The Head of the Local Government Service, Dr. Nana Ato Arthur, has addressed the importance of obtaining approval from district assemblies for road construction by private individuals.

He emphasized that while individuals may have the resources to develop roads in their areas, this does not automatically grant them the authority to proceed without proper approval.

In an interview with Etsey Atisu on The Lowdown, broadcast on GhanaWeb TV, Dr. Arthur highlighted that there are established procedures for road development, similar to those required for land use.

“If a citizen in a given area wants, let’s say, this 500meter road in front of our house tarred in the area, you have to go the assembly, get approval from the assembly, for the assembly to know that this road is being done privately by these residents along this corridor.

“You cannot just get up and say I live here, I have money, I am tarring this 5-10meter road – this stretch around our area, without approval from the assembly… yes, it is helping, but you can’t be doing things haphazardly because the assembly would have even come that this is the way this road has been designed… mind you, even when you have your piece of land and you want to put up a building, there are procedures,” he said.

Dr. Nana Ato Arthur responded to a recent incident involving Nana Addo Boaman, the Chief of Nahinso in the Ashanti Region, who was arrested by the Asokwa Municipal Assembly for carrying out road construction without the necessary official approval.

The chief had previously appealed to authorities for help with the deteriorating road conditions in his area, which were causing frequent flooding.

However, his requests had gone unanswered, prompting him to take matters into his own hands.