Residents of Nsawam Adoagyiri Zongo threatens to demonstrate as flood displaces 300 residents

Residents of Nsawam Adoagyiri are threatening to embark on demonstration if the municipal assembly fails to address the perennial flooding situation in the community.

The latest threat comes after the community was struck by a devastating flood on Saturday, July 22, 2023, after a heavy downpour around 4:00 pm.

The flood was caused by the overflow of the Bonyomma stream into low-lying communities along the river.

Adoagyiri Zongo and parts of the Adoagyiri community were most affected.

It took the intervention of some community members to enter homes to rescue occupants.

A total of about 300 persons have been displaced.

According to official data,60 homes and 25 shops including provision stores, drugstores, furniture shops, hairdressing salons, cement shops, cold stores, and home appliances shops were flooded.

Additionally, about 70 acres of farmlands were submerged.

A visit to the community observed some of the affected persons were salvaging their lost properties mostly household items.

Others were sleeping in schools, mosques and other open places.

The assembly member for Adoagyiri Zongo, Ibrahim Abubakari said the community would hit the street if the assembly fails to dredge the stream.

He said the losses caused by the flood far outweigh the cost of dredging the river therefore will soon take to the streets to mount pressure on authorities.

“The next action will be a demonstration. We in the Zongo will stage a massive demonstration and you know what will happen when we decide to hit the street. We don’t want to take the law into our hands but for the way things are going if the authorities don’t intervene, we are going to take the laws into our hands. We are going to do what we want.”

He added “There is war before peace I don’t want to take the laws into my hands My people have been pressing to hit the street for a long time but I stop them because I am for peace. But if they don’t come to our aide we will take the laws into my hands. People have lost their investments. Someone went to buy bags of maize to prepare kenkey but all have been flooded. So we will do something even if we do it and they arrest me to prison, I am ready to die for my community,” he said.

Coach Alhaji Zeto Karim, a former Under 20 national team coach also affected by the flood said, dredging of the stream is a viable solution to the flooding in the area.