Hon Kwaku Asante-Boateng
Asante Akim South
Thank you Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker, I would like to make this Statement in connection with the road accident that occurred on the AccraKumasi Highway, specifically, within my Constituency. Mr Speaker, as the Member of Parliament for Asante Akim South, I stand with a heavy heart to address the tragic road accident that occurred on 28th July, 2025, along the Accra-Kumasi Highway near Juaso Junction. This devastating incident claimed the lives of 16 members of the Obogu Saviour Church, who were returning from a youth conference in Osiem. Four others remained critically injured and are receiving treatment at the Juaso Government Hospital.
Mr Speaker, the scale of this tragedy is unimaginable, particularly for the families of the Obogu Saviour Church, who bear an unbearable burden. The head pastor has lost two of his beloved children, while other parents in the congregation mourn the loss of two and even three of their own. All vibrant young persons aged between four and 21 were taken in an instant on that fateful day near Juaso Junction. On behalf of the good people of Asante Akim South, I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved families, the Obogu Saviour Church, the Obogu community and our entire constituency.
This loss is devastating, and we mourn together as a community united in grief. The accident was caused by a DAF XF fuel tanker with registration number GT1674-17 which was moving from Kumasi to Tema. On reaching the section where the accident occurred at the Juaso Water Works, the driver decided to overtake some vehicles ahead using the middle lane without due consideration of vehicles from the opposite direction. In the process, the left tire burst and he subsequently lost control of the steering wheel. This caused the driver to crash into an oncoming Ford Transit minibus with registration number GT-4674-22, which claimed the lives of 16 passengers. This underscores a persistent and deadly problem on the Atwedie-Juaso stretch of the highway.
Mr Speaker, the stretch of the highway between Atwedie and Juaso Junction has over the years proven to be an accident hotspot, which has previously claimed a lot of lives, including one aspirant who was the parliamentary candidate for Shai-Osudoku. Mr Speaker, according to recent statistics, apart from that, it was this same stretch that a motorcade of Rt Hon Speaker’s convoy had an accident about a year ago. We also know of one Mr Jerry Adjei of Kotoko fame who died through an accident at the same spot about six years ago.
Mr Speaker, according to recent statistics, deaths through road accident in Ghana is on the ascendancy, rising from 1,237 in the first half of 2024, to 1,504 in the same period of 2025, representing a 21.6 per cent increase. This trend is alarming and underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to road safety. These are not just numbers; they are the heart and hope of families and their communities. We in this House hold the power to save lives and to prevent lives.
I urge the Government, the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the National Road Safety Authority to act swiftly: to install speed bumps, widen the deadly stretch, deploy traffic cameras and launch public education campaigns. I propose a task force to be formed within allocated timelines to ensure these measures are implemented before more families suffer this fate. Mr Speaker, our duty to the people of Asante Akim South and all Ghanaians at large is clear. How many more lives must we lose before we act? Let us honour the memory of these 16 souls by making our roads safe. This tragic loss has shattered Obogu, leaving scars that will endure for generations. We must channel this grief into action, ensuring no family endures such heartbreak tragedy again. As the representative of the people of Asante Akim South, I pledge to work tirelessly with authorities to ensure our roads are safe for all users. The people of our Constituency and all Ghanaians deserve to be protected and travel without fear.
Mr Speaker, let us honour the memories of those who have lost by preventing further tragedies. May their souls rest in perfect peace and may their families find solace in the Almighty God. Let us all act now to preserve lives and posterity so that more families would not endure this pain in the future.
Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity.
Hon Davis Ansah Opoku
Mpraeso
Mr Speaker, I rise to express my deepest condolences to the families of the 16 young men and women who lost their lives on the Atwedie Road.
Mr Speaker, I share boundaries with Mr Asante Boakye and, sometimes, if these things do not really affect someone, the person really will not appreciate the extent to which it damages society. Yesterday morning, I had an engagement with my Municipal Chief Executive (MCE). I called him and he said that most of the persons involved were his church members. So, he was going for the burial service.
Mr Speaker, this is sad and I am happy today that the Minister for Roads and Highways is here. I am a survivor of two near-fatal accidents on the Accra-Kumasi Road. In fact, ever since I had my last accident, I do not remember sleeping in my car while heading to my Constituency. I have a duty to always travel from Accra to the constituency even in the evenings and what do we see, Mr Speaker? There are no lights; there are no roadside signages. In fact, there has not been an instance where you use the Accra-Kumasi Road and see policemen or Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) officers checking for the roadworthiness of vehicles on that stretch. And let us not politicise this. It has happened and there is no politics involved.
Mr Speaker, we ought to save lives. I am happy that the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition announced that they were going to do mass solar lightening and all of that. I am urging the Minister for Energy and Green Transition and the Minister for Roads and Highways that the Accra-Kumasi Road leading to Tamale is a very critical road and almost every day, there is an incident being reported on that stretch; we want street lights on that road. We want street lights to save lives on that stretch.
Mr Speaker, we need to also look at how we dualise the road, especially from the Praso enclave heading towards Kumasi. The level of speeding amidst the curves on that stretch is alarming. It is something that we ought to do something about.
So, Mr Speaker, I am urging this House, the Minister and the President that as part of the Big Push Agenda, they should consider dualising that part of the road. It is too dangerous a road to always use. I use the road virtually every weekend when I am in the Constituency trying to visit some of my areas. If you ply that road and come back, you need to say a prayer to thank God for saving your life. So, this is not just a Statement that should be swept under the carpet. This is a Statement that should awaken this very House and ensure that the Minister for Energy and Green Transition and the Minister for Roads and Highways do something on that stretch.
With these few words, Mr Speaker, I want to express my deepest condolence to the families of these 16 young people and also to the Members of Parliament from these areas; Asante Akim South and Asante Akim North.
We pray that their gentle souls find a lasting peace in the bosom of our God. Amen.
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