Parliament calls for urgent assistance to tidal waves victims in Ketu South, others

Members of Parliament have called on government, acting through the Ministry of Works and Housing, to take urgent steps to deliver on its promise to implement the Second Phase of the Keta Sea Defence Project for residents in the constituency.

They contend the matter is a national crisis and any further delay in the Project will lead to severe destruction of properties, which in effect will render residents homeless in addition to the destruction of properties running into thousands of Ghana cedis.

The MPs feared if urgent action is not taken for the Sea Defence Wall to be completed at the earliest possible time, the communities risk being washed away, losing their very existence due to effects of the waves, ravaging homes and destroying properties as the residents are currently witnessing.

The lawmakers expressed these fears following a statement made on the floor on Tuesday, 9 November 2021 by the MP for Ho West Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah after at least 3,000 people in Keta Municipality were rendered homeless after tidal waves swept through their homes on the dawn of Sunday 7th November.

The over 3000 people that have been displaced by the flooding in the communities in the Ketu South, Keta and Anlo constituencies in the Volta Region are in urgent need of food, clothes, medicines and shelter to cope with the traumatized situation that has befallen them.

The flood victims, most of them depending on agriculture for their food and income, have seen their houses and lands destroyed and flooded by tidal waves and these affected families are now exposed to severe cold and other illnesses as most of them are now sleeping in school buildings and community centres.

Communities such as Abutiakope, Kedzikope and Dzelukope are largely affected as homeless residents were left with nothing to salvage while residents of Anloga, Dzita, Agbledomi, Atiteti, Agokedzi, and Fuveme were also displaced by the fierce tidal waves that swept through the communities.

The Member of Parliament for the Ketu South constituency, Dzifa Abla Gomashie has raised alarm over what she described as a humanitarian crisis following the impact of the tidal waves and was unhappy that the Sea Defence Project had been abandoned by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

She is demanding urgent attention from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in relation to the completion of the Sea Defence Project in the Volta Region and said the Government must ensure the Sea Defence Wall is extended to protect the communities.

The Ketu South MP called for immediate humanitarian intervention, and also warned of total destruction of part of the major road linking Ghana and Togo through the area if the Sea Defence Wall is not constructed soon.

She said she really appreciate the fact that over the years all Governments add a little to the Sea Defence Project, but lamented it has been quite a while that something has been done, for the devastation in the communities was more than she had ever seen.

The Second Deputy Speaker Andrew Amoako Asiamah referring the matter to the Committee of Works and Housing urged the affected persons and communities to remain calm as the Committee and the Minister responsible for Works and Housing and the Central Government work at resolving their challenges.

—Parliament