By Samuel Akumatey
Ho, Jul. 20, GNA – The Volta Development Forum (VDF) is calling for stakeholder urgency on the issue of rain floods in the Ho Municipality.
The institution says the devastation was more than reported, and that it was necessary for related institutions and organisations to consider support for the city’s recovery.
Mr Daniel Agboka Dzegede, Executive Director of the Forum, made the call while visiting the most hit areas in the Municipality, and said the fast-expanding city outpaced urban development, leaving several communities without required drainage.
He said uncountable goods of commercial value had been depreciated or destroyed, affecting livelihoods, and should also be the focus of stakeholders.
“The flood has caused an unprecedented disaster in Ho and the VDF is calling on the national security to deploy men to Ho to access the impact on the Ho Township. We are calling for engineers to bring expertise on board. We need to redesign the drains and enhance their capacity,” he said
Togbe Afede, the Agbogbomefia of Asogli, on Saturday launched an Asogli State Environmental Sustainability Fund with a 150,000 cedis seed money, and which would help meet the needs of the more than 1,000 affected individuals, and support governments physical transformation of the city.
The VDF top executive called to support the fund, particularly people from the Region and in the diaspora.
“Sons and daughters of Volta should come on board to get things right. I am appealing to all and sundry to come down to Ho. The concentration should not only be in Accra, but we should come together to save lives.”
The tour of affected areas revealed that the majority victims were yet to recover from the disaster ten days after it had struck.
Many are being forced to live among buildings collapsed by the flood, and several are yet to reclaim their homes from flowing mud during the storm.
School materials including books and uniforms have been destroyed, and some children are unable to get back to school.
Mr Dzegede was accompanied by other executives including Mr Delali Ndo, the Director and Monitoring and Research, and Mr Francis Ganyaglo, its Director of Marketing.
He said support for the victims needed be broadened as many lost their places of abode and capital investments, and again appealed for a “very strong focus” on the situation.
Sunon Asogli Power, which provided the seed for the environmental sustainability fund, had donated 800 bags of rice and cooking oil to support the National Disaster Management Authority in providing the necessary relief.
Mr Divine Bosson, Ho Municipal Chief Executive, told the executives that technical teams assigned to the situation had agreed on a redesign of all culverts and water passages, and that with the support of the Asogli Fund, it should be realised in the nearest possible time.
He commended the Forum for their role, saying, “With organisations like the VDF on board, we can bounce back better.”
GNA