NO PLANS TO CHECK FLOODING IN NZEMA AREA....Omanhen observes (PAGE 23, JULY 18)

THE people of the Western Nzema Traditional Area in the Jomoro District have observed that although the area is the wettest part of the country previous governments did not adopt strategic plans to address the effects of flooding in the area.
They said heavy rains had come and gone since time immemorial, and that the attention of people in power had always been drawn to the havoc that such heavy rains caused to existing infrastructure such as roads, bridges, culverts and buildings but the response had always been negative.
Addressing a news conference in Takoradi, the Omanhen of the Western Nzema Traditional Area, Awulae Annor Adjaye III, said this year’s rains could repeat the same havoc as was the case about five years ago when palliative measures with no lasting effects were hurriedly put in place.
“The heavy rains of the past few weeks have again left an irreparable damage to residential areas, roads, football parks, marketplaces, lorry stations, premises of banks and tourist sites to the extent of making some of these areas inaccessible to vehicles, local residents and visitors,” he explained.
Awulae Annor Adjaye further stated that the news conference was to bring to the attention of the relevant government departments and agencies the plight of the people.
 He said communities as well as tourist sites which were on record to have been denuded were Nzulezu, the village on stilt, which has become a tourist site, Beyin, Bonyere, Edobo/Atwebanso, Half Assini, Anlomatuope, Azuleti, Ebonloa and parts of Elubo.
According to Awulae Annor Adjaye, apart from the unspecified number of property destroyed by the rains, the direct results of the floods had also been one death recorded at Bonyere.
He added that many residents of Nzulezo and Azuleti had been displaced and dislocated adding that, the Tikobo Number One-Beyin-Eikwe and the Takinta-Adusuazo and the Nvelenu-Eboloa roads were virtually impassable.
Awulae Annor Adjaye said as a result of the devastation caused to Nzulezu, visitor inflow was now on the decline.
“The unmotorable road network, such as the Tikobo Number One-Beyin-Eikwe one has made it impossible for sick people and pregnant women to access the Eikwe Catholic Hospital facilities, the only well equipped and effective health delivery facility”, he said.
Awulae Annor Adjaye further said the road between Adusuazo and Takinta had virtually been cut off, making movement between Adusuazo and other communities impossible.
The paramount chief further explained that the news conference was to alert the present government to the plight of hundreds of Ghanaians living in that part of the country because it was geographically positioned in a low-lying area,and therefore needed well- designed infrastructure.
He requested the decentralised ministries, departments and agencies to cause an immediate audit of the harm caused to infrastructure in the Jomoro District, like road networks, bridges, culverts, residential accommodation and school buildings, to enable the responsible authorities to make an appropriate and adequate intervention.
Awulae Annor Adjaye called on the authorities to stop resorting to palliative and crisis management antidotes and quickly provide permanent solutions to the problems of displaced persons, loss of properties and impassable road networks.
He stressed that resources meant for flood victims should be properly coordinated, monitored and efficiently handled to enable those affected by the natural disaster to benefit from non-governmental organisations and state intervention strategies.