Rain Storm Hits Nasia: Over One Thousand Displaced

David Wuni

OVER 1, 203 persons including pregnant women and children have been displaced at Nasia, a farming community in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region, following a devastating rainstorm disaster that hit the area on Sunday.

Seventy eight (78) houses comprising 319 rooms were completely ripped off and the displaced persons are now living with families and friends. An undisclosed number of the victims are also taking refuge at the palace of the Chief of Nasia, Mozurana-Dan N. 

Abdulai in the interim. Twenty seven (27) pregnant women and over 80 babies between one week and five years are also victims of the disaster.

Apart from the undisclosed quantity of rice, maize, millet, beans, sorghum and groundnuts that were destroyed, a large number of textbooks and other teaching materials were also ravaged. 

Students of the St. Paul Senior High School also had their new dormitory block completely ripped off. The school authority has created makeshift structures to accommodate the students who are from outside the Nasia community. Over 482 pupils at the Nasia D/A primary school also lost their school block which was constructed and funded by the Millennium Development Authority and furnished with computers, a television and other learning materials.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Walewale, Dr. Sugre Bambangi and the District Chief Executive (DCE) for West Mamprusi, the Chief of Nasia and the District NADMO officials visited the victims to assess the level of damage caused by the disaster and also to sympathize with the affected persons.

The MP was particularly worried that the rainstorm disaster in the Walewale constituency was becoming consistent and therefore advised the residents of the area to cultivate the habit of tree planting to serve as wind breaks to mitigate the impact of similar disasters.

The MP assured the people of his commitment to link up with the relevant stakeholders especially NADMO and the Northern Regional Coordinating Council to assist the victims with relief items. Dr. Sugre also appealed to NGOs and other bodies to come to the aid of the victims.

At the moment, roofing sheets, mattresses and foodstuffs are required. The Head teacher of the Nasia D/A Primary School, Yamusah Tahiru appealed to the Member of Parliament, the District assembly and NADMO to rapidly re-roof the school block. 

He said any delay in re-roofing and supporting it with some learning materials could affect the reopening of the school scheduled for May 12, 2015. He also complained about overcrowding in the classrooms and appealed to the government to improve on the infrastructure needs of the school.

The District Chief Executive for West Mamprusi, David Wuni said that the District Assembly was making the necessary move to get the affected persons some immediate support. 

He stated that the Assembly in the interim was going to construct a temporal structure for the Nasia D/A primary school before the reopening of school. But that notwithstanding, the Assembly according to the DCE was also making efforts to raise the needed funds to renovate all the affected schools.

The Chief of Nasia, Mozurana-Dan N. Abdulai attributed the magnitude of the rainstorm to the indiscriminate cutting of trees by illegal chainsaw operators. He vowed to deal with anyone found engaging in illegal chain-saw activities in the area.