She was 18. The prefect of her class. She was a first-year Home Economics student at the West Africa Senior High School (WASS) in Accra.
She was killed by a speeding taxi on the Madina-Adentan (N4) Highway on Thursday, 8 November 2018, as she crossed the highway in front of her school.
The road's uncompleted footbridges are unusable.
Mariam’s death sparked spontaneous riots by residents living along the Madina-Adentan Highway around her school. They blocked the road with burning tyres. The police and fire service personnel had to intervene to restore calm.
She was buried on Friday, in accordance with Islamic custom.
This is what a friend, Mawunyo Yakor-Dagbah, wrote of the late student on Facebook:
"The news of your death so shocking Mariam! I heard the sad news of the death of a student on the Adentan-Madina highway yesterday, but to be told this morning it was you gives me so much pain. I remember your late dad said to me "You are his gold". He was a doting father who took you everywhere including your regular visits to the low-vision clinic at the Ghana Blind Union Eye Clinic and consulted me together with your mum on ways to take care of you. Hmmm, I know if daddy were alive, he would have escorted you to school and back. You were a promising young lady. The albinism community will miss you. Rest in peace little sister.
"We plead with you drivers to know that there are low-vision people including Persons with Albinism in our communities, so, the reckless driving must stop and we await the Ministry of Roads and Highways to fix the footbridges in a week’s time. No more life should be lost on this highway".
Mawunyo’s twin sister, Ese Yakor-Hamidu, also wrote this about her late sister:
"My Mariam's beautiful life has been cut short by that reckless driver. You had a very fine skin which was spotless because mummy and daddy took very good care of you and gave you the needed support. You were a sweet soft and intelligent girl. A daddy's pride. And before we knew it, you were gone, but we'll never forget you. I was with mummy yesterday and when our uncle saw me, he said he thought you had returned. Is this a nightmare or maybe an illusion? Oh, this is really hard. May God rest you, Mariam".
BURIED
MIRIAM'S BURIAL: The eighteen year old girl who's death in a vehicular knockdown on the Madina-Adenta highway sparked a spontaneous protest and a blockade of the highway has been buried at a brief ceremony at the Madina Social Welfare cemetery.
VIDEO-
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
May your soul rest in perfect peace Mariam
REST IN PEACE , DEAR MARIAM
The Ministry of roads and highways should be scrapped as it is a drain on taxpayer's' money with nothing to show for. Every day so many lives are lost on our roads and we just sweep things under the carpet! So it takes the sacrifice of this innocent girl's blood whose only crime was to cross the road to her school, for authorities to wake up? Yet they would instantly notice if a pesewa is deducted from their salary which by the way is paid for from the taxpayers whose lives are lost everyday? There is so much impunity in this country. The minister in charge of road and transport should resign or be fired!
May her soul rest in peace
Where is the Adenta MP? He is totally dissociated from all these happenings. He has lost touch with the citizens. I have not seen him addressing any issue concerning his constituency.