The disaster in Gomoa Buduburam in the Central Region last week resulted in the destruction of 554 houses, shops, and nine cars.
The incident occurred after a contractor working on the Kasoa-Winneba highway blasted a rock, leading to a tragedy that claimed three lives and injured 47 others.
In response, Central Regional Minister Justina Marigold Assan established a five-member committee to assess the damage and identify affected individuals. As a result, the contractor temporarily halted work.
During a visit on Wednesday, October 23, by Adom News, it was observed that work had resumed under police protection to prevent any retaliation.
Gomoa East NADMO Director Robert Hackman confirmed that the damage included 554 buildings and nine vehicles, with efforts underway to prevent further disasters. Additionally, the Police have increased patrols around the site to maintain security.
South African officials on Wednesday April 5 2023, revoked the country’s state of disaster due to the persistent energy crisis.
The national state of disaster Wednesday, which was proclaimed by the South African government in February to address the dire power shortage, has been lifted.
Government officials announced they will be working to reduce the impact of power cuts using existing legislation.
The country’s ongoingenergy crisis has crippled multiple sectors including telecommunications services which are struggling to keep phone networks up and running.
“Our costs have gone through the rood,” lamented Sitho Mdalose, Vodacom’s South Africa managing director.
Operators such as MTN, Telkom and Vodacom are spending millions to install solar panels, batteries, and trialing wind turbines in an effort to sustain network stability as Africa’s most advanced economy is forced to live in the dark for up to ten hours a day.
The countless power outages have cost number two operator MTN nearly 640 million rand (36 million dollars) in service revenue in the past year, forcing it to downgrade its medium-term margin target.
Telkom has incured over 150 million rand in additional costs in the last quarter of 2022 alone.
While most network towers in South Africa are equipped with a backup battery, more advanced systems are less common. MTN has 12,900 towers in Sotuh Africa but approximately 3000 diesel generators and solar panels at a few pilot sites.
As they battle to mitigate the worsening power crisis, telecommunications companies have had to divert capital away from much needed network upgrades and 5G rollouts. Government regulations are also blocking potential solutions such as sharing backup power infrastructure with their competitors.
The power crisis and logistical constraints are expected to erase 2 percentage points from economic growth this year according to African Reserve Bank governor.
The bodyguard of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Suleiman Salifu has presented 60 bags of cement and Ghc12,000 cash to victims of recent flood disaster at Koforidua Asokore Zongo community.
A taxi driver died after building collapsed on him having rescued occupants of the house trapped by the flood.
Dozens of residents were displaced by the flood caused by overflow of Nsukwao river.
A week after the disaster the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) is yet to provide relief items for the victims.
Suleiman Salifu bodyguard to the Vice President who is about to be outdoor as Chief of Koforidua Asokore Zongo, on Thursday October 6,2022 dashed to the community to make the presentation to the community.
He told Starr News Dr. Bawumia was disturbed by the situation hence supported him to mobilize resources to come to the aid of the victims.
Sulaiman Salifu said the Asokore Zongo community needs some basic social amenities hence about 200 streetlights will be provided to illuminate the community to improve security.
Additionally,he is engaging Zongo Development Fund for construction of boreholes and drainage facilities to curb the perennial flooding in the community.
“At this moment we trying to speak to Zongo Development Fund for Boreholes ,and then two toilets for the community .I have already written the letter so we will push it .We are looking for about 200 streetlights so that we can give it to the community because now we’ve realized that there are somethings going on in the community that is really disturbing .People are selling drugs here and it is giving us problem that is what we even have to put lights everywhere to take that thing out of Zongo” Sulaiman Salifu said.
Some of the victims were grateful to Vice President’s bodyguard for the kind gesture.
Assembly member for Asokore Zongo Electoral area Mumuni Laminu said the donation is timely given that most of the victims are struggling due to lack of support after the disaster.
Almost a week after the flood disaster occured in New Juaben North, victims are yet to receive relief items despite lossing everything to the floods.
203 households were both collapsed completely and partially damaged.
One person died whilst 2686 made up of 977 children and 1708 adults displaced by the floods.
Five basic schools in the municipality which include Akwadum M/A Junior High School and Islamic Basic JHS all in Akwadum and other communities have been shut down due to the floods.
