Opinions of Wednesday, 6 December 2017

Columnist: Kofi Kwateng

Don’t you care about the lives of School Children in KUMACA, Mr. President?

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

Where are these leaders? President? Vice President? Chief of Staffs? Senior Minister? Minister of Education at the office of the President? Minister of Education? Minister of Health Regional Minister and Municipal Chief Executive? What is happening that the lives of these innocent School Children in KUMACA have been left unconcern. This is a National disaster which no mean a person than the President of the Nation should have visited these unfortunate ones at their school.

Since March, 2017 till date we have had eleven (11) of these innocent children losing their lives through yet to be confirmed cause. In March the School recorded four (4) deaths and as we speak from November to today, 6th December, 2017 a total of seven (7) students have died so far and about forty-four (44) of them on admission at various hospitals in Kumasi. It is ironic that till date we still have these children in school without specific medical examination being carried out on them. This is a ‘’National Disaster’’ and we need to take us such.

What is the plan now to prevent further death? This question goes to the Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Kwaku Agyemang Manu. As someone who is part of the cabinet of this Government, what Policy plan have you developed or even drafted which can be used to deal with issues such as this? I have had opportunity of reading Emergency Plan for Infectious Disease for Marin County School in the US and it is amazing. As a Nation we have people put in some important positions and all what they think about are the Lagasse which comes with the position. We have had a travelling President, talking Vice President, nuisance Education Minister and a naïve Health Minister. We have nothing to show and is as if nothing is going on in this country now and when one raises a concern you have the militants Nana Addo described when he was opposition leader come to attack you and ask you to look at ‘’Free SHS’’

The plight of these students are my major concern and I urge the one I pay my tax to, to act with the speed of light and save lives at KUMACA before it is too late. The fear and trauma on those alive and still live in the school if we do not take time will have some psychological effect on them which may go a long way to harm some of them permanently. The sad thing is also that all the people speaking to these including the Regional Minister are making matters worse for us Nation and particularly the parents of these Children. The authorities are toiling with the lives of these students.

Why is it taking us this long to seek external support? We lack the ‘’the expertise’’ in these area and we need as a matter of urgency the experts from other urgencies to come in to support us, we cannot allow these children to be dying like chicks!

Mr. President! Get your appointees to work and save us this incompetency’s!!