By Nicholas Osei-Wusu
Dozens of residents at Nintin in the Mampong Municipality in the Ashanti region have been rendered homeless, while the local Presbyterian Primary School has been closed following a devastation caused by a severe rainstorm.
A nearby community, Hwidiem, was not spared the havoc as the electricity supply, church, and private buildings were affected by the natural disaster.
The severe storm, accompanied by a sudden but heavy downpour that lasted just about 30 minutes in the late evening of Tuesday, February 18, 2025, wreaked havoc on the communities.
It was the first rainstorm of the year but left in its wake a serious impact on schools, churches, and private homes.
Among the hardest hit was the Nintin Presby Primary School, which had almost its entire roofing ripped off and got stuck in the nearby trees, thereby rendering the school environment more dangerous for the pupils and staff.
At the time of our visit to the scene, pupils and teachers were busily cleaning up the debris in the classrooms while most of the teachers had the shades from the trees around as their alternative hold-up.
There was also a team from the Sekyere District of the Presbyterian Church led by the District Minister Reverend Otu Aquah, who had come there to familiarise themselves with the situation to send an appropriate report to the Presbytery.
The Schools Improvement and Support Officer, SISO of the Ghana Education Service, had also come around to verify the report of the havoc to report to the Mampong Municipal Directorate of the GES.
Considering the havoc caused by the rainstorm, the school authorities had to close the primary school, at least for the day, to protect the children from any possible harm from the remnants while arrangements for a temporary classroom were being made.
The Head Teacher, Reverend Godfred Antwi, recounted the incident to the media and what assistance the school urgently requires to return to normal.
“We’re in the 7th week and will soon be writing an examination. We need the learners to be in the classroom to learn. We’ll therefore need people to come and help us to put the place in shape for academic work to resume,” he said.
Some houses were also severely damaged by the rainstorm, displacing the occupants, at least temporarily.
They were counting their losses when our News Team visited the scenes.
Madam Abena Pokuaa, Yaw Agyei Brenya, and Vida Ntieduaa were among those badly affected by the disaster as they were still not sure of where to pass the night at midday.
Hwidiem, a nearby community in the Nintin Electoral Area, was not spared the devastation, as church buildings, electricity supply, and private buildings were also at the receiving end.
The Assembly Member for the Nintin Electoral Area, Nicholas Osei-Wusu, noted that the nature of the disaster requires an urgent response by all including philanthropists.
“The situation is very pathetic and needs the care and sympathy of all. I therefore appeal to all humanitarian agencies, philanthropists, the MP for Mampong, and especially citizens of Nintin and Hwidiem living outside of the communities to mobilise and swiftly return home to help our people in this situation, especially the Nintin Presby Primary School for effective teaching and learning to resume,” he pleaded.
Officials from the Mampong Municipal NADMO office have already visited the scene to assess the damage caused.
