Densu River Pupils Tragedy:Blame NADMO & Ga South Assembly Of Negligence--Residents In Island Communities Fire
According to aggrieved residents from island communities within the catchment areas of the assembly in the Greater Accra Region, the death of these nine pupils could be completely avoidable if the officials of the Ga South Municipal Assembly had acted responsibilities on their aged long requests to provide life jackets for all pupils and teachers in island communities.
Freeman Koryekpor 
The untimely and tragic death of nine pupils who drowned while returning from school on Wednesday, 10 May 2023 at Faanaa, an island community near Bortianor in Accra, should be blamed on the negligence of the top officials of National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Ga South Municipal Assembly.
According to aggrieved residents from island communities within the catchment areas of the assembly in the Greater Accra Region, the death of these nine pupils could be completely avoidable if the officials of the Ga South Municipal Assembly had acted responsibilities on their aged long requests to provide life jackets for all pupils and teachers in island communities.
"Our personal lives are in serious danger because we and our pupils travel on a canoe on the river Denso without life jackets," the teachers in island communities in the area complained.
They recalled that a similar incident happened in Atitagorme/Wayokope near Weija killing eight pupils, and they requested the Ministry of Education to urgently supply life jackets to all pupils and teachers in island communities but the GES supplied 100 life jackets to Atitagorme and Wayokope communities alone leaving other island communities.
They pointed out that they had officially written a letter of an save my soul (SOS ) to the Municipal Chief Executives (MCE) in the Ga South and Municipal Assembly and requested that they should impressed upon the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service (GES) Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to liaise with relevant local authorities to strengthen health and safety compliance, and construct schools in island communities but the state institutions did not responded to their several requests.
They also complained bitterly of the aged factors of the various boat and canoe operators working on the river Denso which falls under the catchment area within the two administrative assembles.
Although these state institutions were aware of infants/ under-aged operating boat and canoe business on the River Denso
but the leadership of the Assembly particularly the officials of the DADMO looked unconcern on this important matter.
They noted it seems that the leadership of the assembly was good in reacting whenever there are boat and canoe disasters on the River Denso, saying that the attitudes were not the best and worry.
They pointed out that it is a high time for the Assembly which has represented the supreme interest of the government should act on the behalf of the residents living in island communities to impress upon the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service (GES) Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to provide life jackets for all pupils and teachers in island communities.
They pointed out that the various boat and canoe operators working on the River Denso did not have the necessary permit and so had not had a safety inspection and blamed the situation on the negligence of the leadership of the Assembly.
They indicated that the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ensure that those responsible for the "negligence, should be punished to serve as deterrent to others.
They blamed the Assembly for not doing enough to protect safety and security of the residents living in island communities within Ga South.
However, several efforts being made by the Soireenews.com to get the Municipal Chief Executive of the South, Mr. Joseph Nyarni Stephen have proved unsuccessfully.
To push this further, as at the time filling this report, this journalist sent the WhatsApp messages to the person telephone number of the MCE, but he did not responded.
The nine (9) school children have died after getting drowned whilst paddling a canoe from school at Faana to Wiaboman in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
The canoe which was being paddled by one of the a 15 year old boy capsized on the Densu river after missing the road.
Only two out of the 11 children has survived the accident and 9 bodies were retrieved.
