North East Minister calls for support for flood victims

Mr Solomon Namliit Boar, the North East Regional Minister, has called for support from the international community for flood victims at Kunkua, in the Mamprugu-Moaduri District of the Region.

The flood, which submerged farm lands in about 14 communities in the District, also cut off link roads to nine communities and led to the loss of lives in the Region.

The Minister made the call when he led a team from the Regional Directorate of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to present mattresses, sachets of rice, buckets, cooking oil and used clothing, among other items to the flood victims at Kunkua.

Mr Boar, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bunkpurugu Constituency, was accompanied by Mr Tahiru Tia Ahmed, the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr John Kweku Alhassan, the Regional Director of NADMO and some members of the Regional Security Council.

The MP and his entourage also visited farm lands and roads submerged by the flood waters to get first hand information on the situation and commiserated with beavered families.

He said even although the government had supplied some relief items, it was not enough to sustain the victims for even a week, and appealed to philanthropists, individuals and organisations to support the victims.

“So we want to use this opportunity to crave the indulgence of the international community, especially organisations that have been involved in supporting the government almost every time that we find ourselves in this situation.”

Mr Boar said the devastation was across the Region including the West and East Mamprusi, Chereponi, Bunkpurugu and Yunyoo Districts.

“This is a very terrible situation for us here in the North East Region, especially the Mamprugu-Moaduri enclave. It means that nobody can access any social services in West Mamprusi from the Mamprugu-Moaduri District unless through the Upper East Region.”

He said the government was working to tackle the annual flooding situation in the region through the construction of the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam.

“I am very sure that 36 months from now, God willing, we will not be talking about flooding in this area.”

The MP said despite the intense sensitisation by officials of NADMO, there was the need for attitudinal change by residents, especially farmers to stay away from farming along water ways.

He called on residents of the Region to pay critical attention to information from the Ghana Meteorological Services Department and not take anything for granted as more rains were expected.

Mr Boar urged canoe operators who took it upon themselves to carry people across to other communities to stay away from the water until it receded to avoid deaths in the Region.