[ 2014-08-20 ]

Sekesua has no reception yet full of mobile phones
Sekesua (E/R), Aug 19, GNA - Sekesua, a farming
community in the Upper-Manya Krobo District, has
no telephone reception yet almost all adult
citizens of the community own mobile phones.
There is also no electricity in the community so
the people charge the batteries of their mobile
phones in nearby communities at a fee.

Sometimes when their phones go off they have to
take them to Asesewa, the district capital which
is 40 minutes drive away, to charge.

Sekesua is home to one of the three vibrant and
popular markets in the District and every
Wednesday, which is the market day, traders and
goods from all over the district and beyond find
their way to the place.

Traders from Koforidua, Accra, Tema and Akosombo
converge there to do business.

This reception phenomenon has been with the people
for years.

They charge their phones and always have it on
them yet cannot make or receive calls since there
is no reception.

The entire district has challenges with mobile
telecommunication and even communities that have
mobile phone reception cannot boast of any good
network.

Sometimes for a whole week people in some
communities including Akateng, Sesiamang, Ahabaso,
Dawatrim and others cannot have network reception,
in short network reception in the district is
determined by location and the weather.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) Media Auditing and
Development Tracking Project Team being sponsored
by STAR-Ghana, as part of its focus on
developmental journalism, got to know this during
a visit to the community to have first-hand
information on the developmental needs of the
people in the various communities.

For the over four hours that the GNA team was in
the community, they could not make or receive
calls neither able to send or receive text
message.They were totally cut off from all
contacts and communication.

This situation affects access to healthcare since
the people cannot make even emergency calls to
drivers they have arranged with to take women in
labour to a health facility which is about six
kilometres away.

The team noticed that the young and old, educated
and uneducated alike all have assorted brands of
mobile phones but are not useful in the community
unless they move out to other communities where
there is reception.

Mr Tetteh Ahertso, an opinion leader told the GNA
that he bought his phone about five years ago but
had never been able to make or receive a call
whiles in his house or any other location in the
community unless he moves out.

He said he could not make any contacts or have any
information once in the community and sometimes he
is not able to attend important meetings involving
opinion leaders from all over the district unless
someone personally come to the community to inform
him.

Mr Kwaku Horsu, a farmer and trader told GNA that
because of lack of communication he is not able to
do effective business.

He said often his clients had challenges reaching
him and out of frustrations call farmers in other
communities to place orders for their farm
produce.

Mr Horsu cited an instance where he harvested
about 10 crates of tomatoes upon request from a
customer in Accra when he was in Asesewa.

He said the customer was not able to come as
scheduled but because he was at Seesaw, a
community nearby, the customer could not reach him
and so all the tomatoes perished adding that he
was still paying for the loan he obtained to
cultivate the tomatoes farm.

The Chairman of the Dademantsemei Union in the
District, Mr Tetteh Narh told GNA that the people
of Sekesua appeared to be cut off from the
district and the entire world, a situation
affecting their entire living conditions and
livelihood as well and said something must be
done.

Source - GNA

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