Prempeh College is slowly becoming associated with trauma, disaster and untimely
deaths primarily because of the Sofoline road, particularly
the area outside the school gate.
Sofoline road is the newest death trap
In an attempt to dodge the potholes and ditches in the Sofoline-Kwadaso road, drivers, often
driving at incredulous speed, usually become compelled to "swerve" their vehicles to the better sides or
corners of the road. That practice, however, carries the danger of destroying the lives of
pedestrians and bystanders.
Within a span of about 3 days during the last week of the school term, we (prempeh.org staff) witnessed 3 serious accidents
right outside the Prempeh gate.
A Prempeh student who was in a barber's chair at the barber shop outside the school gate had a car run
into him in the the shop. We mock you not!
Though he survived that ordeal on December 14,
a woman in the chop bar next door was not fortunate: she died instantly! In between the Amanfoo Chopbar and the Cement Store on the adjacent side of Prempeh College
is a Photo Studio
operated by a young OKESS graduate. That 32-year-old man who operates the photo studio suffered a gloomy fate that day when
the driver of the sand-carrying truck, in an attempt to dodge a pothole slammed into him, causing his legs to be amputated at
Komfo Anokye Hospital a few days later.
It appears that the accident has been occuring at the site regularly. But out of a certain discomfort for disgracing the District Executive or
politician responsible for that community, who by the way has failed in his duty, the Sofoline Police has repeatedly white-washed the issue
and have even denied
that there is a problem.
In fact, in the full glare of prempeh.org staff, Sofoline police denied that a serious accident had occured when journalists from
several radio stations rushed to the area on the day we had our Closing Assembly. The journalists from the city went back
without much information to report because the officers were secretive.
In fact, the new amputee was in the act of developing Prempeh.org Fun Fair photos the day after our program when he
suffered this fate. Furthermore, we have actually sat by his bedside at the hospital and comforted him. Yet journalists were told to go
home and rest because "nothing significant has happened."
The road has been in its dilapidated state for a long time now with
everyone including the Assembly man and Member of
Parliament using the road every single day.
It is now de rigeur (and extremely fashionable at that!)
to see accidents on the road. Each day it happens and many students of Prempeh
College, YAGSS, Osei Tutu Secondary, Sunyani Polytechnic and University of Education Winneba
(Kumasi campus) ply this road everyday.
We were able to bring this to your attention because we witnessed
it (owing to our to-amd-fro movements at the school gate during our preparation for the fun fair). It is now clear why the Headmaster
has repeatedly appealed to the concerned authorities to repair that dangerous stretch of road; he must be privy to "secret" accidents
that have devastated lives on the road over the years.
The 32-year-old photographer set up his shop in this "Golden Age of Business" to meliorate the life
of his young child. Now he may not be able to support the kid again because he has been dislimbed and
there is no insurance or compensation available to him.
Yet authorities expect him to keep his agony secret for the comfort of a few unresponsive and unsupportive politicians.
For how long are we going to remain captives of this common frailty (i.e. the-wait-for-disaster-to-strike-repeatedly-before-you-act mentality)?
