The Regional Minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibriil, has issued an order on behalf of the country’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo, to the Ghana Education Service and the District Chief Executive to quickly absorb school children affected by the Buipe floods. Over 100 school children have been left without access to education due to public and private school buildings being submerged in the flooding, which has hit over four communities in the Buipe township.
During a visit to the affected areas, the minister sympathized with over 1,200 flood victims and assured them that the government plans to provide assistance to help them through this difficult time. He has discussed with the DCE for the central Gonja district and the district education directorate to ensure that affected students are transferred to other schools. Although the new environment may be unfamiliar to the students, the minister believes that it is better than allowing them to remain at home without access to education.
The minister has called on various stakeholders, including corporate Ghana, NGOs, and CSOs, to provide assistance to the victims. He disclosed that the government is working to find a lasting solution to the issue, which occurs every ten years, and a team is being formed to start working on solutions. The affected individuals include peasant farmers, fisherfolk, and traders who were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses due to the spillage from the Bui Dam.
The Regional Minister expressed his gratitude to the Chief of Buipe traditional area, Buipewura Jinapor II, his elders, and the people for their support during the disaster. He visited some of the hard-hit areas with a canoe to make a fair assessment of the impact. He added that the government had already started working on sustainable solutions for all flood-prone areas in the country to minimize the impact on lives and properties.
The minister has also instructed the DCE and NaDMO officials to gather statistics on the ground to determine the number of victims and other casualties to provide relief items. He concluded by reiterating that they are all in this together and that the government will continue to provide assistance to the affected individuals until the situation is resolved.
