By Kekeli K. Blamey
Adidome (V/R), March 26, GNA – The Government, through the Ministry of Works and Housing, has commenced the construction of resettlement housing units for flood victims in the North and Central Tongu Districts.
Mr. Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, the Minister for Works and Housing, led a team from the Ministry to perform a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the commencement of the project and conduct a comprehensive assessment and validation of the preliminary data pertaining to the resettlement project.
Preliminary data from the Ministry of Works and Housing had it that 935 houses were destroyed by the flood in Central Tongu District and needed to be reconstructed.
Others were 650 houses in North Tongu District and 1,218 in South Tongu District.
Affected residents at Awadiwoe-Kome in the Central Tongu District would be relocated to New Bakpa as those in Siame-Kome would also be relocated to Adidome.
Others in North Tongu would be relocated to Mepe- Degorme and Aveyime after the completion of the resettlement houses.
Mr Oppong-Nkrumah said that the government was committed to mitigating the plight of those impacted by recurrent flooding.
He emphasised on implementing long-term strategies to ensure the resilience and well-being of affected residents.
“This initiative aligns with the national strategies which were aimed at sustainable development and disaster risk reduction. Through proactive measures such as the construction of resettlement housing, the government reaffirms its commitment to building resilient communities and safeguarding the well-being of its citizens,” the Minister stated.
Mr Oppong-Nkrumah indicated that 100 housing units would be erected in both districts, pending the final validation of the preliminary data provided to the Ministry.
He said the project would not take less than six months and called for the cooperation of relevant stakeholders and potential beneficiaries towards the progress of work.
Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, reiterated the government’s attention towards the safety of the affected victims.
He mentioned that measures were also underway to ensure livelihood restoration in the affected districts.
Dr Letsa lauded the government for ensuring that affected residents got comfortable abodes after many months of sleeping in classrooms and tents.
He assured the affected residents that his office would work closely with the Ministry of Works and Housing to ensure that everyone whose building was affected would benefit from the resettlement project.
Togbe Kwesi Nego VI, the Mankralo of Mepe, expressed gratitude to the government and appealed to the Works and Housing Minister to ensure that proper drainage systems were also constructed to avert possible future flood situations.
He also urged the government to erect river defense walls and engage engineers, architects and surveyors to determine a comprehensive resettlement plan.
Mr. Thomas Moore Zonyrah and Mr Osborne Fenu, the Chief Executives of Central and North Tongu Districts respectively, also lauded the government for its intervention.
They unanimously pledged their support to ensuring that the projects were successfully carried out in their districts.
The two DCEs thanked the traditional authorities and relevant stakeholders for giving out their lands for the projects.
GNA