Sankofaonline Editorial Desk| October 15, 2026
How reckless, dangerous, and shameless can a people be to undermine the very infrastructure designed to propel the nation forward?
Recent reports of National Security operatives arresting individuals engaged in illegal mining and sand-winning activities along the newly constructed Accra-Kumasi Expressway corridor are not merely disturbing. They represent a startling display of greed, lawlessness, and complete disregard for national development. Even before this transformative project is completed, some individuals are actively destroying it for personal gain.
One particularly alarming development is the destruction of a temporary access road constructed by the military only days ago to support work on the expressway. Built at considerable cost to the taxpayer and intended to facilitate the smooth execution of the project, sections of the road have already been excavated and reduced to dangerous pits by illegal operators.
The implications are frightening. If individuals can muster the audacity to dig up an active construction corridor today, what assurance is there that they will not target the completed infrastructure tomorrow? Such actions amount to nothing less than economic sabotage.
This is no longer merely an environmental issue. It is a direct attack on a strategic national asset. The Accra-Kumasi Expressway is far more than a stretch of asphalt. It is a critical artery expected to reduce travel time, improve road safety, stimulate commerce, and strengthen economic connections across the country. To watch such a project come under assault from individuals who view public infrastructure as an opportunity for private enrichment is both infuriating and deeply disappointing.
Sankofaonline commends National Security for its swift intervention and the arrests made so far. However, arrests alone will not solve the problem. For too long, Ghana has witnessed the destruction of public assets followed by weak enforcement, token fines, and prolonged legal processes that fail to deter repeat offenders.
The time for half-measures has passed.
Those responsible, from the individuals carrying out the excavation to the financiers, sponsors, and beneficiaries operating behind the scenes, must face the full weight of the law. The penalties for destroying national infrastructure should be severe, certain, and immediate. Only when the consequences become unbearable will would-be offenders think twice before engaging in such acts.
A nation cannot spend billions developing critical infrastructure only to allow a small group of selfish individuals to dismantle it with impunity. Protecting public investments must become a national priority, and any attempt to sabotage them must be treated as a grave offense against the state.
Ghana’s future cannot be built on foundations that criminals are allowed to dig away.
The Accra-Kumasi Expressway represents progress, opportunity, and hope. Those who seek to destroy it must understand that the nation will not tolerate such acts. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done, swiftly and without compromise.
