January 15, 2026 – The Assembly Member for the Awiebo-South and Ebi electoral areas, Hon. Lawyer Aka Watson, has commended the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, and the District Chief Executive (DCE), Hon. Joseph Agyekum, for taking pragmatic steps to fix the bridge on the River Ebi near Tandan and Awiebo.
According to the Assembly Member, the steel bridge collapsed about three years ago, bringing untold hardships to residents of Ebi in particular, as well as motorists and other road users.
Hon. Lawyer Aka Watson expressed these sentiments in an interview with Nzema Today TV at Ebi following the repair of the broken bridge by Metropolitan Construction Limited, a road construction company.
The Assembly Member noted that communities near and along that stretch experienced a period of economic stagnation during the collapse of the bridge.
“We faced untold hardships, such as farmers being unable to transport their foodstuffs from their farms and nearby communities to market centres. Drivers also stopped plying the Aiyinasi–Esiama road, leaving travellers stranded,” he said.
Hon. Lawyer Aka Watson thanked the MP and the DCE for the interim measures taken to fix the broken bridge while the contractor makes efforts to construct a permanent concrete bridge to replace the steel one.
He disclosed that the contractor had assured him that the entire road from Ebi to Aiyinasi and from Ebi to Teleku-Bokazo had been awarded on contract and would be asphalted under the government’s Big Push initiative.
Hon. Lawyer Aka Watson further noted that foodstuffs became perishable during the period the bridge was broken, which negatively affected the local economy.
A worried young woman from Ebi, Madam Faridatu Shafu, shared the tough times that residents of Ebi and nearby areas have faced since the bridge collapsed. She mentioned how hard it has become to find transportation for patients needing to get to hospitals and health centers in surrounding communities, especially after dark. Madam Faridatu Shafu pointed out that this situation is particularly tough for pregnant women and mothers-to-be who need to reach the hospital in Eikwe or health centers in Asasetre, Aiyinasi, and Esiama. She explained that people often have to rely on motorbikes for these trips, which can be both uncomfortable and dangerous. She also recalled how market women have had to carry their goods on their heads while crossing the damaged bridge, a situation she described as quite scary. The concerned youth expressed her appreciation to the MP for Ellembelle, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, and the DCE, Hon. Joseph Agyekum, for their efforts in getting the bridge project contracted. The Ebi bridge has been out of commission for three years, forcing drivers traveling from Aiyinasi on the international road to Esiama to take longer routes. It’s worth noting that Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah had previously tried to get the bridge repaired by Metropolitan Construction Limited while he was in opposition, but unfortunately, that project didn’t go through at the time.
By Nzematoday TV
