500 people made homeless at Upper Bobikuma

Agona Bobikuma, (C/R), May 19, GNA - More than 500 people including children have been rendered homeless following a severe rainstorm that hit Upper Bobikuma in the Agona District of the Central Region. The high-speed winds, which were accompanied by heavy rains, lasted for about 45 minutes and ripped off the roofs of 48 houses and classroom blocks.

The local Salvation Army Church and Mission House and the Christ Apostolic Church were also destroyed.

Mr Peter Nti, Chairman of the Concern Citizens Association of Upper Bobikuma, told Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Bobikuman on Tuesday that about 500 people, who were affected, were putting up with their relatives and friends.

Electricity poles and cables were also destroyed throwing parts of the town into darkness at night.

He appealed to the nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and companies to go to the aid of the affected persons.

Malam Ali Mohammed, Managing Director of Sankofa Herbal Centre, told GNA that the roof of the Local Mosque for Orthodox Muslim at Lower Bobikuma was also ripped off during the rainstorm. Malam Ali, who is also a local preacher, said Muslims in the area were still worshipping in the destroyed mosque since they had nowhere else and appealed to Muslim communities both local and foreign to go to their aid.

Mrs Elizabeth Baffoe Bonnie, Assemblywoman for Upper Bobikuma Electoral Area, praised the Agona District Chief Executive, Mr John Kwesi Agyabeng and Mr Samuel Kweku Obodai, Member of Parliament for Agona West for their quick response to their call when the disaster occurred.

She said the DCE and the MP had presented relief items worth 30 million cedis to the victims when they visited the town to access the damage caused by the storm. The items were 252 pieces of roofing sheets, 60 student mattresses, 20 mats, 65 rubber buckets, cups, plates and nine bags of rice. 19 May 04