The region has been cut off because the bridge connecting it has been washed away
• A bridge has been washed away after heavy rains
• NDC MPs want military help to get alternative routes in the meantime
• Government, through the Minister of Roads and Highways, has assured it will address the situation
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament from the Upper West Region have sent out an urgent appeal to the 48th Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, to get people to commute in and out of the region.
This has come about as a result of the destruction of a major bridge that connects the region after it was washed away by a heavy downpour from last weekend, citinewsroom.com reports.
The MPs have asked the soldiers to help them create alternative access routes to ensure that economic activities in the area continue while a lasting solution is arrived at.
The downpour cut out some parts of the Upper West Region leading to reduced mobility and consequently affecting the economic activities.
Although the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwesi Amoako-Atta, has given some assurances on getting the situation rectified, the MPs say that in the interim, the help of the military will do a lot of good.
A spokesperson for the Caucus, Dr. Sebastien Ngmenenso Sandaare, who is the MP for the Daffiama-Bussie-Issa constituency, addressing the media, called for prompt action in that respect.
“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 appealed.
They also commended the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, as well as the Upper West regional minister, Hafiz Bin-Salih, for their swift reaction to the situation, the report added.
Dr. Sandaare also called for urgency to be attached to such problems occasioned by natural occurrences like floods.
“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 in the region. 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 added.
When the bridge washed away, the regional minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin-Salih, went on a tour of the place to ascertain the extent of the damage.
In a post on his Facebook page, he expressed his devastation and called on authorities to immediately come to their aid.
“I am heartbroken after our tour of the Upper West Region to ascertain the level of havoc on the roads as a result of the recent torrential rains. I was accompanied by officials from Ghana Highways Authority, Feeder Roads, Nadmo, the media and some Regsec members. The devastation of the roads is widespread and intensive, we, therefore, need massive and timely intervention to restore the roads. I have informed the Minister of Roads and Highways about the state of our roads and we expect swift intervention from his ministry,” he wrote.
