Fix roads or risk food shortage in the south – Salaga South MP tells govt
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Salaga South in the Savannah Region, Hajia Zuweira Ibrahima, has appealed to the Feeder Roads Department of the Ministry of Roads and Highways to facilitate the rehabilitation of some deplorable roads leading to farming communities in her constituency.
This is to aid the transportation of foodstuff to markets in the region and the southern part of the country.
This would prevent glut at the farm gates and improve the economic status of the farmers.
According to her, the heavy rainfall recorded in her constituency have washed away some roads and left others in a terrible state.
She cited the Salaga-Kafaba road, Sawaba Junction-Abrumase roads, Salaga-Yayili-Bunkpa as some examples that needed urgent attention.
The MP emphasised that this year’s rains in the northern parts of the country have exacerbated the poor condition of majority of the road network.
“Most of the foods that go to the bigger markets in the northern and southern sectors of the country come from these communities which face imminent cut-off and if nothing is done about it now, I wonder how they can transport their farm produce to the nearest markets.”
The MP added:
“Already these people are lagging behind in terms of their access to health, education and water and so having their roads cut off will further worsen their plight.”
Hajia Ibrahima was speaking in an interview with 3News.
Meanwhile, the MP earlier this week facilitated the rehabilitation of the Salaga-Dagbambia road, which was washed away by a downpour.
On the Tamale-Salaga-Makango highway, the MP appealed to the contractors to speed up work to open up the area for economic activities.
This she believed would help in alleviating poverty among the people in the constituency and the region.
Rainfall destroys several houses in the Savannah region
In May this year, several houses and schools in the Savannah region were destroyed by floods.
According to the Savannah Regional Minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril, the recent storms, which has also affected some forest cover in the area, were due to excessive logging and the commercial production of charcoal.
Some areas that were hit by the rains included Damongo, West Gonja municipality, Central Gonja and North Gonja districts.
In 2016, more than 30 households were destroyed at Salaga in the northern region due to heavy rainstorms.
The rain, which lasted for two hours, rendered over 100 people homeless.
No casualty was recorded.
Property worth thousands of Ghana cedis were destroyed causing victims to seek shelter in uncompleted buildings.
A large section of the town was left in darkness as electrical poles got destroyed during the heavy storm.
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