News

Buipe Town Submerged

The Central Gonja district capital, Buipe, has been submerged leaving hundreds of residents homeless and displaced for days now. Hundreds of houses, classroom blocks and shops have been taken over by the flood waters.

The inhabitants were being transported with canons at a fee to move from the flooded areas to safe places when THE CUSTODIAN Northern Regional Correspondent, Mohammed Gadafii, visited the area on Wednesday, October 19.

The situation has greatly impacted on economic activities as the central business area known as Buipe bridge area which covers the main market square, the Buipe cattle market have all been hit hard.

The Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area, Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor II after visiting the affected communities has appealed to the government and philanthropists to come to the aid of his subjects.

“…In fact, the whole Buipe area, we’re appealing, we’re crying, we’re shouting, we’re dying. Even though nobody has died yet, but we shouldn’t wait for somebody to die first and as Chief of the area that is my appeal” he cried out.

The Buipe traditional leader stated the area is the economical hub of the Savannah Region and lamented that almost half of the people in the district capital are living in the flood waters.

He further called for the immediate evacuation of the people to safe areas whilst steps were taken to find the victims alternative shelter and relief items.

The CUSTODIAN has gathered a spillage from the Bui dam coupled with the recent torrential rains in the north has caused this havoc on the people’s livelihood.

Abdul Mutalib Ibn Alpha, a unit committee member in the Buipe electoral area told THE CUSTODIAN that this is not the first time the situation has happened.

He added, “I have been here since 1997; it came in 2000, the same thing in 2010 and it’s like we experience this after every 10 years, last year it came but it was not severe like this.”

According to him, there is a lack of drainage systems in the town and whenever it rains there is no chance for the rain water to flow and connect to the river, something he has appealed to the government to fix urgently.

One of the victims, Ansong Afua, said the goods in their shops have been destroyed and like her, many other victims in the community are still counting their losses, adding she can no longer do her business because the items in her shop have been damaged.

Meanwhile, the District Chief Executive, Mr. Iddrisu Salia Kamara, after presenting life jackets to canon operators on behalf of the government said plans are underway to provide temporary shelter, food and medication to the victims.

He said students of the schools that are affected would be moved to join their colleagues in other schools that are not affected to continue studies until the time their schools are safe to return.

Source:Fiilafmonline/Custodian

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Close