The overlords of Madina Zongo Junction and why they must be stopped

The average Ghanaian uses the bus or in our terms "trotro" as their regular means of transport, whether it has to do with business, work, or school.

It was business as usual for me when I decided to take the bus toward the latter part of last year.

My experience was terrifying and in about two minutes, you are about to understand the gravity and extent of what I mean.

Let's start with what the term "overlord" refers to. This term is usually used to refer to a ruler especially someone who has a feud or scores to settle. While I entered a vehicle heading toward Accra, we approached the Madina Zongo Junction area which is usually a very busy street.

This area also serves as a popular bus stop. It was no surprise when passengers opted to alight at that junction. To my surprise, I saw a lot of men holding clubs and wood waiting at that junction aggressively.

They obstructed people who wanted to get down from the vehicle while shouting and aggressively hitting the vehicle. They charged toward the bus conductor or what we'd term the "mate" and ripped his shirt apart because they said the mate owed them money for stopping there and must pay before the passengers in the vehicle decide to exit or before new passengers can be allowed to board the vehicle.

When the bus conductor tried to resist, they beat him further and tore his clothes as well as hit the vehicle so the driver had to speed off and drop the passengers at the next bus stop away from Zongo junction while these men chased the vehicles with their weapons.

That was my first experience. It was a very terrifying one. Due to the shock I was experiencing from the incident, it hadn't even occured to me to record it. Subsequently, I resolved to record my encounters with them as and when I got the chance to.

It was still a terrifying experience because once these men see me recording, they could launch an attack given their pattern of behavior.

There are several videos in which these men can be seen arguing with the bus conductors and drivers to be paid a certain amount before passengers are allowed to exit or board a particular vehicle.

I refer to them as overlords not because they own anything but they act like you owe them and they came to collect what they are due. Policemen are usually present at Zongo Junction to conduct traffic especially when the traffic lights are not working.

Some people in the vehicle are scared for their lives when these incidents usually happen and usually feel helpless. At best, the driver is admonished by passengers not to stop at Zongo Junction or some drivers decide not to stop at Zongo Junction altogether for fear of being attacked by these men.

It is difficult to tell when and how these men came to start this unlawful behavior and why they behave like they are the owners of the bus stop at Zongo Junction. Initially, this started as the men helping the bus conductor get passengers after which they are given a quota depending on the driver or bus conductor's level of generosity.

However, these men became aggressive and started demanding fixed amounts to the extent that some bus conductors have been beaten up till blood starts oozing.

This seems to be a trend and pockets of similar characters are beginning to develop at Oyibi bus stop, 37 bus stop as well as the Accra Total/Mobile bus stop just to mention a few.

If these men are not stopped, very soon, any one of us walking in those areas could be attacked with any of those weapons and it would soon become a privilege to be able to choose which vehicle to board.

A situation of unrest has been created as a result of these people, our rights and freedoms are being trampled upon and there is the fear of filing a report lest the victim be found out; the police, assemblymen, responsible authorities and Member of Parliament for the Madina area and all other areas where this is happening must rise up and restore law and order to maintain some sanity and curb this lawlessness that has gone on for far too long.