Member of parliament for Ketu South, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called on government to continue with the second phase of the sea defence project.
According to her, the completion of the project will help avert some of the flooding recorded in the Ketu South constituency. She revealed that as it stands now, three traditional areas are flooded.
Dzifa Gomashie lamented that the situation within the communities is unprecedented, hence, the need for government’s intervention. She emphasized that in spite of some relief packages for the affected communities, a total redress of the recurring problem will be best.
” What will save the situation is dredging the lagoon, so the water can recede into it. Secondly, it will be best for us to continue with the sea defence project, because as Benin and Togo continue with theirs, somehow, it will push the water… So, beyond the blanket, tinned tomatoes, mackerel, rice, cooking oil and mattresses John Dramani Mahama has brought, which may not be enough for three weeks, I do not know what I’m going to do…”
Abla Dzifa Gomashie
Madam Gomashie bemoaned government’s lack of proactive measures in dealing with the situation. She recounted that in 2021, during the tidal waves in the area, she expressed the importance of government investing in “temporary shelter” to house victims of flooding due to spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams.
This, she opined, hasn’t been worked on by the state.
“Unfortunately, we are in 2023, and I have not seen either the minister or the President, his Vice President or any of the ministers who this affects directly [working on this]. We’ve been left alone, even NADMO, set up by the state to address national disaster, they have just been writing names from one household to the other and compiling names for two years.
“There’s nothing I have not done, there’s no door I have not knocked on but this situation we have right now is not something a member of parliament who has a common fund that is trickling in can do. This is an issue for the state…”
Abla Dzifa Gomashie
Call for support in addressing flooding incidents
Expressing her frustration, the Ketu South MP revealed that Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia visited the Volta region some weeks ago during his campaign but failed to make an appearance to the affected areas. This, she noted, highlights government’s apathy to the ordeal of the people.
Furthermore, Madam Gomashie stated that she is bereft of ideas on what to do to salvage the situation. She explained that beyond “comforting them as a member of parliament should, I don’t know what else to do”.
“I’ve been racking my brains; I’ve read every document available to me and my hope is in something that is being done by World Bank called the West Africa Coastal Area – they have some money that they are helping countries that have shorelines to save them from the looming disaster.
“I see that Benin and Togo have benefited from that WACCA, I know Ghana has put one foot in there [and] I hope they will add the other foot so that the resources that is available from this WACCA project can benefit my people.”
Abla Dzifa Gomashie
Commenting on what the Municipal Assembly is doing to dredge the lagoons, Madam Gomashie accused President Nana Addo Dankwa and his government of collapsing not only NADMO, but the local assembly’s structure. She noted that the assembly “is so toothless they cannot even provide a bag of rice or corn”.
“They have not provided one bag of rice in the whole period this has been going on… Local government and NADMO, do they exist only in names?”
Abla Dzifa Gomashie
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