Relief items are not for sale - Kufuor warns

Daboya (N/R), Sept. 13, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor has warned personnel who would be involved in the distribution of relief items to the flood victims and the beneficiaries against selling the items.

"The relief items are being given to you on humanitarian grounds and it will therefore be against nature and the law for you to commercialise it", he said.

President Kufuor gave the warning on Wednesday when he visited and sympathised with the people of Daboya in the West Gonja District, which has been devastated by recent floods.

Daboya, which is about 30 kilometres from Tamale, has been flooded by the White Volta and completely cut off from the rest of the Northern Region.

Other communities affected by the floods are: Sinsina, Tidowrope and Kpendua, all in the District.

President Kufuor assured the people that relief item such as food, blankets, mattresses, roofing sheets and boards would soon be sent to them.

He said a committee had also been set up at the national level to handle the problems emerging from the floods to alleviate the plight of the people.

Abatuwura Darifu Yakubu, a sub-chief in the Waspei Traditional Area, on behalf of the Waspeiwura, Mumuni Abani, commended President Kufuor for his concern about the plight of the people. He said since the people settled in the area a very long time ago, they had never seen such flooding and they were therefore truly devastated.

He said as a result of the river overflowing its banks the people now had to travel in canoes for over four hours to the other bank to board trucks to Tamale for shopping.

He appealed to President Kufuor to construct a bridge over the Daboya River to fulfil his 2000 campaign promise. In response to the appeal, President Kufuor said the government was sourcing funds for the construction of bridges over the Daboya and Tachali rivers.