Ensure effective distribution of relief items in flood areas – Volta House of Chiefs

Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, has called for the structured distribution of relief items to benefit all persons affected by the Akosombo dam spill.

He said the nature of flood devastation was evasive, and therefore efforts must be made to sustain relief as the number of victims continued to rise.

The President of the Regional House made the call when members of the House toured hardest hit communities, including Battor and Mepe on Saturday, and said stakeholders
need to step up support for the victims considering the growing devastation.

Traditional leaders in some communities visited spoke of how concerns over the distribution were widespread in some areas and appealed to the authorities.

“We would like to call on the Authorities and all those concerned to come to the aid of these people. Some of them do not have good drinking water and we think that the relief
efforts must be stepped up and we should all ensure that the ordinary person gets a fair share of what he can get to survive,” Togbe Tepre Hodo said.

“Another complaint that we got was that the supplies that were coming in were not getting to the right people. For example, at Mepe we were informed that the level of supply was so
irregular and was also not being properly distributed so people are not getting what they ought to get, so that calls for concern,” he added.

The flood disaster has displaced an estimated 30,000 in about 10 districts in the lower Volta region, and donations and other forms of support continue, especially in the three Tongu districts, which make up the centre of attention as they counted a combined loss of more than 20,000.

The House, at a Standing Committee meeting on Friday, launched a disaster relief fund for victims and made a call for a long-term solution to the flooding, brought about by the
spillage of the Akosombo Dam amidst an extended rainfall season.

Traditional rulers from the affected made calls at the launch to ensure all affected benefited from the relief packages and said all displaced, including those from remote
communities and submerged islands should be counted.

The loss is still being as the spillage continues and more properties and agro-investments worth several millions are being consumed.

President Akufo Addo while visiting the communities promised extended support for the broken and assured of short, medium, and long-term relief.

There are calls to declare a state of emergency and sanitation and health disasters brew in the standing waters that contain whole communities, cemeteries and even morgues.

Togbe Tepre Hodo noted the dangerous pollution and said the waters should be made off-limits to people while calling on health authorities to guard against diseases that
could emerge.

“It is totally unsafe for anybody to deal with this water,” he said, asking to consider a ban on river travel considering the dangerous water levels.

The tour offered the opportunity to access first-hand the destruction and the House met with chiefs and the people to offer hope and support.

Leaders of Battor, Mepe and other extremely affected areas called for a lasting solution, which they said had been lacking since the dam’s construction.