The Chief of Nasia in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region, Mouzu-lana Dan Natogmah Abdulai, has expressed his deepest disappointment in the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the government for “deliberately” abandoning the over 1,203 persons who were badly affected by the rainstorm over the last two months.
Over 100 houses and several food stuffs stored in various homes were completely destroyed by the rain, leading to hunger and deprivation. The Chief of Nasia, who used his palace as a place of refuge for some of the victims told The Chronicle in a follow up interview to our earlier publications that he was completely devastated by the plight of the people, since all attempts to get support from NADMO and government hit the rock.
Even though Mouzu-lana Abdulai said he did not mean to compare issues, he did not understand why the government and for that matter other corporate organizations would swiftly respond to the June 3rd Flood and Fire Disaster victims but had closed their eyes to the plight of over 1,203 rainstorm victims at Nasia, which included pregnant women, under five years babies and other extremely poor people.
He, however, appreciated the efforts of the District Chief Executive for West Mamprusi for rehabilitating the affected schools and the Member of Parliament for the area for providing 25 packets of roofing sheets to the victims. But the Chief, in his wisdom deliberately kept the roofing sheets in store, waiting for more of such donations.
He explained that sharing the 25 packets of the roofing sheets to the over 100 houses or the 1,203 victims would result in a chaotic situation, hence the need to keep them till more donations were received. Sadly enough, one of the most affected victims taking refuge at the Chiefs palace, Hajia Abiba Gariba, 86, who is also a widow, had her 12 bed room house completely ripped off and walls knocked to the ground.
Some residents now call her a ‘witch’ after losing her husband and the house she inherited from him. They tried to lynch her until the Chief intervened and brought her into his palace to seek refuge. Another victim, 91 years old Gahu-Naba Tia Banyesi told The Chronicle that the disaster had rendered him “insignificant” to his children and grandchildren, since all his lifetime investment had gone down the drain. According to him, his wives, children and grandchildren are now living at separate places and he doesn’t know their whereabouts.
The victims, therefore, appealed to the government to come to their aid in order to bring back their families. The Chief of Nasia, Mouzu-lana Abdulai, also sent a strong SOS message to the government, NADMO, the Interior Minister and NGOs to come to the aid of the people. He said most of the victims were farmers who should have commenced their farming activities by now, but none of them had been able to gather the resources and the courage to start farming.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for West Mamprusi, David Wuni said he was confident that the National Disaster Management Organisation would soon come to the aid of the victims. But in the meantime NADMO, he said, had told him they had run out of stock and could, therefore, not give any relief items to the victims. Mr. Wuni therefore appealed to NADMO and for that matter the various NGOs and religious organizations to come to the aid of the people.
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