Rotten footbridge now deathtrap for school children

Pupils on island communities in the Ada East District of the Greater Accra Region risk drowning as they sometimes swim across streamlets of the Volta Lake before arriving at school, as a result of broken footbridges.

The development has become a major concern to parents as several calls for authorities to fix the problem have yielded no positive results. The most affected communities include Aflive, Adjim and Perdiatorkorpe, all in the Aflive-Alorkpem-Azizakpe Electoral Area of the Ada East District Assembly.

The Member of Parliament for Ada East, Comfort Doyo Kudjoe Ghansah soon after her maiden election in 2012, constructed the wooden footbridges in question over the streamlets to link the above communities.

Eight years down the line, the woods have all rotten and the four footbridges have virtually broken down, exposing the school children to danger. Pupils sometimes during high tides, fall in the streamlets when crossing, and as a result, arrive at school with wet school uniforms and books. Others even return home as a result of their books being destroyed in attempts to cross at all cost, or they are unable to walk on such scary skeletal structures.

Women in labour from other communities are flanked by able men and carried to the nearest CHIPS compound at Perdiatorkorpe due to the bad nature of the wooden footbridges. A lady recently lost her baby after delivering in the middle of the journey when she was being taken to the health center.

Evans Larweh, a Unit Committee Member said the present situation is affecting commuting, especially school children. He, therefore, appealed to the authorities to give their present predicament urgent attention before disaster strikes.

Nyemingor Kisseh, a parent also says most of the time adults fall in the streamlets with their luggage when using the bridges, adding that she is compelled to keep her children at home due to the prevailing circumstance.

Atinkaonline met some pupils who were returning from school who said the situation discourages them from going to school each day, as they feel rejected by authorities and pleaded with the assembly to come to their aid.