The Principal of the Women’s Training Institute at Panfokrom, near Agona Swedru, Ms Rebecca Ampah-Korsah, has appealed to the government to reconstruct the bridge spanning River Ayensu at Panfokrom.
Ms Ampah-Korsah said the bailey bridge was washed away on June 20, 2010 during a heavy down pour.
Two bridges at Agona Swedru were also destroyed leading to the isolation of Panfokrom and about 10 other communities including Agona Swedru.
Leading journalists to inspect the situation, the Principal said the road from Awombrew through Panfokrom to Potsin Junction was the shortest link from Agona Swedru, Akim Oda and beyond to Accra.
She said because the bridge had been washed away, commuters had to make a detour through Winneba Junction to Accra.
Ms Ampah-Korah said attendance at the Basic and Second Cycle Schools in the area, especially, the Women’s Training Institute and the T.I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School at Potsin have being badly affected since the bridge was washed away.
She said the running of the two boarding schools had become difficult as the administrators incurred heavy debt and a lot of inconveniences in the purchasing and transporting of food and other essentials for the students.
Ms Ampah-Korsah said school attendance had dropped considerably as students were unable to make the detour to their schools.
She pointed out that whilst one of the bridges at Agona Swedru had been reconstructed and the second one was almost completed, no attempt had been made to reconstruct the one at Panfokrom.
She said because there was no warning signs on the road to guide drivers about the destroyed bridge, three vehicles had so far plunged into river, the latest was on the 4th of January 2011.
Ms Ampah-Korsah said out of desperation, some citizens of the town had managed to put a trunk of coconut tree on the river to help the people cross the river.
She said in attempt to walk on the trunk, two people fell into the river and got drowned and have since been buried.
The principal urged the government to take immediate action to save the people from imminent danger.