Trading activities halted, pupils drop out as galamsey destroys road access in Abesua community

Residents of the Abesua Electoral Area in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region are bearing the brunt of illegal mining activities, which have left them isolated and at risk.

The operations have caused the collapse of the bridge over River Kukubu, the only access road connecting Abesua No. 1, Abesua No. 2, Nyamebekyere, Abrokyire and adjoining communities to the main road at Seribuso and Mankranso.

A visit to the site on Sunday, October 25, revealed that the bridge had completely caved in after illegal miners excavated and degraded lands along the riverbanks. The river has since overflowed onto the road, making it extremely difficult for vehicles and motorcycles to ply the route.

Sources in the affected communities disclosed that later that evening, the miners returned with heavy machinery and attempted to redirect the water by pushing sand into the river channel without reconstructing the bridge, an action that has further deteriorated the road.

The situation is taking a severe toll on education. Pupils from the cut-off communities who commute daily to Atwima Asamang Basic School often abandon school, particularly when it rains, because they cannot cross the river.

"I started KG at Atwima Asamang, and this is the road I have been using all this while. It wasn't in this bad state until these galamsey activities started," said Faustina Akosua, a pupil of the school.

Another pupil, Celia Amoa, recounted the danger younger children face.

"Some of the young schoolchildren among us sometimes fall into the river, and we have to manage to save their lives and take them home," she said.

Parents are worried about their children's safety. To ensure they get to school safely, many have to put their livelihoods on hold to escort them across the treacherous bridge to and from school, adding to their daily struggles.

Some teachers who use the road to commute to school also recounted the stress they go through before crossing the river.

Kwabena Adomako, Headteacher of Abesua Basic School, revealed that the deplorable state of the road often renders it impassable, forcing him and his colleagues to abandon their journey and return home without going to school, ultimately disrupting the children's learning process.

Trading activities in the enclave are also grinding to a halt. Traders say they are unable to travel to market centres to restock, while those who manage to make the journey are forced to pay exorbitant fares.

A Trader, Mary Afrah, lamented that traders who supply foodstuffs and other essential items to surrounding villages have been unable to reach the market for the past month due to the poor road conditions, leaving many residents to go to bed hungry.

"No car wants to come here because of the bad road. The okada riders charge GH¢30 each from Seribuso to Abesua, and sometimes they drop you at the bridge and refuse to cross even if you offer them GH¢50," she said.

The Unit Committee Chairman for Nyamebekyere and Abrokyire, Eric Adomako, said they have on several occasions appealed to the leaders of the illegal mining groups to at least rehabilitate the road if they are unwilling to halt their operations, but they have refused.

He said they are often threatened by bodyguards of the illegal miners during such engagements.

"Our road was already in poor condition, but it was not this deplorable before the illegal mining started. We have made several attempts to dialogue with the galamsey operators, but when we visit their sites, their bodyguards and security personnel threaten us with weapons," he recounted.

He added that the District Chief Executive for Atwima Mponua and all relevant security agencies in the district are aware of the situation, but have failed to take action.

Residents are therefore appealing to the Atwima Mponua District Assembly, the Ashanti Regional Minister and the relevant security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, intervene to stop the galamsey activities, reconstruct the Kukubu bridge and restore the road to save lives and livelihoods.