Upper Manya Krobo Cries For Help

A RECENT visit to a number of villages in the Upper Manya Krobo district by DAILY GUIDE led to startling revelations of the stress that people go through each passing day to access basic amenities such as water, schools and good roads. Interestingly, as residents of these villages are struggling to have access basic amenities in life, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Joseph Angmor Tetteh allegedly doled out a whopping GH�181,250,000 somewhere in June this year to 25 party faithful under the state-run Micro Finance and Small Loans Scheme (MASLOC). For instance, there is no basic school at Puorkpe in the Apimsu electoral area, a village close to the Volta Lake. The closest educational facility to the village is in Kpesebi and children of school going age have to trek to and fro each passing day just to access basic education. Vehicles hardly pass through the village not just because of the poor nature of the road that leads to the village but for the fact that it has virtually been deserted by central government. Most of the children in the village have therefore been compelled to stop schooling due to the long distance between the village and the closest educational facility available. The only facility that provides some form of education to children in Pourpke is a makeshift school established by an aspiring Member of Parliament for Upper Manya Krobo, Moses Tetteh Barimah. Barimah who is contesting the seat on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has also engaged the services of two secondary school graduates; a lady and gentleman who provide some basic education for the children. Ninety six children have enrolled at the school which started operating about 6 months ago but surprisingly, some residents have vowed not to allow their children to attend the school because it is being funded by their perceived political opponent. The road from Akatawia to Sekesua and Adwenso is in such a terrible state that drivers have a hard time plying the road. Quite apart from that, residents of Adwenso do not have access to good drinking water. Apart from the fact that the main source of water is brown, the logs on which people stand to fetch the water is rotten and exposes residents to a great risk. The only basic educational facility in the village, Adwenso R/C Primary and JHS is in an appalling state with the thatched roofs leaking whenever it rains. Residents said teaching comes to end whenever there is a downpour but several trips of sand, stones and blocks procured by the community for the construction of a cement school block have been left at the mercy of the weather with part of it completely washed away.