Gumani residents cry for assistance

Residents of Gumani in the Tamale Metropolis, who were badly hit by the flood disaster last week, have passionately called on the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly to construct proper drainage systems to direct rain water to forestall any future calamities.

The residents are apprehensive of experiencing yet another severe flood disaster this rainy season, since the area lacks proper drainage systems.

The over nine hours nonstop heavy rain, caused serious floods on Friday, in areas like Kukuo, Kobilimalgo, Vittin, the Gariba Lodge area and Gumani, all in the Tamale Metropolis. In all, over 100 houses were submerged, with the produce of several farms washed away.

Other valuable properties destroyed include television sets, DVD players, mattresses and bags of cement among others.

At Gumani Last Stop area, where the damage was devastating, two children were reportedly affected by the flood, and were hospitalised.

When the Northern File got to the scene, most of the affected people, including one Abubakari Ali, a businessman, Madam Rahma Musah, a nurse and one Mr. Richard Sam, were struggling to redirect the water to salvage their buildings and properties.

According to them, the flood occurs almost every year, but always the authorities fail to come to their aid.

However, the paper can attribute the flood to inadequate drainage systems and the haphazard way of building by the people themselves, as some of the structures were sited on waterways.

Meanwhile, the Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Alhaji Haruna Friday, who visited the scenes to sympathise with the victims, assured them of proper measures to avoid future occurrences.

He advised them to avoid dumping refuse and other waste materials into the few gutters in the area.

Also at the scene were the Northern Regional Minister, Stephen Sumani Nayina, his Deputy, Moses Bukari Mabengba, the Regional Coordinating Director, Joseph Dasanah, and the Regional Public Relations Officer, Alex Braimah.

Mr. Stephen Sumani Nayina said experts were needed to assess the situation, ascertain the true cause, and find a lasting solution to it immediately.

He could not however quantify the cost of damage.
The Minister and his entourage, together with MCE, also visited other affected communities in the Tamale Metropolis, and sympathised with the victims.