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South Tongu MP empathises with flood communities

Member of Parliament (MP) for the South Tongu constituency, Kobena Mensah Woyome has commensurate with communities affected by flood waters as a result of an overflow of the Tordzi River off its bank.

Date Created : 10/10/2018 7:06:12 AM : Story Author : Christian Kpesese/Ghanadistricts.com

The MP who expressed solidarity with the affected communities assured that his outfit will continually re-echo the cries of the people for government's urgent action to curb the perennial floods which has negatively affected the livelihood of the residents.

Mr Woyome has thus appealed to government to as a matter of urgency ensure the dredging of the river in order to bring relief to the people.

He noted that the perennial floods have always visited havoc on residents and farmlands and cannot be allowed to persist.

According to the lawmaker, several appeals in the past have not attracted any positive response from the central government and hoped government intervenes this time round since the floods is becoming more worrisome to the survival of residents.

He stated that there is an urgent need for a comprehensive dredging and desilting of the Tordzi River in order to pave way for the safe passage of the river.

Mr Woyome who is the Ranking Member on the Sports, Youth and Culture Committee of Parliament invited other stakeholders with the capacity to dredge the river to come in and help in finding a lasting solution to the perennial occurrence.

The South Tongu MP made the appeal when he toured affected communities to empathise with them whiles hoping for government's urgent intervention.

He urged residents to desist from farming along the river banks to help curb the incident.

Several houses, schools, churches, farms and farmlands of most villages in the South Tongu constituency have been submerged in water as a result of the flood.

The disaster has rendered hundreds of residents in over 60 communities including Bekpo- Sonokpo, Tsawoeme, Akutukofe, Avuto Adutor, Gonu, Agordome among several others whiles farmers desert their homes and farms.

The perennial occurrence of the Tordzi River is attributable to both human and natural effects which has resulted in blocking the main course of the river preventing it from flowing directly in the Volta River.

The River Tordzi which originates from southern part of Togo through to parts of the Volta region through to the South Tongu District before finding its way into the Volta Lake gets flooded off its main route/ bank affecting adjourning villages, properties and farmlands.

The South Tongu District NADMO Coordinator, Collins Avornu noted that all tributaries of the Tordzi River are sealed hence the cause of the perennial flooding. He supported calls for the river to be dredged in order to provide relief to residents.

According to residents, the recent floods with its attendant havoc to houses and farmlands and other properties is the worst in three decades.

The Assemblyman of the Tsawoeme Electoral Area, an area cut off as a result of the flooding appealed for help.

Some of the communities were also completely cut off from the rest and can only be assessed by boat due to the floods.

As a temporally measure to provide relief to one of the cut off community, Gonu, the Assemblyman for the Gonu-Agbokofe Electoral Area, appealed to the MP for the provision of canoes to enable residents access the community.

Some facilities affected include the Bekpo-Sonu DA Primary School, St Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in Adutor, parts of the Adutor E.P Basic, JHS and Clinic.

A nurse on duty at the affected clinic said the flowing water has brought snakes to the compound and feared breeding of mosquitoes may also set in.

The MP who was accompanied on the tour by the Presiding Member of the South Togu District Assembly, the District NADMO Coordinator, the Deputy Director Supervision and Monitoring of the South Tongu District and other officials from the District urged residents to avoid farming close to the river bank.