Several houses were flooded and properties worth millions of Ghana cedis destroyed in various parts of the Ashanti Region last week Friday when heavy rains hit the region.
Even worse, three people were confirmed dead in the Nwabiagya District of the region while some seven others were reported lost at Sepaase, also in Nwabiagya, which appeared to be the hardest hit district of the floods.
Sadly, one of the areas in the district which has always been flooding, Abakomedi, near Agogo, is where a former regional Coordinator of National Disaster Management Organisation, Mr. Aninkora Osei, has his building. He was the regional NADMO coordinator in the late Prof. John Evans Fiifi Atta Mills and Mahama administration
As usual, his house was not different from the other houses in the area which was flooded almost above window level and several properties destroyed.
The Abakomedi area is a swampy area which has been developed over the years with houses built there. However, residents in the area have never known peace whenever it rains.
Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, and his Deputy, Elizabeth Agyeman, who toured some affected areas in the region including the Nwabiagya District, were appalled at some of the structures built in waterways, preventing the free flow of water whenever there is flood.
As usual, the rhetoric was on: “government will soon be demolishing structures on waterways, nobody would be allowed to construct any structure on waterways” among others.
Other areas within the Ashanti Region where there were serious floods included Aboabo, Santasi New Site, Breman, TUC, South Junction and several areas.
While the regional minister and his deputy toured some of the affected areas, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, the Regional Police Commander, Fire Service personnel also toured some of these areas helping the numerous victims of the heavy rains.
Story: From James Appiakorang Jnr., Kumasi, Ashanti Region
