3 students drown in River Ayensu

3 out of the 6 students who went to the river banks to cut the bamboos escaped unhurt

Agona Kwanyako in the Agona East District of the Central Region was on Saturday thrown into a state of mourning following the drowning of three second-year students of Agona Kwanyako Anglican Junior High School (JHS).

The deceased are Matilda Omatayo, 16 years, Hannah Mensah, 18 and Rahael Awudzie, 17.

According to the bereaved parents and the head teacher of the school, Nii Okain, his teachers asked the students to bring bamboos to school on Monday, 2nd October, 2017, for the making of leisure seats in the school.

Their bodies have not been found by over 20 divers, made up of members of the Asafo Company of Agona Kwanyako and others since the news broke.

Dennis Armah-Frempong, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Agona East and his officials had earlier visited the chiefs, Asafo companies, the bereaved families and teachers of Anglican JHS to discuss ways to recover the bodies from the river.

The DCE and his team again joined the search party, chiefs, the bereaved families, some residents and teachers Sunday morning to search for the bodies of the three girls.

Nana Adeiso, Nifahene of Agona Kwanyako, told the DCE and his delegation that five girls and a boy went to the river banks to cut the bamboos, but two girls and the boy escaped unhurt.

Kwame Mensah, father of Hannah Mensah, said he told his daughter not to go and cut the bamboo but wash his cloths for him, but the girl ignored his instructions.

Comfort Assani, mother of Omatayo, told GNA that she instructed her daughter not to go to the banks of River Ayensu to cut the bamboo, but the girl indicated that she would be punished on Monday by the teachers if she did not take the bamboo to school.

Mrs Assani said she told her daughter that on Monday she herself would accompany her to school to plead with the teachers and explain why her daughter did not bring the bamboo to school, but her daughter refused to heed the advice.
The parents have therefore appealed to the Ministry of Education and Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to stop teachers and especially heads of basic schools from forcing school-children to bring bamboos, stones, fire wood, brooms and others so as to curb mishaps.