Repair this Asitey curve portion of Odumase-Oterkpolu road (Tuesday, Dec 1, 2009 pg 21)
The chiefs and people of Odumase Krobo, traders and drivers plying the Odumase-Oterkpolu road have expressed concern over what seems to be total neglect of an accident-prone portion of the road.
The spot, located at Asitey, a suburb of Odumase in the Lower Manya Krobo District, has over the years claimed several lives and many people have been injured there but has never received any attention.
It is located at the end of a steep mountain and has a ditch at the right side of the bend which has been the recipient of the vehicles and the debris from the numerous accidents.
The crash barrier at the curve has been knocked off and the only road sign there has been damaged beyond recognition.
A pit on the opposite side of the road is also without any form of protection, making children in particular vulnerable to danger.
Information made available to the Daily Graphic by a source at the Korletsom Police Station at Odumase indicated that 49 accidents had been recorded since the year 2005, out of which 104 people sustained serious injuries and 14 lives were lost.
In 2005, two accidents were recorded in which three lives were lost and six persons injured. There were five accidents in 2006, which claimed three lives and nine people were injured while in 2007 there were four accidents, two deaths and seven people injured.
In 2008 there were 16 accidents, seven deaths and injuries to 49 persons while in the year 2009, 17 accident have so far been recorded with one death and 23 injuries.
The source, however, added that “these are only those officially brought to the notice of the police, and that majority of the accidents were recorded during the day”,
Most residents the Daily Graphic interviewed confirmed the claims.
Statistics made available on the type of vehicles involved in the accidents revealed that there were 22 tipper trucks, 17 mini-buses, seven taxis, one cargo truck and two KIA pick-ups.
The Lower Manya Krobo District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Isaac Agboh-Tetteh, told the Daily Graphic that although he was aware of the condition of the road, the assembly had done nothing since he assumed office.
He was, however, optimistic that something would be done, adding that “officials of the Ghana Highway Authority would be contacted to arrest the situation”.
For his part, the Konor of the Manya Krobo Traditional area, Nene Sakitey II, said efforts had been made over the past 10 years to bring the disturbing situation under control.
He noted that the district assembly and the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) had been prompted to act to save the situation on several occasions but to no avail.
“The onus lies on these institutions since we at the traditional council are not the spending officers.”
The Eastern Regional Director of the GHA, Mr Joseph K Agyepong, said even though the authority was aware of the problem, the rate of accidents at the spot had not been brought to its notice. He, however, expressed the hope that the situation would be studied and the appropriate recommendations made to arrest the situation.
He stressed that inadequate funding was hampering the work of the GHA in the region. He expressed the belief that drivers' disregard for road traffic rules and regulations was a possible cause of the numerous accidents.
But some residents expressed contrary opinions and gave spiritual dimensions to the accidents.
Narrating her plight to the Daily Graphic at her residence, Ms Dede Kosi, a survivor of one of those accidents which happened about 12 years ago, and who is virtually incapacitated as a result of the amputation of her right leg, said her life and that of her dependants had been rendered miserable as her predicament had almost collapsed her otherwise vibrant business.
She said six other passengers in the said accident, apart from those who were maimed, died on the spot when a KIA trade vehicle in which they were travelling was ran into by a tipper truck that had a brake failure while descending the steep hill.
According to her, their car was pushed into the ditch at the right of the curve at Asitey Kordjornya, leading to the death and injury of passengers on board both vehicles.
As if to worsen her plight, she was denied any insurance as the vehicle she was travelling on was not insured.
“I had to depend on members of my church for treatment, “ she added, and called on the appropriate authorities to act now to save lives.
The spot, located at Asitey, a suburb of Odumase in the Lower Manya Krobo District, has over the years claimed several lives and many people have been injured there but has never received any attention.
It is located at the end of a steep mountain and has a ditch at the right side of the bend which has been the recipient of the vehicles and the debris from the numerous accidents.
The crash barrier at the curve has been knocked off and the only road sign there has been damaged beyond recognition.
A pit on the opposite side of the road is also without any form of protection, making children in particular vulnerable to danger.
Information made available to the Daily Graphic by a source at the Korletsom Police Station at Odumase indicated that 49 accidents had been recorded since the year 2005, out of which 104 people sustained serious injuries and 14 lives were lost.
In 2005, two accidents were recorded in which three lives were lost and six persons injured. There were five accidents in 2006, which claimed three lives and nine people were injured while in 2007 there were four accidents, two deaths and seven people injured.
In 2008 there were 16 accidents, seven deaths and injuries to 49 persons while in the year 2009, 17 accident have so far been recorded with one death and 23 injuries.
The source, however, added that “these are only those officially brought to the notice of the police, and that majority of the accidents were recorded during the day”,
Most residents the Daily Graphic interviewed confirmed the claims.
Statistics made available on the type of vehicles involved in the accidents revealed that there were 22 tipper trucks, 17 mini-buses, seven taxis, one cargo truck and two KIA pick-ups.
The Lower Manya Krobo District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Isaac Agboh-Tetteh, told the Daily Graphic that although he was aware of the condition of the road, the assembly had done nothing since he assumed office.
He was, however, optimistic that something would be done, adding that “officials of the Ghana Highway Authority would be contacted to arrest the situation”.
For his part, the Konor of the Manya Krobo Traditional area, Nene Sakitey II, said efforts had been made over the past 10 years to bring the disturbing situation under control.
He noted that the district assembly and the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) had been prompted to act to save the situation on several occasions but to no avail.
“The onus lies on these institutions since we at the traditional council are not the spending officers.”
The Eastern Regional Director of the GHA, Mr Joseph K Agyepong, said even though the authority was aware of the problem, the rate of accidents at the spot had not been brought to its notice. He, however, expressed the hope that the situation would be studied and the appropriate recommendations made to arrest the situation.
He stressed that inadequate funding was hampering the work of the GHA in the region. He expressed the belief that drivers' disregard for road traffic rules and regulations was a possible cause of the numerous accidents.
But some residents expressed contrary opinions and gave spiritual dimensions to the accidents.
Narrating her plight to the Daily Graphic at her residence, Ms Dede Kosi, a survivor of one of those accidents which happened about 12 years ago, and who is virtually incapacitated as a result of the amputation of her right leg, said her life and that of her dependants had been rendered miserable as her predicament had almost collapsed her otherwise vibrant business.
She said six other passengers in the said accident, apart from those who were maimed, died on the spot when a KIA trade vehicle in which they were travelling was ran into by a tipper truck that had a brake failure while descending the steep hill.
According to her, their car was pushed into the ditch at the right of the curve at Asitey Kordjornya, leading to the death and injury of passengers on board both vehicles.
As if to worsen her plight, she was denied any insurance as the vehicle she was travelling on was not insured.
“I had to depend on members of my church for treatment, “ she added, and called on the appropriate authorities to act now to save lives.
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