THE CHIEF and people of Cherepo and Kobre near Yeji in the Pru West District of the Brong Ahafo Region have appealed to government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to disinfect their communities in the aftermath of the recent floods which displaced many residents of the area.
Victims of the flood are at the risk of contracting possible communicable diseases if the area is not disinfected as soon as possible.
Nana Osisiri Twumasi Ankrah Kwabrafo made the appeal on Wednesday at Yeji after DAILY GUIDE had visited the area to ascertain the condition of the people after the rains had flooded their communities and displaced about 1,000 inhabitants, some of whom are currently living with family members.
According to the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Pru West, Joshua Kwaku Abonka, the assembly provided a temporary measure by ordering the closure of primary and junior high schools in the area to allow the people to use the classrooms as their dwelling and sleeping places. Unfortunately, the Pru District Assembly and district NADMO office could not provide any relief items because it was beyond their means.
Though the flood waters have not fully receded, the people have returned to their homes wading through flood waters to embark on their daily activities. The rains, according to the chief of the area, destroyed about 30 houses completely and displaced close to 1,000 people. Some of the affected areas included the Cherepo community, a suburb of Yeji; Kobre near Yeji; the Yeji Senior High School; VRA Resettlement Primary School and English and Arabic School.
Electricity poles meant for an electrification project in the community have all been submerged. The girls’ dormitory of the Yeji Senior High School and the school park, have been flooded and students wade through water to attend classes.
The senior housemaster of the school, Eric Abonkra, told DAILY GUIDE that some of their students had been hospitalized at St. Mathias Catholic Hospital due to malaria, for which reason they are afraid that if nothing is done immediately there could be an outbreak of cholera.
The chief of Cherepo, Nana Twumesi Ankrah, who spoke to DAILY GUIDE, said the flooding of Cherepo dates back to 1960s when the people were relocated from their original place of Cherepo-Ayimade to the current place, and since then floods have occurred after every 10 years, with the worst flooding occurring in 2008.
“Resettlement houses built for us by the Volta River Authority (VRA) have all been submerged. The irony of it is that we were moved from a low lying area and told that after the dam was constructed, we would be affected but they moved us to another low lying area. We asked for resettlement fund but the VRA would not give us anything because according to them they have finished with us,” he lamented.
The DCE, Joseph Kwaku Abonkra, said the gravity of the flooding is beyond the assembly so he appealed to central government and other organizations like Zoomlion to help the community, by constructing drains to connect to the river to carry the flood waters into it or deepen an already existing pond to contain the situation.
danielyaodayee@yahoo.com
FROM Daniel Y Dayee, Yeji