The Member of Parliament for the Manhyia North Constituency, Hon. Collins Owusu Amankwah has appealed to the town and country planning department of the Ministry of Local Government to speedily stop all structures being built on waterways.
This, the MP believes will help the country to avoid preventable deaths as a result of flooding.
In a chat with the media after consoling the family of Baba Ali, a nine(9) year old boy who was unfortunately crushed to death following the collapse of a wall during the rains at Moshie Zongo last Saturday, Hon Amankwah decried the apathetic attitude of many state institutions and agencies in stemming lawlessness and indiscipline.
According to him, the life of the deceased could have been easily prevented if the town and country planning department had stopped human settlements on waterways in the Moshie Zongo area.
CHALLENGES:
Describing the challenges facing the constituency, the youthful legislator said indiscipline had become a big attitudinal problem in the NPP stronghold.
According to him, there are many indiscriminate citing of washing bays and human settlement across waterways in the constituency.
He bemoaned the refusal of authorities to stop these illegal buildings on drains and waterways had steadily given rise to the incidence of flooding.
Many avoidable deaths, the MP stated had occurred due to the choked nature of the drains anytime it rained in these notable communities.
He, also charged people living such buildings which are on waterways to look for better places of residences elsewhere since their continuous stay in such structures had the potential of recording bad news and flooding anytime the rains rears its head.
FAMILY:
Speaking with a tearful eye to the media, Hajia Maamie, mother of the deceased boy thanked the MP for showing care and support by the provision of cash to the family.
She said the very act by the MP to visit and console them on their loss signified that the MP had a good heart towards them and the constituency.
Hajia prayed the MP is given the needed support to carry out the plans and programs he has for the constituency including widows and the less privileged in the Moshie-Zongo community.
She, however, appealed that the drains behind their building be de-silted to prevent a future occurrence since the gutters get choked anytime it rained heavily in the area.
Some residents, according to Hajia had been piling up debris and waste materials in the main drain, and this she said was the main cause of the flooding in the area.
She proposed the sanctioning or arrest of such recalcitrant residents to deter others from continuing same in future and help to save them from the perennial flooding in the area.