Ningo-Prampram MP, Sam George, contends that the government possesses the necessary resources to establish a new settlement for the Akosombo Dam spillage victims.
The MP emphasizes that the displaced residents face risks of disease outbreaks and potential structural failures in their damaged buildings, making it unwise for them to return home. He points out that the government, with private sector assistance, previously built new settlements for the Appeatse explosion victims and believes a similar effort is warranted in this case.
“I have heard talks that the water is receding so they are going to fumigate the houses, but you can’t live in those buildings. I have seen it.
“People’s faecal matter were on the surfaces of the water, it stayed in people’s houses for weeks. You can’t expect human beings to go and live in those buildings.
“Government must have a proper resettlement plan. When the Appeatse disaster happened, government set up a fund and reached out to the private sector to put money into it and they built a new Appeatse township. We need to build a new Mepe township,” he said.
When asked if government had the resources to undertake such a project, the outspoken MP stressed that the amount of money which will be used to buy votes during the NPP Primaries can be used to put up new settlements for the people.
“The money that is going to be paid to delegates of the NPP between Thursday night and Saturday when they will have their primaries will build a new Mepe township.
“I have seen an interview by Kennedy Agyapong’s campaign manager where he said inducements are paid. That is a fact, but the level of inducement being paid by the Bawumia campaign and even by the Ken campaign can be put together.
“So when we say we don’t have money, but Bawumia can find money then where is he getting the money from? And when you consider that a Sanitation Minister had enough money in her house that one million dollars was stolen and she even didn’t recognize, then the money there was big.”
Meanwhile, pressure continues to mount on government to move the affected victims to the uncompleted Saglemi Housing project.
Background
This year’s spillage exercise is not the first time VRA has spilt water from the Akosombo Dam.
A similar exercise was carried out in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, and 1991 with the recent one done in 2010.
They were all done to prevent water from overtopping the dam.
Subsequently, on September 15, the Volta River Authority began spilling excess water due to rising levels of the Akosombo and Kpong hydro dams.
Weeks after the spillage began, many residents living along the Lower Volta Basin lost their homes and farms to the floods caused by the spillage.
Currently, nine districts find themselves reeling under the fury of the racing spillage, their inhabitants caught up in this humanitarian crisis.
Communities such as Battor, Tefle, Mepe, Sogakope, Adidome, and Anlo have been submerged with their existence nearly swallowed by the unrelenting waters.