The Member of Parliament for Walewale constituency in the North East, Hajia Lariba Zuweira Abudu, has made a clarion call to benevolent individuals and organizations to come to the aid of her people in the wake of the devastating destruction caused by the heavy downpour experienced across the region last Wednesday, August 9, 2023.
The lawmaker who doubles as the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection made the call after she visited the affected communities to assess the extent of damage caused. She was in the company of the East Mamprusi Municipal Chief Executive, the Municipal Director of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) among other stakeholders in the area.
Hajia Lariba in a media interview described the situation as a major disaster that require the intervention of philanthropists to complement the efforts of the government to salvage the people from this predicament.
She however commended the swift response of the Minister of Roads and Highways to rehabilitate the Walewale-Nalerigu highway for socioeconomic activities to continue unabated and further lauded President Nana Akufo-Addo and Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for their rapid intervention.
The rain which reportedly started Wednesday morning and lasted for about six to eight hours destroyed several bridges and gutters and left many other road networks unmotorable.
Farmlands have also been severely affected and foodstuff carried away by the flood waters threatening food security in the region in the coming months.
But the Minister in her remarks indicated the pace of work being done to fix the Walewale-Nalerigu was impressive and was also optimistic that the road will soon be put back on good shape for commuters.
The Walewale legislator further lamented women and school children have also had their personal belongings and learning materials all taken away during the flood.
“…. You can see that a lot of women have lost their items, some of them have lost their clothes and mattresses and some of them have their houses submerged. Some school children have told me that their books and school uniforms are gone and I am pleading with all philanthropists, NGOs and everybody to donate to support these people” she revealed.
Meanwhile, the North East Regional Director of Ghana Highways Authority, Mr. Andrew Yaw Okere said the damage caused was as a result of the intensity of the flood waters.
He said, “What we’re trying to do as a temporary measure is to link this side to the other because this leads to the regional capital and it is a busy road and so what we have to do is to establish link, restore the road first [it’s a temporary measure], the permanent solution will done with a bigger culvert constructed here but before then, what we will do is to launch a bailey bridge nearby here, so that while they’re using the bailey bridge, we can comeback and a permanent solution”.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Issahaku Aremeyaw Somo Lucky, for his part said the assemble is working assiduously with the Community Water Agency to extend portable drinking water to Tunguri, Gbani and its environs, stating the contract has been awarded which only requires a further push to expedite the work.
