<<Print>>

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.