Trending

Gomoa East Floods: Traditional Leaders Attribute Incident to Neglect of Libation Ceremony

A devastating flood has hit the Okyereko portion of the Accra-Winneba highway, leaving over 200 homes submerged and three collapsed. The disaster, which has displaced numerous residents, was attributed to a contractor’s attempt to divert the Ayensu River’s course, according to Robert Hackman, Gomoa East District Director of NADMO.

“The contractor’s action overwhelmed the small bridge, causing the flooding,” Hackman explained in an interview with Joy News. “The volume of water entering the bridge was extreme, made worse by another bridge that the contractor had blocked.”

Hackman noted that traditional leaders believe the incident occurred due to the contractor’s failure to perform a libation ceremony before starting the project, as suggested by residents.

The flood resulted from the confluence of three rivers, which the contractor diverted into a single channel. “The rivers, according to local beliefs, don’t harmonize, leading to this flooding,” Hackman said.

No rainfall has been recorded in Gomoa for the past three days, and the contractor has been advised to unblock the bridge to allow the river to flow through both structures, mitigating the flooding.

Affected residents are currently seeking temporary shelter at the Church of Pentecost in Gomoa. Hackman emphasized that, fortunately, no one has been hurt in the incident.

Local leaders, including traditional leaders and the chief priest, are on site, awaiting guidance on how to proceed with the libation ceremony to appease the rivers.

“The bridge that caved in is an old bridge, different from the one blocked by the contractor,” Hackman clarified. “We urge the contractor to unblock the main bridge to allow the river to flow through both structures and alleviate the flooding.”

Related Articles