Northern Dev't Forum calls for repair of Upper West roads destroyed by heavy floods

The Northern Development Forum (NDF) is calling on the Minister of Roads and Highways to move swiftly to address the destruction of the roads in the Upper West Region.

The forum said three continuous days of rainfall have swept away large sections of highways and roads in the region.

“The main highway in the region running north-south from Bole-Wa-Lawra-Nandom-Hamile-Burkina Faso has been destroyed in several places bringing transportation across the region to a standstill”.

A statement signed by Major (Rtd) Albert Don-Chebe, Chairman of the NDF and copied to the media said, the quantum of damage done to the already insufficient road infrastructure in the region is heart-breaking.

Mr Don-Chebe said the NDF expects the Ministry of Roads and Highways to move resources to the region as soon as possible to forestall the significant damage to the region's socio-economic and commercial ecosystems.

According to the statement, reports also indicate that the destruction to roads, bridges and culverts are very severe in the Wa West and Wa East Districts, two of the most infrastructure-deficient districts in Ghana.

The Forum expects the Northern Ghana Parliamentary Caucus, the Upper West Regional Administration, Civil Society Organisations and other interest groups to focus attention on the unmitigated disaster that has engulfed the region to ensure speedy and timely actions to restore and reinforce the damaged road infrastructure across the region.

Since Saturday, August 14, 2021, social, economic and commercial activities in the region have come to a standstill.

Articulated vehicles transporting goods to Burkina Faso and Mali are stranded in the region.