Former President John Mahama has made a donation of GHS 20,000 to the families of victims in the Offinso-Aboffuor bus accident, which left more than 20 dead.
A delegation led by the former Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Limuna Muniru in the company of the MP for Bole-Bamboi, Alhaji Yusif Sulemana, former MP for Daboya-Mankarigu, Obei Mahama Shaibu, former MP for Damongo, Adam Mutawakilu Galus amongst others, made the donation on behalf of the former president on Monday, November 15, 2021.
21 people from the district died whilst others sustained injuries in the accident which occurred in the early hours of Monday, November 1, 2021, at Offinso Abofour in the Offinso South District of the Ashanti Region.
The victims were mostly head potters from the North Gonja district of the Savannah Region who were returning home from their trade.
The delegation visited four communities to make donations to the families of the deceased before visiting the injured at the Tamale Teaching Hospital.
Speaking to Citi News after the donation, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna said the former President was sad about the unfortunate development, which he described as a national tragedy.
Alhaji Limuna called on the government to work at stopping the migration of northern youth to the south by initiating economically viable policies in the area.
“These were people who were going to look for their daily bread, all of them are youth in their twenties, it is a lesson that all governments should be looking at policies that can empower the youth so that they will stop the movement from the north because we have vast land, we have a lot of things that can keep them home.”
Alhaji Limuna said the NDC’s 2020 manifesto proposed policies that if implemented will significantly reduce youth migration from the north to the south of Ghana.
“If you look at our 2020 manifesto, we had a lot of programs, even just using agribusiness alone that will be able to keep them, and they will make enough for their families.”
The Chief of Tampluma, Tampulitina Wusah Tikah on behalf of the bereaved families and the injured thanked the former president for remembering them in their time of grief.
“I thank the former president and all of you for remembering us at this time that we are bereaved, though you are not in power you have come to support us, we know you will do more if you have power. Tell John Mahama that we thank him, and we pray and believe God will grant him his heart desires to help us even better.”