Chiefs and residents of Mepe are still counting their loses almost a year after the spillage of the Akosombo that flooded many homes and devastated the homes of thousands of people.
Torgbe Korsi Nego VI, Manklalo of Mepe Traditional Area, has said residents of the area who became victims to the man made disaster have survived on the benevolence of Ghanaians and some philanthropists since the support from government since the incident has not been enough.
He says the living conditions of the people are deplorable considering the fact that many lost their sources of livelihoods aside from their places of abode which were sacrificed on the alter of the disaster.
Speaking on behalf of the Mepe Traditional Council at the 68th Mepe Afenorto Festival Durbar Saturday, August 10, 2024, Torgbe Nego stated that many victims of the disaster have been pushed down the poverty line due to the misfortune.
“It is trite knowledge that in September and October 2023, the Volta River Authority (VRA) spilled water from the Akosombo Dam and this spillage caused heavy flooding downstream the Lower Volta.
“Mepe became the epicenter of the disaster, with over 10,000 people displaced, yet has received very little support from the state. This is telling because the flood has worsened the socio-economic conditions of our people, pushing several thousands of Mepe citizens down the poverty ladder,” he stated.
He further painted a picture of the living conditions of the people, narrating the devastating nature of the circumstances they have to bear due to the irresponsibility of people who are still dwelling peacefully in their homes.
His account corroborated that of what was shared by Sophia Abbah, the caretaker of one of the camps where people are still struggling to make ends meet.
“Mr. Chairman, even as we celebrate this year’s Afenorto Festival, most of our people are sharing congested rooms while others are homeless and jobless because their homes and sources of livelihood were washed away by the Floods. In fact, many citizens of Mepe are still sleeping under tents in mosquito and reptile-infested areas.
“We celebrate this year’s Afenorto Festival with mixed feelings – even as we make merry, we are constantly reminded of the existing devastating effects of the flood disaster and the continuous neglect of the victims.
“Mr. Chairman; Torgbewo; Mamawo; Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen; the avoidable spillage significantly affected our socio-economic wellbeing as our farmlands, homes, businesses, places of worship, places of convenience and burial grounds were washed away even as our main source of drinking water, the Volta River, became contaminated at a point,” lamented the Manklalo.
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