Abdul Majeed Dokurgu: NDC Parliamentary Candidate funds long-overdue gutter desilting project to tackle Effiekuma's flooding crisis
6th June 2024
Abdul Majeed Dokurgu, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the 2024 polls in the Effia Constituency, has personally funded a comprehensive desilting exercise to clear Effiekuma's long-neglected gutters and drains.
It forms part of the ongoing "Clean-up Effia" project" that falls under his Building Opportunities 4 Sustainable Solutions (BOSS) initiative under the sanitation programme for the Effia constituency.
The rainy season has already wrought havoc in the densely populated community, including the Zongos, with residents bearing the brunt of the floods.
However, Dokurgu is taking urgent action to prevent further flood damage, showcasing his proactive leadership style in his first attempt at a parliamentary seat.
A backhoe moved in on Tuesday to initiate the dredging operation, breaking through years of compacted silt and debris in Effiekuma's long-neglected gutters.
This heavy machinery was instrumental in tackling the most stubborn sections of the drainage system, areas where two decades of neglect had turned the contents almost as hard as concrete.
On Wednesday, the operation transitioned to a more meticulous phase as a team of local workers took over. Armed with shovels, rakes, and wheelbarrows, these labourers engaged in the painstaking task of manual desilting.
Their role was crucial in clearing out the finer sediment, plastic waste, and other debris that the backhoe had loosened but couldn't entirely remove.
This two-pronged approach ensures a comprehensive clearing of the gutters, addressing both the surface-level issues and the deep-seated obstructions that have plagued Effiekuma's drainage system for years.
Importantly, the project extends beyond just the gutters themselves. Workers have also been tasked with clearing the dense vegetation that has overgrown around the drainage channels, thereby enhancing visibility, as overgrown foliage has impeded water flow, trapped debris, and even caused structural damage to the gutters.
The Clean-up Effia Project , launched on May 1st, is a comprehensive three-month clean up exercise that will start from May to July every year.
It's a massive undertaking, which underscores his commitment to actionable solutions to the decades of flooding woes the community has suffered.
It also highlights the long-standing sanitation challenges in the Effia Constituency, with authorities paying lip service to them.
Dokurgu's intervention comes at a critical time, as the Ghana Meteorological Agency has warned of more heavy rains ahead, raising fears of further devastation in a community already reeling from recent floods.
His hands-on approach to addressing this long-standing sanitation issue, by personally funding a comprehensive desilting project, looks like a pointed critique of the current authorities' inaction.
Residents complain their political leaders have neglected the area's crumbling civic infrastructure, leading to repeated urban flooding that has inundated homes and businesses.
With more rain forecast, Effiekuma's newly cleared drains will soon be put to the test.
Effiekuma falls within the Effia Constituency, an NPP stronghold since 1997.
The NDC last won the Effia seat in 1993, and by addressing Effiekuma's flooding crisis head-on, Dokurugu hopes to resonate with voters who feel their concerns have been sidelined for too long.
He has promised to focus on educational advancement through scholarships and school upgrades, and economic empowerment via entrepreneurship funds and business attraction initiatives
In this first-time bid for parliamentary representation, Abdul Majeed Dokurugu is setting a high bar with the "Clean-up Effia Project," demonstrating a leadership style that values tangible actions over words in an effort to reclaim their neighbourhood from perennial flood threats.
Just a month after its launch, the Clean-up Effia Project has already garnered some success, as most of the flood prone areas, like Effia-Kuma Number 1 , were not affected this year due to the desilting of the main drainage.
The Zongo residents, having endured years of flooding, are cautiously optimistic that Dokurgu's efforts will finally bring some respite from their long-standing ordeal.