Lawmakers for constituencies in the Upper West Region have come together to lobby for support for their constituents after devasting floods last weekend.
The Members of Parliament are pleading with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to deploy its experienced 48th Engineer Regiment to the region.
The MPs want the officer to create alternative access routes after the floods washed away bridges and rendered some roads un-motorable.
During a brief interaction with the media on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, a spokesperson Dr Sebastien Sandaare said the deployment of the officers through a collaboration between the Roads and Defence Ministries will help bring some relief to the residents.
“We as the NDC caucus and representatives of the people of the Upper West Region in Parliament are calling on the relevant authorities to take urgent remedial action to deal with the misfortune that has befallen our kinsmen. We recommend that the Ministry of Roads and Highways should liaise with the Ministry of Defence to as a matter of urgency deploy the 48th Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces in the region to create temporary access routes while efforts are made to rehabilitate the roads and bridges,†he said.
The floods over the weekend washed away major roads in parts of the region.
The situation has affected the mobility and economic activities of over 1,600 residents in some parts of the region.
Dr. Sebastien Sandaare, who is the Member of Parliament for Daffiama-Bussie-Issa constituency, commended the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin; Roads and Highways Minister, Kwasi Amoako-Atta and the Upper West Regional Minister, Hafiz Bin-Salih for their swift reaction to the situation.
He however urged the various stakeholders to ensure that trunk and feeder roads that were destroyed by the floods are fixed in addition to the major roads.
“We have taken note and therefore wish to acknowledge the swift intervention of the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament in calling on the relevant authorities to intervene. We also acknowledge the swift response of the Upper West Regional Minister and Road and Highways Minister in touring the region to assess the extent of damage and subsequent directive for the rehabilitation of affected roads to be commenced in earnest.
“Don’t limit it to major roads, but also the feeder roads that have equally been affected by the floods. Maintenance work should be conducted on the existing alternative routes to deal with the growing human and vehicular traffic to forestall a total collapse of the road network in the region,†he said.