CHIEFBOS Mines Donates To Gwira Flood Victims

CHIEFBOS, a small-scale mining firm, based in the Western Region, has come to the aid of residents within the Gwira-Banso community, who were affected by the recent heavy flood disaster that hit the Gwira traditional area in the Nzema East municipality.

The management of the company, who were moved by the plight of affected flood victims, donated some food items to mitigate their losses.

Items donated by CHIEFBOS, included 250 bags of rice, 250 bottles of cooking oil and 350 pieces of canned fish.

The chief executive officer (CEO) of CHIEFBOS, Dominic Aboagye, who handed over the items to Nana Ette Akrade II, the chief of Gwira-Banso, and Madam Ama Teaboa Kwofie, the assembly woman for the area for onward distribution, said he was moved to meet the needs of the affected.

He said, “I could not help seeing these 70 houses or buildings come down because of poor drainage systems and other environmental factors…this is my token of hope to them.”

Earlier, Nana Ette Akrade II supplied some 250 bags of rice, with the assembly member for the area donating 100 bags of rice, 100 pieces of canned fish and cooking oil.

Nana Ette Akrade II was grateful to the company for the kind gesture towards the affected.

He was worried that NADMO had not come to their aid yet, adding, “I have decided to relocate all the affected in September after the rains, we cannot afford to see our people suffer year on year afflictions.”

The chief said, “This year’s fall seemed heavier and can be compared to the 1968 heavy downpour that destroyed many things in this community…I also think that the inactions of miners could be partly blamed for this disaster.”

Madam Teaboa Kwofie, on behalf of the community, thanked the company for the assistance and pledged to engage the assembly for lasting solutions to flooding in the community.

The Anchor recently reported how scores of residents in the Gwira traditional area had been displaced, with several houses and buildings collapsing, after an unusual flood that hit many communities in that area.

The flooding occurred after series of heavy downpours recorded in that part of the region, leading to the Ankobra river overflowing its bank and spilling over into several towns and communities along its boundary.

While some are attributing the incident to mining activities in the area, others also linked it to the excessive heavy rain pattern recorded in the area this year.

Residents told The Anchor that, since 1968, the area has not experienced any such flooding, compared to this year’s own that virtually swept out entire communities. Residents were left helpless and unable to salvage anything – as animals, dead and alive and other belongings, seen floating on the water, being carried away.

The disaster, which took many by surprise, occurred last week, as the water lasted in the affected communities for about a week, causing thousands of houses and other building structures to collapse.

Interestingly, the paramount chief’s palace at Bamiankor was also not spared by the flood, which left residents in some cases trapped.

No life was lost, but the receding waters wreaked extensive havoc.

Some of communities and areas badly affected are Gwira Wiawso, Eshiem, Betenase, Besowa, Agbaasie, Akosonu and the Gwira-Banso township itself.

No Relief Support 

But the residents, who are counting their losses, are yet to receive any help from the authorities. They told The Anchor, that everything has been left in the hands of their chiefs, who are taking control of the situation, in their own way, to ensure their subjects are safe and catered for.

Some of the chiefs, this paper gathered, have taken it upon themselves to lobby individuals, as well as benevolent donors, to secure some foodstuff, such as rice, for the victims to survive on temporarily.

According to them, even though officials at the Nzema East Municipal Assembly are aware of the disaster, they are yet to receive emergency relief items from national disaster management organization.

They indicated that, though the municipal chief executive (MCE) of Nzema East, Dorcas Elizabeth Ampah, led a delegation to visit some of the communities where records have been taken, victims of the flood are yet to receive any help from the assembly.

The affected residents are, therefore, appealing to benevolent organizations and donors to come to their aid.

Source:Anchorghana.com