Residents of Nungo-Dinduubisi, a farming community located in Sumbrungu in the Bolgatanga Municipality have been cut off following the collapse of a steel bridge.
The steel bridge was constructed 3 years ago by a philanthropist, Elias Ayimbila Apasiya a native of Sumbrungu to serve as a temporal solution to link the community to the regional capital through Yarega from the north and Sumbrungu in the south.
Unfortunately, the steel bridge collapsed when a tricycle passed through the footbridge. Residents of Nungo-Dinduubisi say economic and social activities have been affected as a result. They say health delivery to residents is affected since ambulance service and other emergency care services cannot be extended to the residents.
The fears of the residents heighten as the rains set in. “As the rains set in, we cannot cross to Azorebisi neither can we cross to Nyariga and it is now like we are living on an island. Our graveyard is located in the Azorebisi community and it is always difficult for us to convey the body of a relative who passed on for burial because the bridge is not accessible”, worried Azebire Nyaaba stated.
Another resident, Anapoka Atigwa-am, recounted that she nearly drowned in the stream after she was returning home after casting her vote in the last general election.
“It was God that saved me from drowning on the day of the election. So, what is the essence of my vote when the government cannot reconstruct a bridge in my community”
They spoke to A1 Radio when Elias Ayimbila Apasiya mobilised the community members to help reconstruct the bridge. The residents are therefore appealing to the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly and other government departments to come to their aid.
“The is a health centre across Azorebisi, unfortunately, it is difficult for us, especially for pregnant women to cross the stream to access health services., “We are appealing to the government to construct the bridge for access of Numgo-Dinduubisi community residents to other communities and back”, a resident, Ayamga Nyaaba passionately appealed.
Eliash Ayimbila Apasiya, who, using his own resources constructed a steel bridge for easy access for the community members, was worried that the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly had paid lip service to the plight of the residents when their attention was drawn to the issue.
“I have been to the Feeder Roads Department, both regional and the municipal office and I told them about the situation. They have always told us that they would come and inspect the situation but we have never seen them. I have also been to the development office of the municipal assembly, yet no result.”
He says the Member of Parliament for the Bolgatanga Central Constituency, Isaach Adongo, had promised to provide culverts for the bridging of the stream.
“I have been on him for the culverts, but he tells me that they are lying somewhere, he lets a car bring them. How many years now? 3 to 4 years going and we are not seeing anything from the MP”
When the Municipal Chief Executive for Bolgatanga, Rex Asanga, was contacted, he said he had no prior notice either from the assembly authorities or the community members about the collapsed Nungo-Dinduubisi until A1 Radio brought to his attention what the community members go through daily.
Regardless, he said he shares with the community members the predicament they go through and he would get in touch with the Feeder Roads Department “and they would be the best people to talk about how that [fixing the bridge] can be done”
At the time of filing this report, the MP for Bolgatanga, Mr. Adongo had not responded to the calls and messages sent to him by this reporter
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah| Nungo-Dinduubisi|Ghana
