The Weija-Gbawe Municipal Education Directorate has recommended the provision of boats to convey all learners who cross the estuary to school on a daily basis from Faanaa, accompanied by an elderly person.

In the medium term, it is also recommended that a school should be built in the Faanaa Community to avoid learners from crossing the estuary to Wiaboman.

These were contained in a report following the drowning of nine pupils after a boat they were using back home after school, capsized on the Densu River.

The report, exclusive to Adom News noted that “Weija–GbaweEducation Directorate in collaboration with Ablekuma- West Education Directorate is liaising with the relevant stakeholders so that school children commute to school safely regardless of the means of transport.

“However, the welfare of the children who cross the Densu River on daily basis will be prioritised so far as safety measures in commuting to our schools is concerned,” the statement said.

It was recommended also that life jackets should be provided to learners who use the boats as means of transport to school while teachers should check the condition of the boats transporting these learners before allowing them cross the river to their homes.

One of the highlights of the five-point recommendations is ‘Psychologists must be assigned to the children who survived the accident to help them with their psychological needs.’

Nine school children from Faanaa, an island community in the Ga-South Municipal were reported dead on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at 5:30 pm after the canoe they boarded capsized.

They were returning from their schools in the Wiaboman community in the Weija – Gbawe Municipal.

Their bodies were retrieved from the estuary and rushed to Royal Clinic but were reported dead upon arrival. The children on board were between the ages of one and half (1½) and fifteen (15) years.

Faanaa is an island community in the Ga- South Municipal where there are no schools, thus, children in the community have to cross the river on daily basis to attend school in Wiaboman, a neighboring community. Wiaboman is one of the communities in the Weija- Gbawe Municipality.

The report by the GES captured the two schools from where the victims accessed education as Service Awareness Support Organization with an enrollment of 150 pupils, of which 5 were on the boat involved in the accident.

The other school affected is Vision Redeemer Academy with enrollment of 35 learners out of which ‘six died and one survived; the survivor was the one paddling the boat when it capsized’. 

Funeral Rites

The funeral rites for the nine deceased children were performed at the Palace Park at Bortianor and their mortal remains buried at the Bortianor Cemetery in the Ga- South Municipality on Sunday, May 14, 2023.

In attendance were the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey and his entourage, MP for Ga South, Sylvester Tetteh and his entourage, the Municipal Chief Executive for Ga-South, Joseph Nyarni Stephen, the Municipal Chief Executive for Weija-Gbawe, Patrick Kumor and his entourage and Municipal Director of Education, Weija-Gbawe, Mr. Charles Odoom and his entourage, Officers from Ablekuman Central Education Office amongst other dignitaries.

They came to commiserate with the bereaved families and to offer their support.

Mr Quartey presented a reparation cheque of Gh₵10,000 to each of the parents for a child lost in the accident.

Below is a breakdown of the statistics.

S/N		NAMES OF PUPILS		NAME OF SCHOOL	GENDER			AGE	REMARKS
1		Beatrice Amevor		Vision Redeemer Academy	F			9 years	Deceased
2		Benedicta Awadzi		Vision Redeemer Academy	F			1½ years	Deceased
3		Rejoice Gadah		Vision Redeemer Academy	F			6½ years	Deceased
4		Emmanuel Tettey		Vision Redeemer Academy	M			6 years	Deceased
5		Victoria Atsipo		Vision Redeemer Academy	F			9 years	Deceased
6		Winifred DzidulaAtsupetor		Vision Redeemer Academy	F			4 years	Deceased
7		AugustineAtsupetor		Vision Redeemer Academy	M			15 years	Survived
8	Sabina Amenume		Service Awareness Support Organization			F	3½year		Deceased
9	Freedom Wodowole		Service Awareness Support Organization			M	5 years		Deceased
10	Albert Sortsi		Service Awareness Support Organization			M	9 years		Deceased
11	Enyonam Ekpe		Service Awareness Support Organization			F	13 years		Survived
12	Angela Amenume		Service Awareness Support Organization			F	10 years		Survived