Residents of Asuosunso Bankrogya, a cocoa farming community in the Ejisu Municipality of the Ashanti Region, are pleading with the government for urgent intervention to address critical infrastructure challenges, particularly the absence of a bridge over a river that becomes impassable during the rainy season.
According to the residents, the unbridged river serves as the only access route to nearby communities, markets, schools, and health facilities. During heavy rainfall, the river floods and cuts off movement completely, trapping residents in the community and leaving them vulnerable in times of medical emergencies.
“We’re trapped when it rains. If someone falls sick or a pregnant woman goes into labour and the river is flooded, we have no choice but to wait and pray for the best,” a resident told Newsmen during a community visit.
Many shared emotional accounts of life-threatening experiences, where children missed school for days and the sick were unable to get medical help simply because they could not cross the river safely.
Beyond the bridge, the residents are grappling with several other challenges. One of the most pressing is access to clean drinking water. The river that once served as their primary water source has now been heavily polluted by illegal mining activities, locally referred to as galamsey. The contamination has rendered the water unsafe for consumption.
“Our river is destroyed by galamsey operations. The water is brown, dirty, and dangerous to drink. Now, we walk more than three kilometers every day to fetch clean water from another community,” another resident lamented.
Despite their struggles, Bankrogya plays a key role in Ghana’s cocoa production. The community produces several tons of cocoa annually, contributing to the nation’s economy. Yet, residents feel neglected and forgotten.
They are therefore not only calling for the construction of a bridge, but also requesting that the government provide boreholes for safe drinking water and construct a health center to serve the community and nearby villages.
“We are farmers who support the economy, but look at how we’re living. No bridge, no clinic, no water. We’re suffering,” said a community elder.
“We’re appealing to the government to fix our roads, give us boreholes, and build a small clinic for us. It’s not too much to ask.”
The residents say that each rainy season only worsens their plight and heightens their sense of abandonment. With limited infrastructure and growing health and safety risks, they are urging the Ejisu Municipal Assembly, the Ministry of Roads and Highways, and other stakeholders to treat their situation as a matter of urgency.
For the people of Bankrogya, a simple bridge could be the difference between isolation and access — and between life and death.
