A promising 17-year-old student of Nkwanta Senior High School in the Oti Region has tragically drowned at Gyelen Bridge in the Bontibor farming community.
The incident occurred on Monday afternoon as he was returning from the farm.
Recent torrential rains had washed away the bridge, cutting off the community from commercial activities.
The bridge, which was constructed about a year ago, collapsed due to inferior materials, despite numerous complaints from community members about its quality.
Confirming the incident to Adom News, the Assembly Member for Bontibor/Salifukrom Electoral Area, Frank Yeboah, attributed the disaster to the poor construction of the bridge, stressing that no community member had the oversight responsibility to ensure proper standards were met during its construction.
He blamed the contractor for the negligence that led to the tragic loss of the young student, who was in his second year at Nkwanta SHS.
The overflowing river contributed to the disaster.
As a matter of urgency, Mr. Yeboah called on the government and relevant agencies to construct a new bridge for the people of Bontibor, to enable them to transport their farm produce to market centers.
He further highlighted that pregnant women and sick individuals cannot travel to nearby hospitals for treatment, while others in need of basic necessities remain stranded.
Nana Obirikiti Amanado, Paramount Chief of Ntrubo North Traditional Area and grandfather of the deceased, expressed shock over the tragic death of his grandson.
He said complaints about the bridge had gone unanswered for over 13 months, pointing to a failure to address the structural issues preventing it from serving its intended purpose.
The chief added that repeated appeals to both the contractor and the ruling NPP government about the use of quality materials for the bridge had yielded no response.
He urged President John Dramani Mahama and his NDC government to take urgent action, stressing that the community cannot continue to lose precious lives, particularly among women and children.
He also noted that the roads from Brewaniase through Pusupu to Bontibor and Salifu-Krom are in poor condition, threatening the safety and livelihoods of residents.
Source: Obrempongba K. Owusu
READ ALSO:
