Ablakwa describes GAF statement on withdrawal of personnel as laughable and fabrication

North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has described the statement that was issued by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) debunking the report on the withdrawal of personnel from Mepe as laughable and a fabrication.

According to the lawmaker, the statement that was released shortly after the information on the withdrawal of the military from Mepe came out is tarnishing the image of the Ghana Armed Forces.

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), in a press release, dismissed claims of withdrawing military personnel deployed to Mepe in the Volta Region to assist the Akosombo Dam spillage victims.

According to GAF, “the information in circulation is inaccurate and that the personnel have not been given any ‘orders from above’ to withdraw from Mepe or any other community affected by the spillage, contrary to the social media posts”.

However, Mr. Ablakwa, in an interview monitored by The Ghana Report on 3FM insisted that 30 minutes after his tweet on GAF ordering its personnel to evacuate from Mepe, “the military detachment returned and they said they wanted me to talk to their Commander in Accra; he has been trying to reach me. I spoke to him, and he said the order had been reversed and the people are coming back”.

Regarding the statement, Ablakwa said “That statement is laughable, a total fabrication, there was no deployment to Battor, that statement is full of blatant falsehood and whoever drafted that statement has not done the military’s image any good”.

“First of all, it is not true that the situation in Mepe is under control, the water levels have not receded, in many places that you have to walk, people use boats so it is not true that the situation has been brought under considerable control”.

“The claim that there is some refinement in Battor is not true. I have been on the grounds permanently, and all my constituents have had such a laugh since they released this statement because the epic centre of this disaster is Mepe, everybody knows, there is no other place in Battor that requires urgent assistance, and you can redeploy from Mepe to Battor. Whoever drafted that statement doesn’t know what he is talking about; he has not been to the grounds”.

“There was no deployment anywhere, they didn’t go and help anybody in Battor, I was in Battor, there was no operation in Battor”.

GAF further stated that extended support to the affected victims will continue unabated.

“GAF, therefore, wishes to assure the general public that as recently reported in the media of the thousands of persons rescued and marked efforts being made to support victims, it will not relent in the quest to ensure urgent, equitable and appropriate response and support to all persons and communities affected by spillage in conjunction with all stakeholders”.