Creation of jobs is vital to the progress and development of any economy and institution. When the system to ensure that the youth, who make up the greater chunk of citizens in a country breaks down, it becomes a worrying scene.

Now, the aftershock and implications of such a situation for government can be extremely overwhelming as the youth resort to every means possible just to make ends meet.

Toll road collection on major highways in the country which hitherto served as a source of livelihood for unemployed youth was cancelled in November 2021.

The directive followed the announcement by the Finance Ministry on the scrapping of tolls on all public roads in the 2022 national budget, explaining that the tolling points had become unhealthy market centres, leading to heavy traffic on roads, lengthening travel time from one place to another.

Regrettably, the toll workers, including those with disabilities, were immediately instructed to go home without any proper arrangements for their welfare, despite assurances of reinstatement and continued salary payments.

Following threats from former road toll workers on the challenges faced, especially with delayed payment of arrears among others, the government commenced stakeholder engagements aimed at reintroducing road tolls across the country.

Nonetheless, a section of the former toll collectors who are persons with disabilities kicked up a storm over the indecisive stance of government when on November 15, 2023, while the presentation of the 2024 budget by the finance minister was ongoing, 15 Tollbooth Workers with Disabilities were picked up by the Ghana Police Service on the premises of the Ministry of Roads and Highway.

Treatment of PWDs over unpaid salaries

Reacting to this, member of parliament for Builsa South, Dr Clement Apaak, lamented the plight of the former Tollbooth Workers who are Persons with Disabilities.

For the past two years, these Tollbooth Workers with Disabilities have been grappling with unemployment, leading to severe consequences such as homelessness and the inability to afford basic necessities. Their plight has been exacerbated by the lack of a concrete plan to address the challenges posed by the sudden cessation of toll collection.

Dr Apaak noted that the leadership of the Tollbooth Workers with Disabilities went to the Ministry of Roads and Highways to demand their unpaid salaries and reinstatement but spent the whole working day without being granted audience.

“Having been detained for a few hours they were released after being made to write caution statements. This situation not only violates the dignity and wellbeing of persons with disabilities but also infringes upon the Persons with Disability Act of 2006, Act 715, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the African Protocol on Persons with Disabilities.”
Dr Clement Apaak

Hard work is a heavily touted prerequisite for survival, but when external factors especially from government impedes such a move, then there is a problem. In every way possible, government is supposed to ensure the right systems are put in place particulaly when it has intentions of truncating a working sector which puts food on the table for a certain group of Ghanaians.

Indeed, parliament must intervene in this matter to help resolve the outstanding matter on behalf of the former Tollbooth Workers with Disability. They deserve better!