The recent preventable deaths which resulted due to
insanitary conditions in Ghana have thought us no bitter lessons yet. Cholera
had a date with most Ghanaians and unfortunately, the icy hands of death swept
them along with the passing wind.
As we try hard to spare our eyes of further tears, since it
has flooded us impeding our vision, rescission from behaviours which has the
capacity to inflict the pain of losing love ones’ are still feasting with us.
Pokuase is in the Ga West Municipal Assembly of the Trobu –
Amasaman Constituency of the Greater Accra Region, the national capital. The
commuters of the Accra – Nsawam – Kumasi stretch will find this town close to
the road side. Pokuase is on your right hand when driving out of Accra, and left
when entering the capital. It has
experienced her fair share of unpopular accidents in the recent past. But,
thanks to the speed ramps erected lately.
Irrespective of the bad roads linking the Pokuase Township to
its satellite villages, such as Mayera and Osofiaman, there is nothing like
treated pipe water, except mechanized boreholes. This is largely supplemented
with water from a river on the outskirts of the town towards the Ministry of
Food and Agriculture Research station. Nsakyi, as the river is christened
serves not only the inhabitants of Pokuase, but the entire satellite villages.
Inhabitants, though gets their source of water mostly from the Nsakyi river,
but as usual insanitary behaviours prevail along the banks with all the
impunity. The business of ignoring the dangers of such attitudes as usual
continues unabated. Most food venders get their water supply from truck
pushers, who with their dirty pig feet drums walk in to the river accompanied
with their vehicle of trade. Commercial vehicles are washed daily by the river
without any apprehension and action to get these recalcitrant’s to rescind this
unhygienic practice.
Drainage in Pokuase has been a pain in the neck of the
citizens there. When there is a heavy or light down pour the poor road network
serves as the substitute. There is the construction of drain throughout the
township to bring about sanity. Unfortunately the drain has been directed into
the Nsakyi River. This is dangerous a situation. If the recent cholera outbreak
which took hundreds of lives of love ones is anything to go by, then
authorities should act now. The sad aspect of letting the outlet of the gutter
into the river is that the villages such as Blema Ayamaso will inadvertently be
at the receiving end. The expectation is for the authorities of the Ga West
Municipality to act now to avert any pandemic. We are yet to recover from the
cholera epidemic in the Greater Accra Region, though there are pockets of
outbreaks in some parts of the country. There should be nothing like, ‘Let’s
wait and see’. No such entertainment.
In spite of the above, the road connecting Pokuase to Mayera
is very bad and currently commercial vehicles commuting daily on this route
visit the mechanic workshop as to the gasoline station. The construction of
this stretch of the road was completed a little over four years ago. But it
started to deteriorate soon after being opened officially for usage. That
sharply suggests that, there was shoddy work done on the part of the
contractor. The Municipal Assembly tried recently to improve on the condition
of the road, but what should be done is the total ripping off of the coating on
the surface to keep it smooth. When there is a down pour the road becomes
impassable.
We the people of Pokuase and its environs deserve better. Our
health is equally at risk, please save our souls now.
Patrick Twumasi
(0209045931)
