Wa, Sept 4, GNA – The Upper West Region House of Chiefs has called for an intervention from government to forestall any future recurrence of the devastation the recent floods caused due to torrential rains.
The House said it had echoed and re-echoed the deplorable nature of the roads in the region to successive governments to have them fixed, but to no avail, hence leaving them with limited options now.
Naa Dikomwine Domolae, the Daffiama Naa and President of the Upper West Region House of Chiefs made the call during a news conference in Wa.
He said major roads linking communities to district capitals and districts to regional capitals and neighbouring Burkina Faso were cut off by the floods with commuters stranded.
He mentioned the major affected roads as the Nadowli-Babile-Lawra-Nandom road, the Nadowli-Jirapa road, Nadowli-Daffiama road, Wa-Serekpere-Nadowli road, Daffiama-Gbare-Jirapa road and the Daffiama-Duong-Wa Road.
The rest are; the Han-Tumu Road, Han-Zini-Gwollu road, Jeffisse-Gwollu-Tumu Road, Bulenga-Katua road, Katua-Yanyuoyori-Kulun road, Wechiau-Tanvaar-Wa road, Piisi-Nako road, Kojokpere-Jimpensi road and the Tumu-Navrongo Road.
Naa Domolae said beyond the major highway roads stated, several other feeder/ancillary roads, which connected communities within the districts had not also been spared of the devastation.
He said commuters continued to remain stranded as the alternative routes could not provide the necessary relief to the collapsed road infrastructure, thereby, affecting access to markets and business centres.
Naa Domolae said the havoc by torrential rains and its attendant flooding was not limited to only road infrastructure.
He said preliminary assessment by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) indicated that over 722 farmlands were completely washed off, 336 persons displaced and over 155 houses destroyed bringing the total number of people affected to about 1,605.
Additionally, he said four irrigation dams located at Owlo, Dakyie, Duong and Nadowli had broken their banks and washed off as a result of the flood disaster.
“Most importantly, the lives of persons in the affected communities are threatened as foodstuff, livestock, and crops are destroyed as a result of the floods”.
Naa Domolae, however, commended government for releasing an amount of GH¢50.00 million for the re-construction of the affected major highways, adding that a holistic package that would include; other feeder roads would bring complete relief to the people of the region.
He therefore appealed to the contractors to expedite action and do good jobs on the construction of the damaged roads to assist affected communities and districts come back to normal life.
He also appreciated efforts by Mr Kwesi Amoako-Atta, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Upper West Minority caucus in Parliament for their call on relevant authorities to assist the flood victims.
“NADMO should as a matter of urgency, provide temporal shelter, food items and beddings to displaced persons and communities”, Naa Domolae urged.
“The provision of other relief items as the situation may warrant in respect of building materials and compensation for lost farmlands, crops and livestock should also be pursued vigorously”, he emphasized.
He advised the Ghana Highway Authority to stop big haulage trucks from using the roads in its current stage until they were properly fixed.
GNA