Editorial
Provide Abutia Kloe E.P Basic School with toilet facility
Abutia Kloe E.P Basic School in the Ho West District of the Volta Region faces a sanitation challenge as there is no toilet facility in the school.
As a result, pupils have no option but to seek alternative places nearby whenever nature calls, a development the school’s authority described as unsafe, undignified and detrimental to effective teaching and learning, which has a detrimental effect on their academic performance.
In addition to academic work, which is severely impacted, the situation is putting the students’ health and safety at risk, which is worrying.
This was discovered during a visit to the school by the Volta College Foundation (VCF), a non-profit organisation, as part of their February Love Initiative when the Foundation provided the pupils with hygienic supplies and other educational resources.
NOTICE
The Spectator is making a passionate appeal to individuals, corporate bodies, stakeholders and benevolent organisations to partner in addressing the sanitation crisis at the school and support the construction of a toilet facility for both pupils and staff.
We also urge representatives of the Foundation who acknowledged the challenge and assured the school of their commitment, to speed up the process of advocating improved conditions for deprived communities.
Again, we also believe that when a toilet facility is provided for the school, it will greatly improve hygiene, as pupils will attend to nature’s call in a dignified manner and school attendance will improve, especially for girls, when they are menstruating.
According to the Headmaster of the school, Mr Francis Yao Bortsi, the situation is terrible as learners resort to unorthodox ways to ease themselves, stressing that the school’s most pressing need remains a decent washroom facility.
He noted that, “For now, pupils of Abutia Kloe E.P Basic School continue to navigate the daily inconvenience and risk of leaving campus during instructional hours, as the school awaits urgent intervention to restore dignity and safety to its learning environment.”
The situation needs urgent attention, especially for the girls who need proper menstrual sanitation as they have to change frequently and wash hands with soap to prevent infection. Menstruation is a critical time for girls to have access to clean and safe toilets for their comfort.
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Dear Editor,
I AM writing to draw your attention to the inadequate street lights in some parts of Wawase, a situation that continues to pose serious concerns for residents.
Street lights play a crucial role in ensuring safety and security within a community. Unfortunately, several areas in Wawase are completely without functioning street lights.
This has made movement at night very difficult and dangerous, especially for workers, students, and traders who return home late.
The lack of proper lighting has also created an enabling environment for criminal activities such as theft and harassment. Residents often live in fear, and some are forced to limit their movements after dark. Additionally, poor visibility increases the risk of road accidents, putting both pedestrians and drivers at risk.
It is concerning that despite the growing population and development in Wawase, this basic infrastructure issue remains unresolved.
I would like to appeal to the relevant authorities, including the local assembly and electricity providers, to urgently address this problem by installing new street lights and repairing faulty ones.
Ensuring adequate street lights will not only improve security but also enhance the overall quality of life for residents in the area.
Gwen Mensah, Agona Swedru
Dear Editor,
FOR some time now, I have been deeply concerned about the state of the Kaneshie footbridge, which has over the years developed cracks, exposing some rusted metal parts and raising safety concerns.
It is, therefore, welcome news for daily users of the facility like myself that a team from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), led by the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), visited the facility and announced a temporary closure to allow for maintenance work to be carried out.
While I wish to commend the Assembly for the move, I believe it has been long overdue.
I often find it difficult to understand why, as a country, we sit, wait, and watch for preventable incidents or tragedies to happen before we react. I say this because the issue of the bad state of the Kaneshie footbridge has been one that has been re-echoed by many who use it on a daily basis.
I believe that as the Assembly looks to start the maintenance works on the footbridge, it is also important for it and other Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to pay attention to other footbridges across the country that are in a similar state.
The time has come for Ghana, as a country, to be more proactive than reactive.
I will also urge the assemblies to deploy their respective teams to always check on footbridges across the country to ensure that they are in good shape to avoid any tragedy that could lead to the loss of human lives.
From Fafa, Kaneshie
