By Elsie Appiah-Osei
Sogakofe (V/R), Oct 20, GNA – The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Friday donated a cash amount of GH¢100,000 to flood victims in the Volta Region.
Mr Kofi Attor, the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Speaker, who made the presentation at a durbar in Sogakofe on behalf of Mr Bagbin, said he was out of town on an official duty.
North Tongu, South Tongu, Central Tongu, Ketu North, Anlo and Ketu South are among the constituencies to benefit from the donation.
Others are Keta, Asuogyaman, Kpando, South Dayi and North Dayi.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Minority Caucus in Parliament also presented relief items worth GH¢150,000 to the affected communities.
Speaking to the media, Mr Attor described the flooding as a serious situation that needed the attention of all and called for the fair distribution of all items received.
“We hope that the water recedes soon to bring life back to normal in these constituencies, but until then, we have brought water, food and other reliefs to alleviate their plight. There’s the need for collective assistance,” Mr Attor said.
The Speaker’s delegation visited some of the affected communities including Galoshota in the Anlo Constituency and Mepe in North Tongu to commiserate with the constituents.
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the Chairman of the NDC, called on the Government not to see the assistance to the affected people and communities as a favour.
“Let us put our differences aside and deal with this national crisis holistically,” he said.
Dr Cassiel Ato Baah Forson, the Minority Leader, advocated the need to relocate the affected people to the Saglemi Housing site.
As part of relief assistance, the Sogakofe Anglican Church Bishops also donated a cash amount of GH¢50,000 to the people to support their upkeep.
On September 15, 2023, the Volta River Authority started a controlled spill from the Akosombo and Kpong dams.
This was due to the heavy rainfall in the Volta River catchment area, resulting in a rise in water levels at the dams. The spill was, therefore, necessary to protect the dam’s integrity.
However, by the beginning of October, the water level was still rising, exceeding the maximum operating level of 276 feet.
Following persistent rains and a continued rise in the water level, the Volta River Authority had to continue with the spillage, resulting in many communities in the North, South and Central Tongu Districts, as well as Ada East District, getting flooded.
GNA