News
Blue Cresent residents raise concerns about flood, bad roads
Residents of Blue Cresent in the Katamanso Municipality of the Greater Accra Region have raised concerns about the effects of continuous rainfall in the area which causes flooding on their roads.
Roads according to residents, were usually covered in water, making it difficult for vehicles the ply the roads. 
That, they complained had affected livelihoods as residents were unable to access transportation to carry out their daily activities within and outside the community.
Consequently, drivers had taken advantage of the situation to increase transport fares since they had to deal with the impact of the flooding on their vehicles. In an interview with the Spectator, a motorist, Mr Kelvin Tamakloe, lamented “It is difficult to ply the roads, and commercial drivers are affected by the flood.
We find it difficult to pass through some roads due to potholes covered by the flood.”
He went on to highlight the damages these floods caused their motorcycles adding that commercial riders spent their profit repairing damages the floods caused their motorcycles which consequently result in the increase in fares.
Thieves he said, also took the opportunity to snatch bikes from riders due to the slow movements caused by the bad nature of the roads.
“Some drivers close very early to avoid being attacked at night, living commuters to their fate,” he stated.
“Transportation issues here are troubling and causing we commercial drivers a lot, we spend so much repairing our vehicles than we save,” Mr Benjamin Kofi, a commercial driver said.
According to him, most of his colleague drivers stopped loading to the community because of the bad nature of the road and concentrated on working in other communities.
Madam Diana Kaba, a resident said businesses were being affected by this situation since finding a vehicle to move around had become a problem.
“Uber and Bolt drivers do not accept any ride to the community because of the fear of damaging their vehicles, the ones that accept charges additional, most times our movements are restricted especially when there is a torrent,” she said.
“We also have to depend on commercial Kia drivers or private cars to convey us to our destinations when we sometimes stay out late, because most commercial drivers would not work when it’s past 7 pm, and we have also lost trust in “okada” drivers because most of them have taken advantage of the situation to steal from us, they drop you somewhere quiet and rob you of your belongings,”she stressed.
Courtesy the benevolence of some members of the community,some of the potholes had been partially fixed with a spread of sand and stones to improve the road conditions temporarily.
The Assemblyman for the area Mr Samuel Abbrey, had not been left out of the frustrations as he said, “ I have my two cars at the fitting shop because of the bad nature of the road, it is something I am so much aware of which also affects me but it is beyond my control, I have spoken to authorities but all to no avail.”
According to the Assembly member, the government had turned deaf ears to their plights after several petitions and demonstrations.
Mr Abbrey said “if I say there is hope, I will be misleading you because there is no sign of hope, what I am seeing now is that, the government is trying to punish the whole of the Katamanso municipal.
It is the central government that is supposed to work on the road but there is no sign that the road will be fixed,” he stated.
By Francisca Kaba (UNIMAC GIJ)
The Director of the Public Health Division of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), has urged Ghanaians to remain vigilant and observe good hygiene during the flooding and rainy season to prevent a cholera outbreak.
According to him, although flooding in some parts of the country has subsided, the risk of cholera remains because the conditions that promote the spread of the disease still exist.
“The risk of cholera still exists,” Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe said, explaining that cholera is closely linked to unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation.
Speaking on 3 FM on Thursday, he cautioned the public against becoming complacent a few days or weeks after the floods, stressing that people should continue to be careful about the food they eat and the water they drink.
“I want to urge Ghanaians to be careful what we eat and drink. Let’s not assume that because the flood came last week, we can lower our guard,” he said.
Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe noted that countries with access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation have largely eliminated cholera, adding that Ghana still has challenges in those areas.
He therefore advised the public to maintain high standards of personal hygiene, especially by washing their hands regularly with soap and clean water.
According to him, handwashing remains the most effective and affordable way to reduce the spread of cholera and other infectious diseases.
“The most cost-effective intervention is handwashing with soap and water,” he said.
According to him “That does not depend on whether there are floods or not. Make sure you wash your hands regularly with soap and water.”
He called on Ghanaians to maintain clean surroundings and practise proper sanitation to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks during the rainy season.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The Supreme Court has dismissed all four suits challenging the removal of Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Torkonoo from office as Chief Justice.
The court delivered its rulings earlier this morning, ending the legal challenge at the domestic level.
This follows last week’s judgement by the ECOWAS Court, which also rejected applications seeking to overturn Justice Torkonoo’s removal.
Each of the four cases filed at the Supreme Court argued against the processes that led to Justice Torkonoo’s exit. The court, however, found no legal basis to grant relief and dismissed each application in its entirety.
In a brief statement by the Deputy Attorney-General Jusrice Srem-Sai after the rulings, he expressed appreciation to the legal team.
“Gratitude to our team of State Attorneys and members of staff,” he posted on Facebook, acknowledging their role in defending the state’s position through both ECOWAS and Supreme Court proceedings.
Background
Justice Gertrude Torkonoo was removed from office as Chief Justice following proceedings initiated earlier this year.
The move triggered multiple legal challenges, including four separate suits at the Supreme Court and petitions before the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Both courts have now ruled against the challengers.
Last week, the ECOWAS Court dismissed the regional applications, and this morning’s Supreme Court decision closes the matter in Ghana.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
