Atebubu: Scores of passengers were stranded at the Atebubu lorry station in the Bono East Region in the early hours of Monday, as commercial drivers in the area refused to travel.
According to Ghana News Agency, the decision of the drivers was to register their displeasure about the recurring cases of armed robbery in the area, particularly, on the Atebubu-Kumasi highway. The aggrieved drivers, over the weekend, stormed the Atebubu police station, caused extensive damages to the building, and burnt car tyres in response to the killing of one of their colleagues by some group of armed robbers.
The drivers expressed concern over the rampant armed robbery on the highway and demanded more action from the police to control the situation. Information gathered by the agency from some of the drivers during its visit to the lorry station indicated that they had resolved not to journey until the police tackled the robbery cases.
'Some of us have been here since 0500 hours traveling to Kumasi, but it's unfortunate that the drivers had refused to pick us up,' stated one of the stranded passengers, Mr. Kennedy Owusu Junior, a Tutor at the Atebubu College of Education. Mr. Adam Sumailia, another passenger, called on the police to beef up security on the various highways in the area, saying, 'the armed robbery attacks are becoming alarming, and the police must act fast.'
Other passengers, like Madam Patricia Unibongnan, expressed fear and concern about traveling from Atebubu to Kumasi, pleading for government intervention to address the armed robbery issue.
Meanwhile, Nana Kwabena Kyere, the Adontihene (sub-chief) of the Atebubu Traditional Area, condemned the action of the commercial drivers for besieging the police station. He called for collaboration between the drivers, police, and stakeholders to address the armed robbery attacks.
In an interview with the media at Atebubu, the sub-chief appealed to the drivers to rescind their decision and resume work, assuring that the Atebubu Traditional Council would ensure that the armed robbery cases were brought under control. 'We have already met with the police and other security services who are putting up measures to stem the robbery attacks,' he stated.
