By Kodjo Adams
Accra, May 16, GNA – Mr Kofi Asare, the Executive Director, Africa Education Watch, a research organisation, says institutional failure has necessitated the reoccurrence of canoe disasters in the country, claiming the lives of the citizens.
He charged the Government and stakeholders to be proactive rather than reactive in putting in place safety measures to forestall future incidents in the country.
The Executive Director said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the recent canoe disaster that claimed nine lives of schoolchildren in Faana-Bortianor in the Greater Accra Region.
The disaster took place on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, when the pupils were returning from school on a canoe to Faana in the Weija Gbawe Municipality.
In January 2023, a canoe capsized, leading to the deaths of eight pupils in the Atikagome community in the Sene East District of the Bono East Region.
In March 2023, six people died on the Volta Lake when a canoe capsized at Azizakpe in the Ada East District.
Mr Asare called for the immediate resignation of the Municipal Chief Executive of Weija Municipal Assembly for saying that the residents did not like wearing life jackets to cross the river.
The Executive Director stressed that such a comment was irresponsible and demanded that the authorities relieved him of his duty for “sleeping on the job” and being negligent.
He said Eduwatch in January appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to provide life jackets for students and teachers who sailed to and fro schools on islands and settler communities across the country.
“We also urge GES to collaborate with the relevant state agencies, to facilitate health and safety orientation sessions for all its pupils and staff in island communities,”
“We urged the Minister of Education to work closely with the District Assemblies and other local authorities in districts with island communities to strengthen the enforcement of health and safety standards on all water transport routes across the country,” he said.
Mr Asare said the Government, through GES, only donated 100 life jackets and learning materials to the Atigagorme and Wayokope communities during the canoe disaster in the Sene East District.
The Executive Director said until authorities strengthen their safety mechanisms to respond to the educational needs of students, it would be difficult to achieve Sustainable Development Goal four, and universal access to basic education.
Mr Thomas Musah, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers, in an interview, commiserated with the bereaved families of the disaster, urging authorities to put in the necessary safety measures to avert future occurrences.
He called on the Government to provide teachers in the riverine areas and island communities with life jackets to guarantee their safety.
“We urged the government to renovate dilapidated school blocks in the area so that they do not collapse and kill people, as happened somewhere in the Central Region,” he said.
Mr Musah called on the authorities of Weija Dam and the Municipal Assembly to inform surrounding communities ahead of time when the dam was to be spilled and educate them on safety measures to avoid calamities.
A statement signed by Ms Casssandra Twum Ampofo, Head of Public Relations Unit, GES, to the Ghana News Agency commiserated with the bereaved families of drowned pupils.
“With a heavy heart, management expresses its deepest condolences to the bereaved families and assures them that our hearts and prayers are with them in these trying moments,” the statement said.
GNA