Issah Abdul-Latif|MakNews
Residents of part of Kabanye, a suburb of Wa in the Wa Municipality, are calling on authorities to urgently intervene after all access routes leading into their community are blocked.
The affected area is bounded by the Wa Municipal Hospital to the east, the Pentecost Church to the south, the Royal Lodge to the West, and Franko Trading Enterprise to the north.
According to the residents, the only major road that was expected to link the main road to the community has been obstructed by container shops, making movement in and out of the area increasingly difficult.
Speaking to Mak News, some residents expressed frustration and sorrow over the situation. The situation is particularly stark for individuals with vehicles living in the community.
Madam Rukaya, a resident of the community, said they have faced this challenge for several years. She explained that a landowner had previously allowed residents to use a portion of his land as an access route to ease their burden, but has now blocked the path by dumping sand on it.
She revealed that residents have petitioned the Wa Municipal Assembly on several occasions over the past three years, but no action has been taken to address their concerns.
Madam Rukaya further warned that the situation poses a serious safety risk, stating that in the event of a fire outbreak or any other emergency, it would be extremely difficult for emergency services to gain access to the community. She cited the recent fire that consumed a compound house and stalls near Franko Trading Enterprise, opposite Mummy’s Kitchen, and indicated that the fire may not had destroyed the whole building if firefighters had access to the inner part of it.
While lamenting the situation, she blamed the problem on poor planning and the unregulated construction of buildings in the area.
Another resident, Mr. Tahiru Fuseini, also expressed disappointment over the situation and appealed to the Wa Municipal Assembly and other relevant authorities to come to the aid of the community. For him, the situation portends serious danger as the ambulance service van cannot access the inner part of the community in case of health emergencies.
Mr. Tahiru indicated that several complaints to the Assembly and the Department of Urban Roads over the situation have fallen on death ears. The reluctance of the authorities to attend to the situation has discouraged them from further reporting the situation to them, he said.
The residents are therefore calling for immediate intervention to restore access roads and ensure proper planning to prevent future challenges.
