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Opinions of Saturday, 30 March 2013

Columnist: Akpah, Prince

A Journey from Aflao to Accra.

Though having visit the Volta region times without number
after settling in Accra, this particular one was very import to me because i
went to launch a journey in my life as a motivational speaker at age 19 at the
speech and prize giving day of my immediate school, Spaco. I had to return to
Accra for other engagements too. So on Monday 25th March, 2013 i decided to
return but because of the increased lorry fares, i had to board Metro Mass
Transit which was cheaper because it is state-owned. After buying my ticket at
around 12:00 noon, having nothing to do for the bus to set off, i then decide to
browse the
internet just for some fun. Whiles there waiting patiently in the bus, then
came a small girl who also wanted to board the bus whom i directed to the
conductor. But unfortunately the money she had wasn't enough so she was turned
away by the conductor. After an interrogation, she was sent to Kasoa, to inform
her families there about the death of her only surviving nuclear family member,
the mother. God be her comforter.
After a short while we were welcomed into the 'mini city'
Sogakope by the sighting of the hospital. After passing through the toll booth,
the driver stopped for us to purchase some foods for which the 'mini city' is
well known for. Hawkers with bread, icecreams, 'adordoe', abolo and fish, etc
all came around doing quick marketing before the bus continued the journey
further where we passed on the sogakope bridge over the Volta lake. The next
town, Vume, was wonderful viewing the displays of handicrafts from clay such
as; pots, flower pots, vase etc. Indication by a Vodafone signboard was we have
only 108 km left to reach the capital cit. It just looked that our driver
wasn't that fast as we had several cars overtaking us but he was able to
overtake a crawling tractor for us to venture into a dangerous curve which made
our driver to extremely slow down. Now the time is 05:15pm and we were still in the
Volta
Region using a first class road with no potholes.
Approaching Accra, we arrived at Ada which gave an
indication by a Vodafone signboard that we still have 94km to cover but just
after some few meters a Vega signboard also said 85km. Which one is which? Even
that day not being the first time seeing that, it baffled me that we can't have
correct distance indicators to even give correct information to the public and
most importantly our tourists. Passing by lots of incompleted buildings, just
praying to see the billboard WELCOME TO THE GREATER ACCRA REGION, courtesy,
ministry of tourism and there it was. Wow now i had hope that we have arrived
in another region but the same country.
Passing by the Ghallywood African film village, it was the only building we
sighted as all were just savannas with electricity polls covering them. 55Km
more to cover? I was already feeling pains at my back. We then arrived at the
final police check point for a pass into the region at Dawheanya. Here we were
back into another savannah land with no houses but only central university
college, one of the premier private university in Ghana with lights showing
through the window, meant darkness is dawn and it is already evening. So for
over 3 hours we were still on the journey to Accra. Now we in Tema and driving
on the highway built by the first president of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Tema
Motorway. Now seeing nothing but only the headlamps of cars we then also had a
stop at the Tema roundabout where somepeople alighted. Driving all the way to
now, Accra, we arrived there at exactly 07:14pm. Saying goodbye to the little girl.
I set of to my home. Thank you
Akpah Prince.
akpahprince.wordpress.com