Tidal waves that ravaged several homes and displaced many residents in the Nzema East municipality of the Western Region last Sunday led to the death of a fisherman.
Residents of Brawire and Akyenim, both suburbs of Axim, capital of the municipality, were those heavily affected.
The deceased, Asafoah Ackon, who hailed from the Shama District but carried out his occupation in the Nzema East municipality, was said to have met his untimely death when he was allegedly electrocuted by live wire on an electric pole which had been pulled down by the tidal waves.
According to some eyewitnesses, as the waves were submerging Ackon’s building and causing damage to some properties running into thousands of Ghana cedis, he decided to defy the ravaging sea as he tried to retrieve some of his belongings.
“Unfortunately, he was electrocuted in the process by some electric wires which were on a pole that had been removed from the ground by the violent waves,” of the residents told DAILY GUIDE.
The body of Ackon has been deposited at the Axim Government Hospital pending autopsy.
This came to light when DAILY GUIDE visited the Brawire and Akyenim communities after the unfortunate incident on Sunday to interact with the people.
The paper gathered that the residents on Monday took to some principal streets in the area to demand the rebuilding of a collapsed sea defence wall, which according to them, was the only solution to prevent further occurrence of the incident.
Clad in red and chanting war songs, the demonstrators started their protest march at about 2pm and presented a petition to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), James Atta Kakra Baidoo.
Among other things, the residents called on the MCE and the NDC government to do well to fulfill their promises of constructing a sea defence wall at Brawire.
Chief Fisherman
In an interview with the Chief fisherman of Brawire, Nana Kofi Annan, he said the problem currently confronting the people had been there for too long. “We have informed the authorities concerned but they seemed not to put measures in place to solve it. They are waiting for the waves to cause great havoc.”
MCE
Mr James Atta Baidoo, who had earlier visited some parts worst affected by the tidal waves with a team of experts, in an interview with DAILY GUIDE, described the incident as a natural disaster.
According to him, a similar incident happened at Half-Assini and other coastal communities in the country last Sunday.
He, however, indicated that the municipal NADMO officers were working to ascertain the support those affected would need temporarily.
He pointed out that Amandi Construction Limited had been contracted to reconstruct a sea defence wall to help reclaim some lands, but added that the project was beyond the district assembly and that it was a central government one.
On the demise of the fisherman, the MCE remarked, “I have just been told and I will make sure I visit the family to sympathize with them.”
MP
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Kweku Tenikye Kese, was very hopeful that very soon the budget on the sea defence wall at Axim and other adjoining communities would be released so that work on the project could begin.
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