By Opesika Tetteh Puplampu
Luhuor-Accra, July 25, GNA — Some victims of the recent flooding at Luhuor in the Ada West District have expressed dissatisfaction with the registration and distribution process adopted for the allocation of relief items by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
The affected residents alleged that the registration exercise required beneficiaries to present a Ghana Card, while those without the national identification card were asked to find persons with valid identification to guarantee for them before they could be registered.
According to them, although each registered beneficiary was expected to receive a 25-kilogramme bag of rice, cooking oil, a blanket, a mosquito net and a mattress, persons who acted as guarantors were required to share the relief items allocated to them with those they had guaranteed for.
They described the arrangement as unfair, arguing that the relief items were inadequate to be shared among several households, especially after many victims had lost their homes and personal belongings to the floods.
The residents have therefore appealed to the authorities to review the distribution process and provide additional relief support to ensure that all affected persons receive adequate assistance.
Ms Lani Narh, one of the flood victims, said she acted as a guarantor for 14 other affected residents, alleging she received only one 25-kilogramme bag of rice and one mattress to be shared among the 15 beneficiaries.
She questioned how a single mattress could reasonably be shared among so many people.
“How am I supposed to share one mattress with 14 other victims?” she asked, appealing to the authorities to review the process and provide additional assistance to affected residents.
Responding to the concerns, Mr Eric Doku Abayateye, the Ada West District Director of the NADMO, denied claims that the registration exercise was conducted solely using the Ghana Card.
Mr Abayateye explained that where identification documents were requested, they were used only for authentication purposes and not as a requirement for eligibility.
He appealed to residents to remain calm, acknowledging that the available relief items were insufficient to meet the needs of all those affected by the floods.
He said the distribution was being carried out based on the level of impact determined through an assessment conducted by the NADMO officials.
According to him, residents who suffered the greatest losses were being prioritised, while those whose losses were less severe would also receive assistance as additional relief items became available.
Mr Jonathan Tetteh Asamanyua, assembly member for the area, also rejected claims that registration was based exclusively on the Ghana Card.
He explained that both the Ghana Card and the Voter Identification Card were accepted during the registration exercise to facilitate the accurate capture of the names and details of affected residents, noting that some victims were unable to provide their full names correctly.
He said the use of identification cards was intended to ensure proper documentation and verification of beneficiaries rather than to exclude residents who did not possess a Ghana Card.
GNA
Edited by Laudia Anyorkor Nunoo/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Opesika Tetteh Puplampu