The Public Relations Officer at the Ankaful Prison, Superintendent Julius Zenel, has indicated that the officer who was killed by floods was trying to direct civilians trying to use the road in the vicinity.
Narrating the incident, Julius Zenel stated that the officer, in getting the civilians to a safe location, slipped and got carried away by the running water.
“We were there and around 7, we started seeing water was coming towards the barracks. If you know central region very well especially the Ankaful complex, we have four prisons at the same place. We have the Ankaful Prison complex, we have four Prison at the complex; we have Communicable Disease Prison, Ankaful National Security Prison, Ankaful main camp prisons and Ankaful Annex Prison.
“There is a road that passes through all four prisons towards Elmina, so the Elmina Road was flooded. So, there was this officer who was trying to direct some civilians who were trying to use the road on where to pass since we stay there and he slipped and was taken away by the flood.”
Julius Zenel
However, Superintendent Zenel indicated that the rest of the civilians have been saved and left unharmed. The PRO intimated that at the initial stages they didn’t know it was an officer until a headcount was done and his outfit realized one of them had been taken away and not a community member.
“When he slipped, since Saturday, we have been trying to look for the body but we were not getting the body. We didn’t know the exact person who slipped.”
Julius Zenel
77 officers displaced
Meanwhile, 77 officers at the Ankaful Prisons have been displaced after their official residence got submerged in water following the floods.
The bungalows that housed the officers and their families got submerged after the water from the Kakum River overflew its banks following the heavy downpour from Friday evening. According to reports, the officers lost personal belongings, uniforms and other house hold items.
Assistant Director of Prisons (ADP) Patrick Asiedu, the officer in charge of the main Ankaful prisons who spoke on behalf of the director of prisons recounted the havoc the floods caused the officers with over 70 officers displaced and staying with other colleagues.
Patrick Asiedu stated that an assessment of the situation has been made and the management of the prisons led by the director of prisons have scheduled a meeting to find an immediate support for affected officers.
The Assistant Director of Prisons revealed that the authorities of the Ghana Prisons Service have been in touch with NADMO that are also liaising with them to assist with relief items.
“Unfortunately, three of the rivers we have link up around Jukwa area and it caused the flood. Now the water has to find its own course and also the natural way by which the water could have flown was through downstream into the sea. About 77 so far officers have been affected. The various officers in charge had to quickly mobilize and give them shelter.”
Patrick Asiedu
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