The criminals, believed to operate under the cover of darkness, have peeled off the covering used for the rods in order to have access to them.

In a viral video, portions of the affected area can be seen, with the exposed iron rods, some of which have been vandalised.

The Head of the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Nasir Ahmad Yartey, said the situation had come to the attention of the ministry for some time now, and that an assessment of the facility showed that there was weak and porous concrete in the affected parts of the retaining wall.

He said severe spalling and peel-off of concrete had occurred in the affected areas as a result of the weak, porous concrete, and that the exposed rebars from the concrete peel-off had corroded.

The weakened and cracked concrete then falls off (spalling), leading to complete exposure of the rebars, which then corrode even faster, affecting surrounding concrete sections.

That, Mr Yartey said, made it easier for thieves to have access to the iron rods.

He said the porous and weak concrete in the affected parts allowed moisture and air to access the rebars, causing corrosion.

The corroding (and expanding) rebars caused expansion in the concrete, leading to cracks and further weakening of the concrete. 

Mr Yartey said steps had been taken to fix the problem and that the situation had been evaluated.

"We have done all the estimates and selected the contractor, and we are hoping that he will mobilise to site and start the remedial works soon," he said.

He said they had done the assessment and knew what the issue was.

He gave an assurance that there was no cause for alarm and that all that was needed to be done was for the contractor to move to the site.

Mr Yartey said although there were already some defects, that did not warrant the cutting of the iron rods.

"It is becoming one too many where people vandalise road infrastructure, especially street lights, bolts and nuts," he said, and cited the stealing of the bolts and nuts on the tunnel across the Accra-Tema Motorway.

He mentioned other criminal activities to include the stealing of road signs, cables and street lights, adding that those activities affected the safety of the motoring public.

Mr Yartey appealed to members of the public to provide information on persons who engaged in such nefarious activities.

He also appealed to the security agencies and the local assemblies to help safeguard road infrastructure.

"We are also warning those engaged in such criminal activities to put a stop to them since they put the lives of all of us at risk," he said.

He said that when caught, the culprits would be dealt with according to the law.