Ghana: Ahanta Community Cut Off As Bridge Collapses in Downpour
By Clement Adzei Boye
Takoradi — Residents of Akwidaa in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region have been cut off from their district capital Agona Nkwanta after last Tuesday's heavy rains washed away the only wooden bridge over River Ezinle.
As a result, economic activities have come to a temporary halt as the people are unable to cart their foodstuffs to the market.
Consequently, the residents have appealed to the government to provide them with a new concrete or steel bridge to restore economic activities, ensure free movement of residents.
They argued that, a quick response to their request would provide a sustainable measure to stem the perennial drudgery of repairing the old, weak wooden bridge and also safeguard their lives as they go about their fishing and farming activities
The disaster occurred when River Ezinle, which divides Akwidaa, overflowed its banks and spilled into the neighbourhood, rendering them unable to traverse the river.
Narrating the ordeal to the Ghanaian Times, the assemblyman for the area, Mr Emmanuel Bonney, said the wooden bridge collapsed at about 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, with some parts washing away by River Ezinle.
The situation, he complained, rendered movement and transportation in Akwidaa enclave difficult.
Mr Bonney recalled that the wooden bridge, constructed by a former MCE in 2004, had become old and weak and that any downpour, especially during the recent heavy rains, it collapsed and the community had to repair the structure.
Previously, he explained, residents used boats to ferry on River Ezinle, but that also became a dangerous exercise, hence the wooden bridge constructed for people to use motorcycles to cross to the other side.
"The situation now is very dire. Residents from Chavene, Cape Three Point and Sankor areas, who used Akwidaa bridge to connect to Dixcove along the coast in the south and Agona Nkwanta can no longer do so.
Commerce and farming activities and schools are also affected. All activities have come to a halt and we are all stranded," he lamented.
"Emergencies are also affected and so how do we ferry the sick beyond Akwidaa? With high tides due to heavy rains, River Ezinle swells up and overflowed its banks. It's very dangerous and risky. Akwidaa in distress. That is the only bridge which connects the old and new Akwidaa," the Assemblyman stressed.
Mr Bonney told the Ghanaian Times that with Tuesday's disaster, there was no "life" in Akwidaa adding that "we can't also go the farm let alone we feed families or get some income."
He claimed that Akwidaa was gifted with a forest resources at Cape Three Point from which they could use the old trees to reconstruct the bridge, but, complained that for about one year now, Forestry Commission had failed to grant that request.
This article originally appeared in the Ghanian Times