MPs ask Government to ameliorate plight of flood victims

Accra, June 24, GNA - Two members of parliament on Wednesday, called on government to respond speedily to ameliorate the plight of the victims affected by floods in the Greater Accra and Central regions.

Mr David Tetteh Assumeng, Member of Parliament for Shai Osudoku, and Mr Samuel Obodai, Member for Agona West made the call on the floor of Parliament as they expressed their condolences to the families of the affected victims in their affected constituencies.

Mr Assumeng who is also the Chairman of the Works and Housing Commit tee of Parliament suggested the need for inter-sectorial meeting of all relevant bodies like the Ministries of Water Resources and Housing, Local

Government and Rural Development, Environment, Science and Technology and

Finance and Economic Planning and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Scienc e and Technology to end the perennial disaster.

He said the countries engineers should be brought on board to addres s the problem, adding that the Town and Country Planning Department and the

National Disaster Management Organisation must also be strengthened to enforce all legislations on building procedures. Mr Assumeng said there was the need to free all water ways of illega l structures to avert future occurrence.

Mr Obodai, said 11 out of the 35 people reported dead by the floods hailed from Agona west. He said the whole of the Zabu Zongo Community became completely uninhabitable because almost all the houses in the area were submerged wh en River Akora over spilled its banks . He said people had to perch on the roofs of buildings at the mercy o f mosquitoes. Mr Obodai said bus which was fully loaded with passengers on its way

from Breman Asikuma to Agona Swedru got trapped in the middle of the floo d resulting in the death of seven people.

He said bridges linking Swedru township to other communities have be en destroyed, compelling travellers to go through Kasoa and Bawjiase before re-routing to other parts of Agona Swedru, leading to inconvenience to drivers and passengers.

Mrs Irene Naa Torshie Addo, Member of Parliament for Tema West said demolition of buildings was not the answer to the flooding but rather goo d drainage systems.

Mr Alban Sumani Bagbin, Minister of Works and Housing and Water Resources said government is working to bring relief to areas affected by

the floods in Swedru, especially the commercial centres and schools that were hit. He said he would compile a comprehensive report on the situation to be presented to the House. Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Minority Leader called for a State of Emergency to be declared in the Ashaiman area. Mr Cletus Avoka, Majority Leader said the relevant ministries shoul d come together to lead a crusade on the way out of the problem.