By Samuel Akumatey
Ho, July 16, GNA – Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, has launched an environmental sustainability fund for the Ho Municipality with GHC150,000 seed money from Sunon Asogli Power Limited, an independent power producer.
The Asogli Environmental Sustainability Fund was initiated in collaboration with the Municipal Assembly on the back of the devastating floods last week, which inundated homes and businesses in parts of the Volta Regional Capital.
The Agbogbomefia said the flood deflated the city’s pride in environmental appeal and would be addressed through determined effort.
He said the government required support for the huge task of intervention hence the need to establish an avenue for community contribution towards what would be an ambitious drainage infrastructure that would save the city from future floods.
The power company also donated hundreds of food items for the many victims of the flood and received praise for committing to the course.
Togbe Afede said, “The disaster is a wake-up call to us and if we plan appropriately we shall derive benefits from what we suffered.
“Most of us take our pride in Ho as a very clean city, environmentally very friendly; one that we call the Oxygen City, and this is the more reason what we suffered was most embarrassing and that is why we have to find a solution to all of this.
“Very importantly we have to address the short-term issues – namely, how do we minimise the suffering of the worst affected amongst us? And that is precisely what has brought our friends from Sunon Asogli here. They are coming to support us to alleviate the suffering of the worst suffering of the disaster.
“But more important is what we will do going forward in the long term that will ensure that when all these kinds of rainfalls occur – probably even heavier ones occur, we will stay safe.”
Togbe noted the collaboration with the Assembly on providing a permanent solution to rain floods in the Municipality and was optimistic the sustainability fund would power their focus on two major areas – the relief of victims, and then a comprehensive re-engineering of the drainage structure of the city.
He hinted at the use of concrete drains to build a flood-resilient water carriage infrastructure, noting how although an expensive venture, would eliminate challenges with obstructive man-made structures and vegetation.
“I’ve had a lot of chat with the Municipal Chief Executive. We know a lot of studies have to be done – that the mapping of the whole city, our waterways, our streams and etc, and that is where the planning must begin from. At the end of the day, we need to find clear pathways for our waters to run. We have to build concrete channels for all our streams so that they can flow through our communities very freely.
“A lot of planning – very expensive planning will be required. Very expensive concrete works would be required. We know the government alone cannot do it. That is why in consultation with the Municipal Chief Executive, I thought it wise that we the chiefs must also come in and support their work by mobilising resources to aid all the good plans that they will want to execute to keep our city safe.
“And it is that reason why we decided to establish what we call the Asogli State Environmental Sustainability Fund, which will mobilise resources to help maintain the sanity of our environment to support the work that the MCE and his people have been doing to ensure that heavy rains would not pose problems to us,” the Agbogbomefia stated.
He extolled the MCE for his leadership and called for interim measures on drains, culverts and bridges in the city.
Togbe Afede called for a revisit to strict sanitation regimes to help reduce the impact of generated waste on the environment and charged the Assembly to crack the whip.
Mr Qun Yang, Chairman of Sunon Asogli, presenting the cheque, pledged continuous support for the Asogli cause.
Mr Divine Bosson, the MCE, thanked the Agbogbomefia for his swift response to the disaster, which led to a technical committee of the nation’s hydrological experts.
He said Togbe Afede’s assertion towards effectively averting floods, gave hope to the city, and assured that “the Assembly would play its role to bring a lasting solution to the problem”
Present at the launch were several stakeholders, including community leaders, relief organisations, members of the Assembly as well as victims of the July 8, rainstorm.
The MCE had earlier led the Agbogbomefia, chiefs, and executives of the power company on a detailed tour of affected areas and inspection of drainage systems in Ho.
GNA