Floods Destroy Businesses

Torrential rainfall that hit most parts of Accra on Tuesday evening claimed lives and destroyed property worth several thousands of Ghana cedis.

Several goods were destroyed by the floods at the Circle-Odawna Pedestrian Shopping Center, where the tenants noted that water popped out from ground after the Odaw River overflowed its banks.

When CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE visited the shopping centre, some of the traders, who narrated how the floods destroyed their wares, were seen drying their soaked items.

Akua Frimpong, a dealer in ladies’ bags, who spoke to this paper, described the situation as worrying and urged the authorities to come to their aid.

“I couldn’t believe that some of my items had been washed away by the floods. We need financial support from the government to continue our business.”

A distressed trader, Memunatu Alhassan, who cried uncontrollably, told the paper that she obtained loan from savings and loans companies to buy the damaged items.

“My brother, it is sad that anytime there is a heavy downpour, this place will be flooded. Can’t the authorities do something about it to stop the flooding, she quizzed.”

Michael Adomah, whose wares were not destroyed by the floods, said water comes out of the ground anytime it rains at the Odawna market since part of the market was constructed over the Odaw River.

At a market center in the Central Business District of Accra, Madam Naadu Tetteh, a trader, urged city authorities to re-design the whole of Accra to avert the perennial flooding of the area.

More than 1000 people are believed to be have been displaced by one of the country’s worst disaster. Areas such as Alajo Awoshie, Dome, parts of Dansoman and Kasoa in the Central region were all hit by the torrential rainfall.

President John Evans Atta Mills visited some affected areas to have first-hand information about the situation.