Resolving Crisis Caused By Closure Of Bridges Across The Black And White Volta Tributaries of The Volta River At Buipe And Yapei

Such is the misery being experienced by travellers to and from the north who have been stranded for days because they are unable to cross  the bridges over the Black and White Volta tributaries of the Volta River at Buipe and Yapei - which are apparently being rehabilitated and have been closed to vehicular traffic  since 21st October, 2017 - that a practical solution that will give them some temporary relief must be found as soon as practicable, if a tragedy there is  to be avoided.

As we speak, news reports in the Ghanaian media indicate that there have been two deaths, thus far.

The ministerial team in charge of the ministry of roads  and transport must seek the assistance of  the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), which should liaise with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to provide tents, camp beds, toilets, washing facilities, and meals for all the stranded people on both sides of the banks of that part of the Volta River.

If feasible, the GAF's High Command should ask the minister for defence to contact his Russian counterpart, to explore the possibility of the Russian Navy sending its giant Zubr-class hovercraft to Ghana, to convey vehicles and passengers across  both sides of the banks of the two tributaries of the Volta River until the rehabilitation of the said bridges are completed, and they are finally opened to traffic once again.

This blog is pretty certain that the Russian government will be happy to help Ghana resolve this unfortunate crisis with the use of its Zubr-class  giant hovercraft, if approached.

Finally, food for thought: Since they are used by thousands of vehicles transporting goods to and from landlocked  sister nations such as Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali daily, in the long-term, the government should encourage private-sector Japanese construction companies to partner suitable Ghanaian entrepreneurs to self-finance the building of tolled world-class bridges across the Volta River and its tributaries  (ditto across other major rivers in Ghana) - as public private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects: profits from which they will not have to pay any taxes on for 25 years to enable them recoup their investments.