The Member of Parliament for the North Tongu constituency, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has implored state institutions to replace identification cards and other documents of victims of the Akosombo and Kpong Dams’ spillage undertaken by the Volta River Authority (VRA).
He appealed to the appropriate state institutions that have the mandate to issue these documents to put measures in place to replace the documents immediately, stressing that the unavailability of these documents is adding more to the victims’ plights.
He enlisted the institutions involved as, the National Identification Authority (NIA), Electoral Commission (EC), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Birth and Death Registry of Ghana, and the Passport Office.
“In my constituency which is the epicenter, NADMO reports that some 12,633 beloved constituents of mine have been displaced. The VRA-induced flood destroyed livelihoods, damaged farms, wiped out livestock, took away shops, properties, certificates, ID cards, documents, passports…and left many communities, particularly within Mepe, Battor, and Dorfor submerged”.
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa acknowledged the help extended to his constituency by the Ghanaian public after the flood and stressed that this assistance contributed to several relief interventions for victims of the flood.
The Member of Parliament also disclosed that the constituents of North Tongu have confronted him on numerous accounts regarding the replacement of their lost documents and identification cards. He emphasized that the constituents of Members of Parliament in other flood-affected areas too have raised the same concerns regarding the replacement of these documents.
Accordingly, Mr. Samuel Ablakwa stated that the loss of these ‘unique personal’ documents is making the recovery and restoration process discouraging as many of the victims find themselves restricted in many ways.
He emphasized that victims with missing National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Cards are the most disadvantaged as they are burdened with the responsibility of paying cash for healthcare services. “This is really a tragic situation for people who have already lost all they own…” he stated.
“Mr. Speaker, permit me to commend the management and staff of the Battor Catholic Hospital, who seeing the plights of victims who have lost their Health Insurance cards decided on humanitarian grounds to offer free medical services. May god bless them”
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
Furthermore, he stressed that the government must find a permanent and sustainable solution to healthcare delivery for the flood victims with missing NHIS Cards.
Looming Disenfranchisement Of Voters
Subsequently, the MP for North Tongu demanded that the Electoral Commission (EC) give an assurance to Parliament that no eligible voter in areas affected by the flood will be disenfranchised in the 2024 General Elections due to lost voter ID cards.
He stressed that the EC must put measures in place to replace all lost voter ID cards in all constituencies affected by the VRA spillage. “It is not good enough for the EC to say that people can vote without their cards when we know they [the electorates] could be subjected to unwarranted attacks…by party agents” he stated.
Mr. Samuel Ablakwa also suggested that the replacement exercise must be conducted in the affected communities and not at the district and regional offices to ensure that the process is convenient for the people. He also requested that the replacement of these documents and IDs must be done with no financial costs to the victims.
Moreover, the Lawmaker beseeched the government to commence work on the resettlement and compensation of the victims of the ‘VRA-induced’ flood. He stated that the government’s reluctance to perform its obligation to the people five months after the flood is inexcusable.
He stressed that the government is under a constitutional responsibility to provide the needed compensation for the victims and to restore them with some dignity.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has been vocal about the government’s lack of enthusiasm in responding to the plights of the flood victims on several occasions but his words have yielded no results.
To conclude, the dam spillage conducted by the Volta River Authority (VRA) displaced about 40,000 Ghanaians in the affected communities as reported by the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO). The President, H.E Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo made a courtesy visit to the victims days after the incident. That sadly, is the extent of the government’s involvement in the issue so far.
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