THE government has assured persons affected by floods in the Central Gonja District of the Northern Region that it will not abandon them in their times of difficulty.
According to the Member of Parliament for Yapei-Kusawgu, Alhaji Amadu Seidu, the Prof Mills-led administration was exploring ways of securing funding to resource the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to support persons affected by the floods.
He said while the government looked for emergency relief items, efforts were also being made to institute a sustainable disaster management strategy instead of the improvisation that was always done during flood disasters.
Alhaji Seidu made these remarks when he, together with the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Central Gonja, Mr Issifu Salisu Be-Awuribe and other officials, toured some communities in the district that had been inundated following the overflow of the White and Black Volta.
The tour was to enable the officials to ascertain the extent of damage and make appropriate arrangements to provide temporary shelter to the displaced persons.
The MP however cautioned the displaced persons that government’s efforts would yield little results if they kept on settling closer to the Volta River and their tributaries anytime the floods subsided.
“There are not enough resources to keep spending on mitigating flood disasters each year and so we must work towards preventing these disasters,” he stated.
Alhaji Seidu said the current predicament of the persons displaced by floods should serve as a lesson and advised them not to build in areas considered flood-prone.
“If in the past you did not see the reason why you should resettle on higher grounds, then today you have more than enough reasons to do so,” he stated.
The MP cited the destruction caused to houses, schools, markets, sanitation facilities and farms as enough evidence why the inhabitants needed to stay far from the river banks.
He also expressed concern about the possible outbreak of cholera and therefore appealed to the people not to drink water sourced from the contaminated water.
Alhaji Seidu further entreated the displaced persons to stay in temporary shelter facilities provided by the assembly, whiles measures were being made to provide more relief items.
Last week, the NADMO presented some relief items to the flood victims and these include 100 bags of maize, 100 mini bags of rice, 100 cartons of detergents, 300 plastic containers, 400 blankets, 20 bails of used clothing and 1000 poly-mats.
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