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Flood from Bui dam spillage leaves 1,500 residents displaced in Buipe
Around 1,500 residents, encompassing women and children from 500 households, find themselves displaced by floodwaters in Buipe, located in the Central Gonja District of the Savannah Region.
According to the Central Gonja office of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), 239 adult males and 230 adult females, in addition to 348 boys and 427 girls, have been compelled to evacuate their homes.
NADMO further reports that three public toilets and an immeasurable number of private ones are now submerged, posing potential health hazards.
The deluge has overwhelmed food stores, engulfing fifty acres of farmland and leaving three private schools inundated.
Mohammed Mustapha, the Central Gonja District Director of NADMO, expressed his discontent in an interview with MyJoyOnline, accusing the management of the Bui Dam of negligence for failing to notify the affected communities, contradicting their earlier promise to educate individuals along the banks of the Black Volta River before any spillage.
“Period to this water spillage this season, they [management of Bui dam] told us that they would come because their water level was still high and so, we should prepare a budget for us to use seven days to sensitize the people around the river banks.”
“Yes, so, Buipe, Banda, Bole, and Kintampo North NADMO Directors, did collaborate and submit the budget to Bui Dam as requested.”
“But after submission, they failed to turn up or communicate to us again until we began seeing the water coming into people’s houses and farmlands. So, it’s a failure on Bui Dam for not living by their words”, he bemoaned.
The Director recounted similar behavior by Bui Dam last year where they denied the spillage only to later visit Buipewura Abdulai Jinapor I to claim responsibility for it.
He, however, commended the Ghana Red Cross Society for their continued support, “because apart from the 14 home kits they gave us, they also sent volunteers to help evacuate the victims. GES also handed over the 6-unit R/C primary school block to us to accommodate the displaced”.
Mohammed Mustapha later appealed for engagement between the government and traditional rulers for the permanent relocation of residents.
But attempts by Myjoyonline to reach out to officials from Bui Dam for their of the allegation yielded no results.
Meanwhile, the affected communities have increased from four last year to seven this year.
They include Buipe Zongo, Buipe Bridge, Evelyn Buipe Bridge, and the Catholic education area. The rest are Buipe Market, Ali Complex, and Sawaba.
The Ghana Red Cross Society National Disaster Coordinator, Jonathan told Myjoyonline, “We are looking at Savannah Region specifically, Buipe, Daboya, and other surroundings. So, we put up some preparedness measures by training about forty volunteers in the Region to assist NADMO with regards to evacuation as well as assist in the health education because the flood usually comes with other health-related risks.”
“We had a meeting with NADMO and agreed to assist with emergency family tents with residential packages and First aid. We are also mobilizing relief packages,” he indicated.
He said his outfit would be launching a National disaster campaign and follow up with whatever intervention they would bring to the victims.
Our team came face to face with a young mother of two, Asana Umaru full of tears not knowing where to turn to with the children. She said her husband, Fuseini refused to listen to her not to travel leaving her alone not knowing where to turn to with the children.
It also took our news team time to convince a pregnant woman, Aisha Imoro who was still lying inside to move out of her room to safety.
Some of the victims who were on their way out narrated their stories to Myjoyonline.
One of them, Adam Tanko explained that “as for this year, the water is too much. As of now, we don’t have a place to lay our heads yet.”
“So, as you can see, we are hanging around. What we just harvested, is in the water because life first. So, we are pleading with the Government to come to our side. The water is from somewhere as we are sure is from Bui Dam because as of yesterday, the watermark was small but we went to bed and woke up the morning and my house was flooded. So, rainwater alone can’t do that. We want the Government to bring the Bui Dam people to order. They should respect the lives over here because we are human beings and Ghanaians too,” Adam Tanko added.
The Head of Disaster of Ghana Red Cross Society, Jonathan Hope indicated that “we are looking at Savannah Region specifically, Buipe, Daboya, and other surroundings.”
“So, we put up some preparedness measures by training about forty volunteers in Savannah Region to assist NADMO with regards to evacuation as well as assist in the health education because the flood usually comes with other health-related risks.”
“We had a meeting with NADMO and agreed to assist with emergency family tents with residential packages and First aid. We are also mobilizing relief packages,” he added.
“So, as you can see, we are hanging around. What we just harvested, is in the water because life first. So, we are pleading with the Government to come to our side. The water is from somewhere as we are sure is from Bui Dam because as of yesterday, the watermark was small but we went to bed and woke up the morning and my house was flooded. So, rainwater alone can’t do that. We want the Government to bring the Bui Dam people to order. They should respect the lives over here because we are human beings and Ghanaians too,” Adam Tanko added.
The Head of Disaster of Ghana Red Cross Society, Jonathan Hope indicated that “we are looking at Savannah Region specifically, Buipe, Daboya, and other surroundings.”
“So, we put up some preparedness measures by training about forty volunteers in Savannah Region to assist NADMO with regards to evacuation as well as assist in the health education because the flood usually comes with other health-related risks.”
“We had a meeting with NADMO and agreed to assist with emergency family tents with residential packages and First aid. We are also mobilizing relief packages,” he added.
He said his ou
“As for this year, the water is too much. As of now, we don’t have a place to lay our heads yet. So, as you can see, we are hanging around. What we just harvested, is in the water because life first. So, we are pleading with the Government to come to our side. The water is from somewhere as we are sure is from Bui Dam because as of yesterday, the watermark was small but we went to bed and woke up the morning and my house was flooded. So, rainwater alone can’t do that. We want Government to bring the Bui Dam people to order. They should respect the lives over here because we are human beings”, Adam Tanko cries out.
The Savannah Regional Minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril says he is, together with other partners, monitoring events on the ground to ensure that no lives are lost.
He advised residents to relocate to safer grounds while the government works to address the issues surrounding the Bui Dam spillage.
In a related development, unconfirmed reports say water from the Bagre dam is gradually reaching the Daboya’s enclave in the North Gonja district.
He said his outfit would be launching a disaster campaign in the country and follow up with whatever intervention they would bring to the victims.
The JoyNews team met a young mother of two, Asana Umaru full of tears carrying her kids. She said she advised her husband, Fuseini not to travel but he refused, leaving her alone not knowing where to turn to.
It also took the news team time to convince a pregnant woman to move out of her room to safety.
Some of the victims who were on their way out narrated their stories to Myjoyonline.
“As for this year, the water is too much. As of now, we don’t have a place to lay our heads yet. So, as you can see, we are hanging around. What we just harvested, is in the water because life first. So, we are pleading with the Government to come to our side. The water is from somewhere as we are sure is from Bui Dam because as of yesterday, the watermark was small but we went to bed and woke up the morning and my house was flooded. So, rainwater alone can’t do that. We want Government to bring the Bui Dam people to order. They should respect the lives over here because we are human beings”, Adam Tanko cries out.
The Savannah Regional Minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril says he is, together with other partners, monitoring events on the ground to ensure that no lives are lost.
He advised residents to relocate to safer grounds while the government works to address the issues surrounding the Bui Dam spillage.
In a related development, unconfirmed reports say water from the Bagre dam is gradually reaching the Daboya’s enclave in the North Gonja district.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
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GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
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Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
