President of Sierra Leone and ECOWAS Chairman, Dr Julius Maada Bio has urged Africa leaders to up their game in respect of disaster preparedness.
He made the call during a one-day state visit to Ghana on July 3.
The Sierra Leonean President said his visit was occasioned by the flood caused by heavy rainfall on June 29 which resulted in devastating floods.
“Across West Africa, including Ghana, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and many other countries, we are witnessing increasingly frequent floods and landslides driven by the growing impact of climate change.
As African leaders, we must strengthen disaster preparedness, invest in resilient infrastructure, improve urban planning, protect our environment and deepen regional cooperation so that our countries are better equipped to withstand these increasingly complex challenges,” he said while speaking at the Jubilee House in Accra.
“This is entirely consistent with our collective aspirations for a more resilient, sustainable and prosperous West Africa. In West Africa, when one nation suffers, we all feel the pain, and that is why I am here today,” Dr Maada Bio stated.
He told President Mahama that, “Today, I have come not only as a fellow president but as a brother from Sierra Leone, and as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority, to say to the people of Ghana: you are not alone. Your sorrow is ours, and together we will overcome these challenges.”
Here are photos from the visit:
