Diaspora News of Tuesday, 30 May 2006

Source: GNA

Lightning strikes Ghana Embassy in Togo

Lome, May 30, GNA- Thunder (Lightning) during a rainfall early last week destroyed power lines and other valuable equipment at the Ghana Embassy in Lome, Togo.

Among items destroyed were the Mission's standby power generator and telephone system, with total estimated cost of damage said to be several thousands of CFA Franc.

Mr Kwabena Mensah Bonsu, Ghana's Ambassador to Togo made this known when Chiefs from Aflao in Ghana called on him in Lome on Tuesday. The chiefs led by Togbe Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional Area had gone there to congratulate the Diplomatic Corp in Lome, through Mr Bonsu, Dean of the Corps, for successfully brokering peace between the Togolese government and opposition forces. Mr Bosnu hinted that repair works were nearing completion to restore essential services to the Embassy, which had been in darkness and no telephone since the incidence.

Storms from the East, which caused massive downpour accompanied sometimes by lightning and thunder, caused widespread floods along the south of the sub region, including Ghana last week. In Ghana the Kplikpa River, as a result of the rains swelled its banks and inundated the highly productive Afife Irrigation Dam causing massive crop lost.

Other rivers, including Tordze also cut off the Aflao-Accra highway interrupting road transport for a few days.