Tempane, Garu, Bugri, Wariyanga, Akara cut off as heavy rains destroy major bridges

Heavy rains have destroyed key bridges in the Tempane District of the Upper East Region, leaving communities such as Bugri, Wariyanga, Akara, Tempane, and Garu cut off from vital services.

Bugri, a predominantly farming community known for maize, millet, rice, beans, and other food crops, has been severely affected. The Bugri Bridge, a crucial link for the transportation of goods, has collapsed, while the bridge connecting Akara and Wariyanga has also been washed away. The Tempane-Garu major bridge was not spared.

Health worker Akologo Issaka described the devastating impact on healthcare delivery, noting that patients who require referrals to bigger hospitals are stranded. “The health facility is struggling to handle community members because some cases need to be referred, but with the nature of the road, people lose their lives,” he said in an interview with Atubugri Simon Attile of Modern Ghana News.

Farmers fear that food crops may go to waste if the situation persists. “The Wariyanga community produces a lot of maize, millet, groundnuts, onions, and other crops. It would be sad to see all this food wasted because we are cut off,” lamented farmer Saali Biiyan.

Trader Salamatu Morow recalled a harrowing incident where a pregnant woman was forced to deliver by the riverbank because the damaged bridge prevented her from reaching a hospital.
“Whenever a pregnant woman delivers around the bank of a river, sacrifices have to be made before sending her home. This is not good. We want government intervention to solve the bridge problem for us,” she pleaded. She added that with schools reopening, children now face dangerous journeys.

Community elder Seidu Abugri, in tears, revealed that some travellers have already lost their lives due to the state of the bridges. “The road is our only means to Bugri, and now that we have been cut off, we do not know what to do,” he said, appealing directly to the Member of Parliament for Tempane, Hon. Lydia Akanvariba Adakudugu, for urgent intervention.

A teacher in the area also blasted the quality of recent construction works, describing the bridge project as “a waste of resources.” According to him, the bridges are less than a year old but already riddled with cracks, forcing traders to carry goods on their heads to cross pedestrian diversions.

The residents of Bugri, Wariyanga, Akara, Tempane, and Garu are now calling on President John Dramani Mahama to honor his promise never to forget Tempane by swiftly coming to their aid.