The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called for an engineering solution to the plight of those affected by the recent flood devastation caused by the Akosombo and Kpong Dam spillages, rather than relocating them elsewhere.
He stated that with today’s technology, the route of the water may be re-channeled such that if there is a spillage, the extra water can reach farmlands via built tunnels.
“I get really upset when I hear on TV and the radio that we should be relocated.”As if we had fallen from the sky.We were here long before you decided to build these dams, therefore we are not intruders.
” Mr Ablakwa said.
“What we need to do is to put our thinking caps on and find a scientific approach to ensuring this never happens again,” he said.
The North Tongu MP made these remarks in an interview from Mepe, one of the impacted areas, last Thursday.
Mr Ablakwa stated that, despite the fact that agriculture employed about 70% of the nation’s workforce, the country did not practice mechanised or modernised farming, and that this scenario might be exploited to supply much-needed irrigation.
“Even with their failed One Village, One Dam policy, imagine if they had an engineering solution where excess water from the two dams could go into these smaller dams; that intervention wouldn’t have failed,” he went on to say.
Mr Ablakwa stated that at the proper time, he will seek full recompense for all flood victims, since the Volta River Authority (VRA) must not be allowed to go free, considering the devastation their activities had caused in the Lower Volta Basin.
“VRA must understand that we will not let them get away with this because you cannot force people to lose their homes and livelihoods and expect them to cope.”
“We will insist on full compensation and nothing else,” Mr Ablakwa, who has many flood-affected constituents, added. As a result, the North Tongu MP promised to personally lead a class action lawsuit against the VRA if they did not properly and totally pay impacted people.
Mr Ablakwa stated that the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has already tallied around 28,000 displaced individuals, and that his organization is also compiling statistics on the value of land, farms, and fishing ponds lost in the North Tongu constituency.
“We’re putting everything together so that when the time comes, they (VRA) won’t be able to claim they didn’t have the data.”
So, complete recompense must be offered to our people, and we will not compromise on that,” he stated emphatically.
He praised the people for their unwavering fortitude, praising the youth in particular, stating they were the primary reason there had been no losses thus far.
“Our constituents should know that we will be there for them every step of the way.”We will not abandon them in camps or leave them displaced. We will stand with them, and I want to thank Ghanaians for their support,” Mr Ablakwa continued.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called for an engineering solution to the plight of those affected by the recent flood devastation caused by the Akosombo and Kpong Dam spillages, rather than relocating them elsewhere.
He stated that with today’s technology, the route of the water may be re-channeled such that if there is a spillage, the extra water can reach farmlands via built tunnels.