Residents living near the White Volta at Daboya in the North Gonja District of the Savannah Region have sent a passionate appeal to the Government, Non-Governmental Organizations and other Philanthropists for support to relocate to higher grounds ahead of the rainy season.
They made the appeal when GhanaWeb visited Daboya on Monday, March 7, 2022.
They lamented that they are always displaced from what they christened as "ritual flooding" which occurs every year destroying several properties worth thousands of cedis to the flood waters.
Madam Abibata a mother of three who lives close to the White Volta in an interview with Ghanaweb, said she fears for her life and that of her children as the rainy season prepares to set in if she is unable to relocate.
According to her, she is left with no other alternative but to remain at her current location because of the cost involved in relocating to a safer place.
"If you have not seen what am telling you for yourself, you will not appreciate the extent of damage caused us every year by flood waters and so we always live in fear when the rainy season is ready to set in", she lamented.
She continued, "the estimate for relocating to a more safer place is overwhelming and scary that is why am making this passionate appeal to the Government and other benevolent organizations to extend a helping hand to us to aid us relocate to prevent calamities".
They disclosed that Government through the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) over the past years made several promises of relocating them but haven't been able to keep to their word leaving them stranded.
They entreated the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) to relief them from their predicament by addressing the challenge once and for all.
"We have been leaving here for the past decade and every attempt to relocate has proved futile because we cannot afford the cost. Government should endeavor to bring an end to this problem instead of the usual provision of relief items every year", said Mr. Abdulai.
Mr. Yakubu Tamimu who has his house close to the flood prone area, said the situation worsen particularly when the Bagre Dam in neighboring country Burkina Faso is spilled.
He urges Government to take proactive steps to bring finality to the ritual annual disaster which is seemingly becoming normal for people living close to the White Volta.
According to him, they are always rendered homeless even with the slightest downpour and perching with family relatives has become something normal for them during rainy season.
"We don't like the idea of perching with others but what do we do, we just have to manage. Just last year, my properties were washed away by floodwaters including my hen coop and damage caused me was very devastating", he bemoaned.
Current deplorable state of the road