Residents of Mayoro and its environs in the Kassena Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region are cut off from the regional capital as a result of broken bridges over the Mayoro river and Navio river, especially during rainy season.
A pregnant woman in labor died before reaching the hospital through a long route.
Residents who spoke to our news team expressed disappointment over failure by successive and current government to fix the two important bridges in the two districts.
With about 16,000 population in Mayoro and its environs, residents are finding it difficult to access nearby communities due to broken bridges and bad roads.
Residents take longer routes to reach a destination closer to them.
This broken bridge from Buru-Navio in the Chiana- Paga Constituency to Mayoro in the Navrongo Central Constituency serves a link between these two constituencies and is yet to be fixed.
The concrete bridge over the Mayoro river which was broken down some decades ago is the only route to municipal capital in Navrongo and residents suffer in accessing it especially during rainy season.
This situation affects every aspect of the economy like health, education and local business.
Referrals to secondary health care facilities is a challenge by both residents and health workers.
A recent incident was recorded when a pregnant woman in labor was being transported to Navrongo War Memorial Hospital for delivery but died on the way through a long distance rather than using the Mayoro river bridge.
The Assembly man for Mayoro electoral area, Kingsley Kanwi laments the situation.
“This is a major road that we pass to Navrongo and this bridge has broken some 30 years ago, and it’s not fixed. And we are suffering. At times, you will pass, if it’s rainy season, you will see how we struggle here. You can’t pass through this place. The place is muddy, and there’s no more travel at all. And we sent several letters to the municipal assembly, and then they said it’s beyond their control, so we are still expecting that they will come to our aid”, he said.
“I recall one Madam Ada Gloria, who was in labor, and then she needs a referral. So, we have to call an ambulance, Mayoro Health Center. We called an ambulance. The ambulance could not pass here. It had to pass through Kandiga Junction, through Sirigu to Mayoro, which took about one hour plus. So, by the time they got to Mayoro, and then they were going back, she couldn’t make it. She passed on the way with the baby. And that’s the third case we have, who died through this long journey, passing through Kandiga Junction, instead of the shortest route, which is less than 15 minutes to Navrongo. We had to pass all that way to Navrongo”, Kingsley Kanwi recounted.
He further stated “They (the Youth) said this time, if the government doesn’t fix it, they will advise themselves but I’m still following up with the politicians to see whether they can come to our aid”.
Some residents also shared their experiences in using the road and have appealed for immediate reconstruction of the two bridges because it affects economic activities and their livelihoods especially agricultural commodities get spoiled due to lack of good roads to the main markets.
In an exclusive interview with the Member of Parliament for Navrongo central, Aworigo Akibange Simon, he said a contract has been awarded to a contractor to construct a bridge over the Mayoro river starting next month.
“The road, as a Member of Parliament, I have followed up on the Roads and Highways Ministry. It’s been contracted, it will be awarded early next year. It’s a 7.6 kilometre road, I mean, so that’s it. It’s on board, it will be done. That goes to confirm what we have done (and what I have done as a Member of Parliament in lobbying to get that road done. In fact, it was a priority road to me. Of all the roads that I submitted, it was the number one. I was asked to choose and prioritise, and I chose that road as number one.
The reason being, we had a death case. A woman who was in labour needed to be carried to Navrongo and died in the river. So I felt that was bad and we needed to get the road done.
It’s a very important road, it’s an economic road, as the National Chairman said, because they need to carry all the food to the market and then also to our economy. I will follow up as a Member of Parliament when we go back to Parliament, I will make sure that I give a lot of pressure, talk to the relevant people that need to get the road done so that they can start. In fact, a contractor has been selected for the road, and so I want to assure them that they shouldn’t worry too much about the road. It will be done in the course of next year, and it will be fixed”, he assured residents.
The National Chairman of the ruling NDC, Asiedu Nketia during the Nimoro Fao Kuri festival in Mayoro disclosed some road projects earmarked for construction next year and that the area will get its share and that, the Upper East Region will get a lot of Agriculture roads to develop the agriculture sector.
