John Mahama asks Northerners to heed flood warnings

Accra, Aug. 20, GNA - Mr. John Dramani Mahama, running mate to Professor John Evans Atta Mills, Flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Wednesday added his voice to appeals to people living in the flood plain of the Volta River in the three Northern Regions to move to safer grounds to avoid being flood victims when Burkina Faso opened the Bagre Dam.

Mr Mahama, who is the MP for Bole/Bamboi said the people should also cooperate with the Volta River Authority (VRA) and National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to avoid loss of life and property this year from flooding of the White Volta and its tributaries. Speaking in an interview with the GNA in Accra, Mr. Mahama noted that there was only one day left before the intended date of spillage of water from the Bagre Dam. The spillage leads to flooding downstream and created problems for those in the northern regions Mr. Mahama said having personally witnessed the extent of devastation and loss of life in the regions last year, "Ghana cannot afford a repeat of that disaster."

He said Government had failed to honour a large part of its promise to rehabilitate the victims of last years flooding and yet reports by VRA that while many people had responded to the warning and have evacuated the area there were some people who have refused to be moved. He asked Government to use its influence and authority to get such people to higher grounds before the expected flooding.