pothole in Navrongo township poses danger to road users as authorities look on

A dangerous pothole that has almost eaten up an entire portion of a busy street in Navrongo township in the Kasena-Nankana Municipal Assembly of the Upper East Region has put the lives of the numerous motorists and other users who ply it daily at risk.

After going many years unfixed, the road defect which sits in the middle of the popular Mayaga Junction has developed into a wide, deep cavity, obstructing free flow of traffic from the township to other suburbs and towns such as Sandema, Chiana and the Upper West Region.

Worse as it has become, the “known” pothole has maimed a lot of motorists, with its latest victim being the life of a retired worker of the Irrigation Company of the Upper Region (ICOUR) who died from serious injuries he sustained in an accident there.

Last year, a group of young men from the town poured on the streets with cement, gravel and stone chippings in hand fixing every pothole they could on the streets.

The move was their addition to reducing road accidents in the area which are caused by the bad nature of the roads.

It was also a way of drawing the attention of local authorities to the deplorable state of the roads in the municipality after several calls for improved roads went unheard.

But after their heroic effort and patriotism, proper measures have not been put in place by authorities, who are looking on unbothered, to fix the defects, making them deteriorate and posing an even greater danger to road users.

Desmond Kampoe, a concerned citizen and Teacher who survived an accident thereafter he ran into a pothole on that stretch with his motorcycle last year in an interview expressed shock at how authorities are looking on unconcerned as people get maimed and lose their lives on that particular portion of the road.

While appealing for swift intervention, he said it was high time the Assembly prioritized the improvement of roads and take serious steps to avert the needless road carnage in Kasena-Nankana.

He cautioned motorists to be meticulous on the roads and to at all-time ensure their safety and that of other users.

“It is surprising that authorities have still not done something about the potholes littered everywhere in town. It is very sad that particular pothole at Mayaga Junction which has killed and maimed a lot of people in Navrongo and almost killed me is still lying there and the Assembly has done nothing about it.

The Assembly must do something fast about the roads especially the potholes, otherwise, more people will be maimed or lose their lives”. He bemoaned.

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