Chiefs and residents of Kwahu Afram Plains North have sent an urgent appeal to President John Dramani Mahama for his swift intervention for a replacement of a broken ferry on the Afram River, describing the situation as a looming disaster.
According to them the appeal is to avoid a repeat of a painful calamity on April 5, 1995 where a boat disaster claimed the lives of 140 people on the Afram River.
Agoo fm news reports that, after a press conference on the issue at Agordeke on Friday 14th November 2025, the Chiefs and residents visited the mass grave of the victims who died while traveling between Agordeke and Kpando.
Addressing the media at Agordeke, traditional leaders, residents, and concerned stakeholders expressed deep concern about the state of the ferry, which was originally commissioned in 2016 under President Mahama but has since broken down.
According to them, the absence of the ferry has forced commuters to rely on wooden boats, an option they describe as unsafe and risky, especially because passengers travel without life jackets.
Nana Akuamoah Boateng Tano II (Donkorkrom No.1 Atakora Chief) acknowledged the government for various development projects but stressed that restoring the ferry remains an urgent need for the people of Afram Plains. He appealed to President Mahama to step in swiftly to avert potential loss of lives.
Similarly, the Asabi Chief, Nana Otukwa Mpareko VI, called on the president to consider repairing or replacing the ferry as soon as possible.
Speaking on behalf of concerned citizens of Kwahu Afram Plains North, Awudu Yakubu Omoro Modoc delivered the following statement:
“We are here today to highlight a pressing issue affecting the people of Kwahu Afram Plains North/South, Volta, and Oti regions.
The frequent breakdown of the ferry on the Agodeke-Kpando route he became a major concern to the citizens of this area. This issue has become more recurrent for the past three years, where the ferry was run on only one engine instead of the two. As we speak, the ferry has been out of service since the 13th of October, 2025.
The unreliable ferry service and the deplorable nature of our road are causing immense hardship for residents and traders that frequent this route. This affects economic, health, and social activities.
Residents have now resorted to using wooden engine boats from the aforementioned areas, which are dangerous and more expensive from Agordeke to Kpando, which is about 23 nautical miles.
More alarmingly, the unsafe conditions pose a significant risk to lives. This situation is a ticking time bomb waiting to unleash another tragedy.
We are reminded of the disaster which happened on April 5th, 1995, which claimed about 140 lives crossing this very Agordeke-Kpando route. We can not wait for similar occurrences.
We urge the Volta Lake transport company and the government to intervene. We need a reliable, safe, and affordable transportation system. The people of Kwahu Afram Plains North/ South, Volta, and Oti region deserve better.
We, however, acknowledge H. E President John Dramani Mahama role for providing the ferry on the Agordeke-Kpando route in 2016.
We will be very grateful if he will intervene to avert the re-occurrence of the 1995 disaster where we lost over 140 lives.
Corncen citizens Kwahu Afram Plains North.”
The chiefs, residents, and concerned citizens insist that the current situation is dire and demands immediate government intervention to prevent another tragic event on the Afram River.
