Faana-Bortianor Disaster: Gov’t Must Ensure Safe, Easy Access To Schools – Minority

The minority in parliament has charged the government to provide easy and safe access to schools for children following the drowning of nine pupils at Faanaa-Bortianor, a riparian community in the Weija-Gbawe municipality of the Greater Accra Region on Thursday, 11 May 2023.

The 10 pupils were being paddled back home from school by one of their colleagues when the canoe in which all of them were being ferried, capsized in the Densu River drowning them at once.

Only three persons survived.

The pupils and dwellers in the riverine area rely on canoes to access schools and other nearby areas.

In a statement of condolence, the minority caucus said it was shocked and saddened by the news of the drowning of the children.

It, thus, charged the government to put in measures to ensure the pupils have safe and easy access to institutions of learning.

“It is not only the responsibility of the state to protect its citizenry, especially these promising young people but it is also the responsibility of the state to ensure easy access to safe and sound educational facilities for its young people”, the caucus said in a statement signed by Mr Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, the ranking member of parliament’s select committee on education.

“It is, therefore, regrettable that in this new age, we, as a country, still have issues of accessibility to grapple with. The next generation may not forgive us if we do not take steps to correct some of these very things that cost the lives of our people across the country,” the caucus added.

Read the full statement below

MINORITY STATEMENT ON BOAT DISASTER THAT KILLED SCHOOL CHILDREN IN WEIJA-GBAWE MUNICIPALITY

1. The Minority in Parliament is regrettably saddened and shocked by the disturbing news of the demise of nine school children of the Service Awareness Academy and the Redeem Academy, two private schools in the Weija-Gbawe Municipality of the Greater Accra region following a tragic boat incident on the Weija dam.
2. This distressing news comes barely a week after a 29-year teacher, Mr Sampson Adu of the Chinekope M/A Primary School in the Krachi West Municipality of the Oti region, drowned in the Volta Lake in a similar but tragic boat incident. His body has since been laid to rest.
3. The Minority in Parliament is left devastated in the face of these unpleasant developments. We mourn and grieve the loss of these promising young people and further convey our sincerest condolences to the families of the victims.
4. We share in the pain and grief of your loss and want to assure you of our unwavering support in these hard times. The Minority in Parliament is committed to offering the necessary assistance and support to the affected families to help you deal with the irreplaceable void you have suffered.
5. It is important to state that these avoidable occurances are becoming too many in the country. The Minority in Parliament, thus acknowledge, the need for the state to take steps to proactively avert these happenings in the future.
6. It is not only the responsibility of the state to protect its citizenry, especially these promising young people but it is also the responsibility of the state to ensure easy access to safe and sound educational facilities for its young people.
7. It is, therefore, regretable that in this new age, we, as a country, still have issues of accessibility to grapple with. The next generation may not forgive us if we do not take steps to correct some of these very things that cost the lives of our people across the country.
8. We take this opportunity to further call on the government to commit more resources to building classrooms and educational infrastructure in underserved communities to ensure equity, inclusiveness and easy accessibility in realisation of the educational rights of Ghanaian children as provided by Article 25 of the 1992 Constitution.
9. When parliament finally reconvenes, we, the Minority in Parliament, would not only make a statement on these devastating.