The Paramount Chief of the Buipe Traditional Area in the Central Gonja District, Abdulai Jinapor II has cried out to government, the Management of Bui Dam and the international community to come to the rescue of hundreds of residents who have been displaced by flood waters from the Bui Dam.
“We are crying to the whole world, the government, the Bui Dam authorities that they should come and see our sorrow,” Buipewura said.
Authorities at the Bui Dam have opened one of its five outlets (pipes) forcing the water into the White Volta back to Buipe destroying public and private properties.
According to Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor II, victims of the flood who have lost a greater part of their belongings are in a state of distress and currently have nothing to live on.
Addressing the media during an inspection tour of the affected areas, especially along the White Volta bridge, the Buipewura said , “Buipe bridge is an economic hub of Buipe and we have seen water almost half of the bridge, and our people in the area are in the water now.”
Both public and private properties like school buildings, electricity poles and wires as well as houses mostly belonging to fisherfolks are badly affected by the floods.
Food crops such as maize and millet, tubers like yam and cassava, and livestocks were either submerged or carried away by the flood waters.
“A lot of the people have to be relocated and they had to be put in schools and the schools too can not allow the students there. So, we are going to have double danger. School children can not go to school and people too cannot work,” he stated.
District Chief Executive for Central Gonja, Salia Kamara told journalists that despite the huge negative impact on the ground, no life has been lost.
He said victims who are either fisherfolks or vegetables growers and business people, will always run and return after the flood.
“This water is not as a result of heavy downpour but whenever they open the Bui Dam, it causes this problem. Currently, the Bui Dam has opened one of its pipes and closed the other half-way and look at what is happening to us”, Mr. Kamara said.
According to him, “about thousands of people are displaced because this community is full off Fulani and Gaugau and other tribes. So, normally, some don’t have even have houses but they are in the community. Some sleep outside because business their is here.”
Mr. Salia Kamara maintained that those who sleep outside no longer have space and have gone to seek refuge in drier places hoping to return and continue with their activities when the floods subside.
“We also have people who ran away and their properties, you can see that their houses are into water . We don’t know what are in their rooms. But currently, we are trying to close down one other school so that those who are displaced will occupy it,” the DCE stated.
On the fate of pupils and their teachers in Buipe, the DCE said that, “yes, the pupils wouldn’t be able to use such schools but we will put them in other schools so that when the water goes back, we can send the children back to their various schools,” he indicated.
The DCE later presented ten safety jackets to the rescuers that were using the canoe in the area.
