The people of Amoaku, a remote but vibrant farming community in the Amenfi West Municipal Assembly of the Western Region, are lamenting what they describe as ongoing government neglect following the collapse of the community’s only access bridge. The vital bridge, which links Amoaku to over twenty surrounding communities, gave way months ago after persistent rainfall and erosion weakened its foundation.
Led by their Assembly Member, Hon. Emmanuel Senahey, opinion leaders and residents have made a passionate appeal to the government to urgently intervene and reconstruct the bridge. According to them, the situation has left schoolchildren, farmers, health workers, and traders stranded, cutting off access to basic services including education, healthcare, and markets.
“The collapse of this bridge has completely disrupted our lives. Pregnant women cannot reach the nearest clinic, students are stuck at home, and farmers cannot send their produce to market,” Hon. Senahey told the press during a community gathering last week. “We’ve knocked on every door—local, municipal, and regional—but no help has come.”
Residents say the collapsed bridge connected Amoaku to over twenty nearby communities, and its absence has crippled economic activity and social life in the area. The stream that runs beneath the bridge is now a hazard, especially for schoolchildren and the elderly who attempt to cross.
Local farmers have been hit hardest, with many unable to transport food crops to the district market center. “We’re losing our harvests,” said one farmer. “Tomatoes, maize, and cassava are going bad because we can’t carry them across. The canoe we tried to use was swept away last week.”
Residents also revealed that multiple self-help efforts to repair the bridge have been unsuccessful. “We mobilized the youth and gathered funds to buy cement and wood, but the force of the river washed everything away,” said a community elder. “We realized we need more than community effort—this is a job for the government.”
Community leaders further decried the silence of the municipal assembly and the seeming inaction of state agencies. “Our people feel abandoned,” said one of the opinion leaders. “If we mattered to the government, they wouldn’t wait for a disaster to act.”
In a desperate effort to get attention, the community has written letters to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) and the Western Regional Minister, but no response has been received. They are now calling on benevolent individuals, NGOs, and the central government to come to their aid before lives are lost.
“This is not just a community issue—it’s a development and human rights concern,” Hon. Senahey stressed. “We are pleading with the government. Please, come and help us restore the bridge and restore hope to our people.”
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