A/R: Fix Our Broken Down Bridge To Prevent Further Deaths - Abuakwa-Dadease Residents

Ahead of the rainy season, inhabitants of the Abuakwa Dadease in the Ashanti Region have renewed calls for their broken bridge to be fixed. The residents say each year, some persons drown as a result of the broken bridge when it rains. Akua Afriyie, a resident in the area recounted how her brother drowned and died last year

when it rained heavily. This was after he had attempted to cross the bridge to the house and we have another house at Abuakwa. He decided to move from there to pass the night here. When he got to the bridge after it had flooded the area, the people around even asked him to go back, but he refused. When he decided to cross,

his sandals got stuck in the water. In an attempt to take it, it dragged him all the way to another bridge at the other end. Thomas Afranie narrates how he narrowly escaped death after he drowned and got stuck in the drain for over three hours. I went to work and upon returning, I noticed that the area had been flooded. I

was told that some people are able to cross when it rains, so we decided to cross. We were four, so we held our hands together and then attempted to cross, but we were unsuccessful.  Two were able to hold on to a car that had broken down while the water dragged two of us into the drain. As of 9-30 pm, I was still inside the

drain. The next Tuesday, someone too got drowned. He was called Awillo. I really went through a lot when I got drowned. After I was eventually saved, my family spent a lot on me in order to be able to take care of my hospital expenses. My stomach was swollen for some time. The residents say even cars have not been spared

as some cars with occupants have been carried away in some instances. For commuters who use this stretch on a regular basis, their biggest nightmare is the state of the bridge, which is mainly the only avenue for them to be connected to neighbouring communities. They, therefore, want authorities to as a matter of urgency fix

the broken bridge to ensure that no life is lost this year. We are suffering. We go through a lot as a result of this broken bridge. We are in a terrible situation. When it rains, this area gets flooded and people’s fence walls even get broken at times. When it rains, and you’re still in town, it’s always a worry. Those in the house too are

also not spared at all a resident, Emmanuel Adu Boahen lamented. We are going through a lot on this stretch. It has not rained for some time, so there isn’t a lot of water in it. When it rains, this whole area gets flooded. Cars are even carried away. Last year, a car was carried away. They later went to pull it at the other end. We vote

here, but our challenges have not been addressed, and we are suffering. We want the government to come to our aid. We are suffering. We don’t even know what to say for the authorities to address our concerns. During former President Kufuor’s regime, we heard plans were in place to fix this road, but it still remains the same.