President directs GAF Engineers to fix Asuokow's stream-crossing challenge

Engineers from the Ghana Armed Forces have visited the Asuokow community in the Lower West Akim Municipality in the Eastern Region to begin the process of constructing a bridge over the stream for safe and convenient commuting for the community.

This development follows a directive from President John Dramani Mahama for the engineers to, as a matter of urgency, tackle challenges being faced by schoolchildren who are forced to cross a dangerous water body to access education.

Last week, a video of two young pupils struggling to cross a stream on the back of a piece of log at Asuokow went viral, highlighting the threat the situation posed to the children, which prompted the reaction from the President.

President  Mahama promised to quickly address the dangerous situation in a Facebook post last Sunday.

He revealed that the affected community had been identified and that immediate steps were being taken to provide a lasting solution.

“Earlier today, the MP for Lower West Akim, Owen Kwame Frimpong, visited the Asuokow community and assured them and the Eastern Regional Minister will also visit as we work to permanently and urgently resolve the challenge the people and the schoolchildren are confronted with,” the President stated.

Solution

The Minister of Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, who revealed this, said already a team had visited the area to assess the situation and gave an assurance that the government was committed to finding a lasting solution to the problem.

“Engineers of the Ghana Armed Forces have already visited the Asuokow community (where young schoolchildren have to cross this water body to access school) in the Eastern Region,” he stated.

The minister reiterated the government’s dedication to resolving the issue, emphasising that steps were being taken to ensure the safety of the children and the entire community.

“As President John Dramani Mahama assured Ghanaians, we're working to permanently and urgently resolve the challenge the people and the schoolchildren of Asuokow are facing,” he added.