Wodome residents cry over death-trapped roads and classrooms

Some residents of Wodome, a community in the Akatsi South Municipality of the Volta Region are languishing over the poor state of their road and the Wodome basic school, which is adversely affecting effective academic work.

They complained that the school has not been renovated since its construction, leaving the structures dilapidated as the classroom doors and windows are broken with deep cracks in the walls.

Some of the residents speaking to Japhet Festus Gbede, a deputy communication officer aspirant during his campaign tour in the area, indicated that the inadequate classrooms in the school had compelled management of the school to combine some classes.

Mr. James Dogbey, a stakeholder in the area, appealed to the government to provide the infrastructure needs of the school to improve academic work.

He noted that due to the accommodation challenges in the community, the teachers have to live in Akatsi. This prevents the teachers from attending classes whenever there is a heavy downpour due to the poor condition of the road.

Mr. Seth Shitor also noted that the school had no befitting facility to accommodate the kindergarten children since the existing kindergarten facility, which was provided some years back is dilapidated.

He explained that a number of teachers refused to accept postings to the school due to the bad nature of the facility. He added that some pupils from the school after vacation refused to attend classes on the grounds that the facility was not ideal for learning.

Speaking to Hon. Daniel Amuzu Kale, the Assemblymember for the area, he acknowledged the importance of education to the development of the community and the nation at large, but that the current situation in the Wodome basic school makes the children see education in the area as a punishment.

He continued that residents go through difficulties in plying the terrible road connecting Wodome and Akatsi to Wute Road.

He stated that the road has been ignored for years, leaving the residents of those primarily agricultural areas hopeless.

He added that the arrival of the rain has made matters worse.

The people declared that it had been challenging for them to transport farm produce to the market centers due to the bad road network.

Passengers and residents always count their losses as drivers charged higher fares over continuous breakdowns of their cars caused by the poor roads.

He, therefore, appealed to the government and benevolent individuals and organisations to come to their aid by providing the community with befitting school infrastructure.