We've single-handedly relocated over 400 flood victims with no state support — Mepe Development Association

The Mepe Development Association (MDA) in the Mepe township of the Volta Region has relocated over 400 people displaced by the floods caused by the Akosombo and Kpong dams spillage, bearing the full cost without any aid from state authorities.

Chairman of the MDA, Fabian Mawulenu Kojo, told journalists that following destructive flooding in the traditional Mepe area late last year, his organization took the lead in finding accommodation for victims whose homes were destroyed.

This, he said, was to facilitate the reopening of schools after they had been used as temporary shelters during the peak of the disaster.

“We set up a committee and worked with contractors to renovate an abandoned school block at Mepe-Degorme to house the displaced population," Mr. Mawulenu Kojo.

He added that the MDA "expended monies, provided logistical support and completed the task on our own to save St. Kizito Senior High Technical School from collapsing and ensure academic activities resumed smoothly."

However, Mr. Mawulenu Kojo expressed frustration that "after our efforts, neither the district assembly nor National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has formally handed over the resettlement site to the government".

The MDA chairman slammed authorities for visiting the new safe haven without informing local leaders like the Mankralo of Mepe traditional area, Togbe Korsi Nego VI.

“The MDA's doors remain open for engagement to help address impacts of the flood, but we are still managing the site alone with many challenges," he noted.

The community will continue providing food, shelter and other relief while awaiting the government to assume responsibility, according to Mr. Mawulenu Kojo.