From the evening of Thursday, August 12, it started raining heavily in the Upper West Region till Friday, making it a 24-hour downpour. Then the rainfall resumed on Saturday afternoon for some additional hours.
The two bouts of downpour left parts of the region submerged in flood water, leaving in its trail enormous destruction and deaths which were far later announced by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
The destruction included the washing away of culverts and distances of asphalted roads in different parts of the region making a total of 45 kilometres, as well as breakdown of bridges.
Farmlands and houses were also destroyed and about 80 communities in six districts were cut off from the regional capital, Wa, due to the destruction of the roads.
Commuters from Wa and other parts of the country to the affected areas were left stranded at such places as Serepkere in the Nadowli-Kaleo District on Friday and Saturday.
Regional NADMO officials had to look for alternative routes for stranded drivers and passengers, including those bound for Burkina Faso and other Sahel countries, with the officials saying the detours prolonged the journeys.
On Monday, August 16, the Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, visited the area and described the flooding and its destruction as a national disaster that must be fixed in record time, expatiating that he and his team would work with all urgency to get the roads restored.
He mentioned that a report would be generated within a week by the engineers together with other stakeholders and presented to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for further action.
He also hinted that the ministry had already initiated a conversation with P.W. Ghanem, a construction firm in the region, about fixing of the roads.
Today, the Ghanaian Times publishes a story that the Wa-Nadowli-Jirapa road in the Upper West Region which was destroyed by flooding last month has been reopened for commuters while works continue on the stretch.
Both drivers and passengers say they are now happy being back on the highway, which means the long detours have to cease.
Besides, fixing the Wa-Nadowli-Jirapa road, which is a stretch of an international highway, is beneficial to the country because of the revenue it accrues into the national kitty.
The Ghanaian Times wishes to commend the government, particularly the Minister for Roads and Highways, for living up to the promise of fixing the destroyed roads in record time.
This is a clear departure from populist politics where politicians give a lot of sugar-coated promises but leave the people to wonder whether they heard the promises in a dream or real world.
Since not everyone can gain employment from the government or directly benefit from it financially as individuals, such actions in the collective interest make them feel receiving part of the national cake.
The paper hopes the government would continue to apply urgency to the provision of the needs of the people, for it is only through such act that the people would see it caring for them.