Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called the bluff of government over claims that it asked residents along the Lower Volta Basin to evacuate their homes prior to spilling the water from the Akosombo and Kpong dams.
The MP says government has caused them enough pain and shouldn’t add “insults to their injury.”
His comments come on the back of a statement from the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Freda Prempeh, saying residents affected by the floods were asked to move out of their homes after education and simulation exercises by the appropriate bodies but refused.
Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa says government should spare them the lies after the depression and distress it has caused his constituents.
“She shouldn’t add insults to our injury. We are depressed, distressed, we are devastated. They should stop these things. It’s getting on our nerves. We’ve had enough of their blatant lies,” he said.
Mr. Ablakwa, speaking on Ghana Tonight on TV3 Monday, October 23, 2023 asked the Minister to tell them when the supposed exercises took place, and the safe haven government prepared for them before asking them to evacuate.
“She should tell us when, when did they come here? She herself has she come here before? That the people refused to move, move to where? Is she aware that we were here more than 200 years before the dam was constructed? That we had to give out portions of our land for these two dams to be constructed?
“The level of ignorance is shocking. They should stop embarrassing themselves. Move to the classrooms where my people are now? She should show us where they constructed for my people to move to. Where did they build as safe havens for my people to move and go and stay in those places that they refused to move? That they came and educated the people and sensitised them to move. She should tell us the address,” the MP fumed.
Madam Prempeh, in a viral video on social media said the NADMO, VRA and Water Resources Commission engaged the residents prior to the spillage, including hard hit Mepe but remained adamant till their abodes got flooded.
She bemoaned the millions of Cedis government has had to commit to ensure victims get relief items to cater for themselves since the floods begun.
The VRA has been blastered for failing to inform the residents and evacuate them since the spillage begun in September 15 displacing people and submerging their homes.
Some voices have called for a State of Emergency to be declared whilst the residents are calling on the government to relocate them to the abandoned Saglemi Housing Unit.
The topic of asking the residents to leave with education and simulation exercises is a new twist to the conversation as it has never been heard anywhere since engagement on the matter commenced.
“We don’t want what has happened at Akosombo to happen to us in Accra. The Akosombo spillage, even though VRA, NADMO, the water resources commission came together to educate the people in the community, did simulation exercise with them even at Mepe yet they refused to leave. They didn’t want to be evacuated. They stayed there till the end when we started spilling.
“Unfortunately look at what is happening. The government has to spend millions of monies on relief items, on education, the whole area the water is contaminated and Ghana Water, the Water Resources Commission spend millions of monies to treat the water before we pass it through our pipes. So, a stitch in time saves nine but sometimes it’s difficult to accept the situation. We cannot continue to sit down and allow these things to go on looking at what is happening,” Madam Prempeh had indicated.
Madam Prempeh described the backlash on the government, NADMO and VRA as unfortunate considering the role they played to the residents would be safe.
“Now people are blaming government, VRA, NADMO. These three institutions really did a lot of education right from January. Even in September they were still talking to the people to move because there was the likelihood they were going to spill in the next week or two because the rainfall patterns have changed, climate change…you cannot anticipate when it was going to rain. So even if they start to spill on a very gradual note the rain could also fall and the dam will keep coming up,” she pointed out.
