Residents of Ahwiaa New Site, Ebuom Electoral Area in the Kwabre East Municipality have criticized the Member of Parliament, Hon. Francisca Oteng Mensah for missing the mark on their collapsed footbridge, which has become a challenge for residents for three years now.

The footbridge, used by hundreds of people and serving as a link to surrounding communities has been patched with a metal stretch tying both ends to keep functioning.

Residents spoke of the danger it poses when there is a heavy downpour and petitioned chiefs, opinion leaders, and the Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Osei Assibey Bonsu to be up and doing to resolve the imposing danger.

Elder Boakye Dankwah, a resident of the vicinity spoke on the need for government appointees to define their responsibilities towards the people; a mandate attached to their appointment to serve inhabitants in the Ahwiaa community.

“It is sad to see communities go through these challenges. I have stayed here (Ahwiaa) for 21 years and seen a lot of engineers survey the bridge yet no action has been taken. It is as if we are not a part of the nation. When the rains fall severely, people who have to cross to their homes wait for hours before gaining access,” Elder Boakye Danquah, a resident said.

“We consulted the MCE and he admitted that no one can work on the bridge anytime sooner therefore there was the need for us to keep tilling the waters. There is no assurance that works on this bridge will be done soon except there is a calamity.  They are not ready to help us hence my decision not to vote here anymore.”

The Assemblymember of the Ebuom Electoral Area, Derrick Adu Yeboah attested to resident's complaints and addressed that numerous constituency engineers together with the Municipal Chief Executive have visited the site for surveillances; an approach he believes is been taken by government to begin works on the link.

“The situation looks very dangerous especially when it rains. Children, adults, and everyone in the vicinity use this footbridge. It is more of a link between townships and its fall is a great disadvantage to us. We are calling on the government to come to our aid,” he said.

Adu Yeboah suggested that renovating the footbridge into a main link would help to overcome the heavy traffic congestion drivers experience on the Tafo – Mampong highway given that people utilize the footbridge to nearby cities, which in one way or the other would serve as a linking road if attended to.

READ ALSO:

We'll vote skirt and blouse if bridge is not fixed - Angry Sokwai residents to Hon. Benito Owusu

“Converting this footbridge to a main passage for vehicles would be a good decision on the part of government. It could connect the Ahwiaa vicinity to cities like Kenyasi, Adwumam, and help sort out the traffic challenges we encounter on our main roads,” he recommended.

“We should not wait for disasters to befall before embarking on works. We must attend to it now to prevent any misfortune. We strongly believe people will appreciate the efforts of the government when this challenge is finally resolved."