COUPLE DROWN IN FLOOD WATERS (D/G Tuesday September 2, 2008 BACK PAGE)

TWO persons are reported drowned in flood waters at Buuri in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region.
The couple, Akuka Ayeebo, 50, and his wife, Awimbora Akuka, 45, together with their child were said to have crossed the Buuri section of the White Volta in a canoe to the Nafkoliga side to tend to their crops and on their return, were swept away by the flood.
Their canoe was said to have hit a tree and sank. Eyewitnesses said the child was rescued but the couple drowned and their bodies had still not been found.
The Member of Parliament for Zebilla, Mr John Ndebugre, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said all efforts were being made to find them.
He appealed to all persons living on the banks of the White Volta from Sapalliga to Pwalugu in the Talensi-Nabdam District to exercise great caution in the conduct of their daily affairs such as farming and other trading activities in order to avert any further calamities.
“The rains are likely to be heavy between now and the middle of September and that, combined with the spilling of water from the Bagre Dam, can pose a real danger to people living within the catchment area of the White Volta River,” he said.
Mr Ndebugre said even though the spillage was being managed by the authorities of the Bagre Dam in such a way that its effects on the people living down stream of the White Volta were minimised, caution must be taken to avert any more loss of lives.
The District Chief Executive for Bawku West and Chairman of the District Disaster Management Committee, Mr Desmond Bugbilla, when contacted confirmed the incident and added his voice to the call on all citizens to assist in finding the bodies of the couple.
He also urged the citizens to heed calls to relocate to higher and safer grounds and refrain from taking the risk to cross the river to avert similar incidents.