Former toll workers in Ghana have accused the government of failing to deliver on its promise to give them alternate livelihood or re-assign them, a year after losing their jobs after scrapping the tollbooth system.
The workers said the government has also failed to give them monthly allowance as promised by the Minister for Roads and Highways Kwasi Amoako Atta since January 2022.
“This has brought untold hardship to our members, especially, in these difficult economic times,” a statement they issued on Thursday 17 November said.
“We have said this countless number of times, and we still stand by it, that the reason given by the Hon Finance Minister for which toll collection was zero rated is not strong enough grounds that should cause about 800 of the citizens to lose their jobs and livelihood in this manner.
“We also wish to emphatically state that, we have not been paid off contrary to rumours flying around in government circles,” it added.
“We therefore call on government as a matter of urgency, to re-introduce toll collection and recall all of us who lost our livelihoods by this action back to work so we can live in dignity and also contribute our quota to national development.
“We would also like to use this opportunity to call on civil society including our revered chiefs and religious leaders of all faiths, to impress upon the the government to restore our dignity back by reinstating us,” the statement added.
The statement from the group said, “It is sad to note that, even though it was stated in the budget that we who used to work at the various toll plazas would be given alternate livelihoods, one year down the line, not a single one of us has been given an alternate livelihood or re-assigned.”
Abigail Ibrahim
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