Accessing basic school remains a risky venture in Asuokow in the Upper West Akim Municipality in the Eastern Region as young learners walk the dangerous path of an improvised bridge across a major stream to seek formal education.
This was the community whose predicament went viral early this year in a video of two pupils crossing a stream via a log.
President John Dramani Mahama, in a social media post in February this year, directed the 48 Military Regiment to construct a bridge at Asuokow following the viral video, which featured the two pupils walking on the fallen tree to cross the stream.
President Mahama promised to quickly address the dangerous situation in his post, revealing that the affected community had been identified and that immediate steps were being taken to provide a lasting solution.
Various government officials, including the then Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah; the Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Awatey; the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Upper West Akim, Emmanuel Drah; the Roads Minister, Governs Kwame Agbodza, and others, visited the area with their teams to access the situation.
Nearly 10 months after the promise, no work has commenced on the project by any of the quarters directed by the President.
Residents are alarmed by the unfulfilled promise and have called on the government to heed their cries and fulfil the promise.
Present situation
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, an opinion leader in Asuokow, Hassan Shaibu Afandi, said the unfulfilled promise had impacted community activities, particularly pupils accessing school.
“Just go and check the place; it is still the same. Nothing has been done so far and it doesn’t look like something will be done any time soon.
We must not wait for the worst to happen before they come in to offer condolences,” he said.
Mr Afandi said months after the viral video, some pupils who attempted to cross the stream on the fallen tree fell into the stream and had to be rescued by some bystanders.
Another resident of Asuokow, Yaw Adu, also expressed scepticism about the feasibility of the promise, given the history of unfulfilled presidential pledges in the past by various governments.
“I do not think this project interests the government. We have seen the government launch Big Push and this small project has taken over eight months and nothing has been done.
“It is my hope that it is done so that our children can safely cross the stream to school,” he said.
Sarah Ama Essah, another resident said: “If care is not taken, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP might suffer a defeat here in the next election because of this project.
“And when we ask the MP, he is not able to actually give us any feedback; it is same with the District Chief Executive,” she said.
