Ghana’s Chief of Staff Hon. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, led a team of Inter-ministerial committee to visit and empathize with flood affected persons in the Savannah region.
Hon Akosua Frema Osei-Opare together with the team presented water, mattresses, cooking oil, foodstuffs, dignity kits, assorted drinks to affected flood victims
The Savannah Regional Minister and NADMO officers received the items for onward distribution to affected municipal and district assemblies.
The Central Gonja district, North East Gonja district, East and West Gonja municipal assemblies are districts affected by the floods in the region.
Addressing the chiefs and people at Buipewura Jinapor II palace, the Chief of Staff expressed gratitude to the Buipewura Jinapor II and his cabinet for the good job done so far in comforting the affected persons and said it’s sad to see people suffer due to flooding. She was unhappy to learn that school children were displaced and a lot of people are going through hardships due to the flood.
” It is sad to be displaced by water and even more sad to see that children can not go to school because classrooms are submerged and others being used as accommodation for affected persons. I heard children are sick already and the situation if not checked, can cause more persons to fall ill.
I came here with some sector ministers, we will work together to get these affected persons resettled “.
Hon Akosua Frema Osei Opare commended the Buipewura Jinapor II and Buipe Traditional Council for making 100s of acres of land available to kick start the resettlement processes and assured, government will support the Council to accomplish it’s dream.
In a welcome address read by the Secretary to the Buipe Traditional Council, Buipewura Jinapor II said for two years running, the floods have displaced his subjects in the community and adjoining communities.
The floods started last year and this is the worst of all floods we ever had in Buipe, he added.
The people of Buipe bridge have been displaced and left homeless due to the overflow of the black volta coupled with recent rains in the area.
He further stated that the impact of the disaster cannot be overemphasized as thousands of the victims have lost their personal and household belongings with hundreds of thousands of Ghana cedis to the flood waters.
He added that 1,821 houses were submerged with 1,073 male adults and 1,130 female adults displaced. 1,456 male children were displaced, 1,706 female children were displaced, making a total of 5,296 victims affected by flood in Buipe.
Also, school blocks and shops have been submerged by the flood, bringing socio-economic activities to a standstill”.
Buipewura Jinapor II revealed that he is having sleepless nights in trying to find lasting remedy to the situation. As such plans are far advanced for permanent relocation.
” As a paramount chief and president of Buipe Traditional Council, I have been having sleepless nights as to how to have a solution to this flood disaster in Buipe.
Honorable members, you will all agree with me that the only solution to our problem is to resettle the people of the Buipe bridge.
I have pledge to release over hundreds of acres of land for a new settlement for the people of the Buipe bridge to prevent further disaster.
I cannot do this without the government and for that matter I humbly appeal to the government for the development of the new settlement for the people of Buipe bridge.
On behalf of my people, I say thank you madam for leading the inter-ministerial committee to visit the victims and sympathizing with them “.
The Inter-ministerial committee leader Hon Akosua Frema Osei-Opare was accompanied by Lands and Natural Resources minister, Samuel Jinapor, Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso Boakye, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, minister for Roads and Highways, Hawa Mavis Koomson, minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Fatimatu Abubakar, deputy minister for Information.
Others include Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director General for Ghana Health Service, Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, Executive Director of the Environmental Agency.
Savannah regional minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril, District and Municipal Chief Executives, security agencies, NPP party executives, among others, were in Buipe to welcome the team.
Four schools were closed, five poultry farms were affected with over 1,000 birds destroyed, 1,600 ruminants were carried away and 1,560 farmlands submerged.
Currently, government and Ghana Red Cross Society have provided shelter kits for about 104 households whilst others are living with families and friends.
Source: padfm.com.gh / Abdulai Zulkaninu / 0242381890
