The 2024 New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan Constituency, Akosua Asaa Manu, has paid a visit to communities in the constituency that were severely affected by the devastating floods over the weekend.
The floods, which followed hours of heavy rainfall, claimed the lives of at least three people, including a four-year-old girl, and caused significant damage to homes, shops, vehicles, and public infrastructure
The visit was to sympathise with residents, assess the extent of damage firsthand, and engage with relevant agencies working on the ground.
She visited communities like Nanakrom, Lakeside, and among others where she met families whose homes were submerged by the floods, and also visited the grieving family of young Hajara, the four-year-old girl who tragically lost her life during the storm.
In an interview, Ms Manu said “This is not just a natural disaster; it is a wake-up call. We need to act urgently to correct the engineering and planning mistakes that have contributed to this tragedy. The lives and livelihoods lost here cannot go in vain.”
According to her, “This is one of the hardest moments I’ve faced. No child should have to die because of poor planning and drainage. As a mother, I feel this loss deeply, and I want to assure this family and the entire community that I will do everything within my power to fight for reforms.”
The former Parliamentary candidate also pledged to liaise with National Disaster Management Organisations (NADMO) to implement the Free Waterways projected which was initiated to help stop flooding in the area.
She said the drainage project she funded at Lakeside had helped to minimise flooding in the area.
Furthermore, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate called on the Adentan Municipal Assembly, the Ministry of Works and Housing, and other stakeholders to collaborate and come up with an urgent drainage improvement plan, especially in growing peri-urban areas within the municipality.
“Relief items are important, but what we need most is a fundamental rethink of our drainage systems and enforcement of planning regulations. We must stop treating disasters as one-off events. We have to build resilience,” she added.
Some of the affected residents in an interview commended Ms Manu for the visit.They said they had lost all their belongings and appealed to philanthropist and public-spirited individuals to come to their aid.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE
