Zabzugu District cut off from Northern Region

Heavy rains at the beginning of the month have affected a number of roads in the Zabzugu District, making the transportation of goods and services very difficult.

A downpour on Monday, August 17, which lasted to the early hours of the next day, cut off the district from the rest of the Northern Region, as portions of the main road, which links Zabzugu, the district capital to Yendi, was flooded.

The worst affected portions are the sections from Zabzugu Township and Mantili, from Sabare No. 2 to Dagbanjedo and also from Ngani, through Kpaligigbini to Zagban.

At Sabare No. 2, about two kilometers of the road got flooded, and to the residents the last time they experienced such a disaster was five years ago.

Some of them attributed the previous incident to the spillage from the Baagre Dam from Burkina Faso.

They expressed fears that the situation could get worse, if the spillage reoccurs as the rains are getting more intensive.

Some trucks loaded with tubers of yam travelling to other parts of the country as well as public commuter buses which tried to force their ways through the flood waters got stuck.

Mr Issifu Alidu Laa-Bandow, District Chief Executive, who visited the scene where some of the vehicles are stuck, expressed sympathy with the stranded travellers.

He said he had started contacting the various institutions and personalities as far as re-fixing of the road is concerned and appealed to them to bear with the situation.

According to him, government spent a huge sum of money in reshaping that particular road this year.

“That does not mean government will sit down, unconcerned and watch the people continue to go through this kind of situation on daily basis as you go about your lawful business activities to contribute to the economy of our dear nation Ghana” he added.

Touching on the economic importance of the road, Mr Laa-Bandow said the road has the potential to generate a lot of revenue to the district assembly and central government.

According to him, putting the road in good shape would facilitate the easy and timely transportation of farm produce to other market centres in the country.

He also said the road is an international route, since it extends to Tatale to Togo.