+Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu South has called on the government to sufficiently resource National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and local assemblies for the effective discharge of their duties.
She lamented the devastation her constituents were going through because of tidal wave attacks and flooding situations in different communities with the Municipal NADMO and the Municipal Assembly doing nothing tangible to alleviate their suffering.
Madam Gomashie made the call when she presented to Assembly members, her constituency’s share of former President Mahama’s donation of bags of rice, student mattresses, pieces of blankets, cartons of canned fish and tomatoes, and litres of cooking oil, to MPs in Volta Region’s three coastal constituencies meant for flood and tidal waves victims.
A recent storm surge on Wednesday, September 20 flooded about 1,000 homes in communities including Blekusu, Agavedzi, Horvi, Abutiakope, Agorkedzi and Dzaflagbe in Anloga, Keta and Ketu South Municipalities, rendering people homeless with livestock, businesses, canoes and fishing nets also lost as a result.
Aside the September 20 disaster, many communities in Ketu South including Agbozume, Hatsukope, Avoeme Aluwoe, Aletame and parts of Klikor had been flooded displacing people.
Madam Gomashie said while people suffered these natural disasters, a key government agency like NADMO, mandated to manage disasters by coordinating government resources among others to respond effectively to disasters to improve livelihood and reduce poverty, would only visit affected communities to assess the situation without giving victims relief items.
She said similarly, the Assembly, the chief representative of the Central Government mandated to see to the wellbeing of people, would not offer any support to victims.
“Government has collapsed NADMO and the local government. That is why we see this disturbing situation of floods in homes, collapsed buildings and the sea causing destruction to properties with people severely affected but we don’t see NADMO and the Assembly doing anything.”
Some Assembly members who spoke to Ghana News Agency (GNA) thanked the MP and the former President for being concerned about their plight and urged other benevolent individuals and groups to come to their aid to reduce their suffering saying, hundreds had been affected.
Ms Faustina Elikplim Korwu, Assembly member for Avoeme West said; “We’re very grateful for these items. When it happened, we didn’t know where to turn to for help. We called on the Assembly, the NADMO, but no help came. It was very frustrating.”
“We’re likely to get into trouble sharing these items because in my area alone, 278 people are homeless. So, who will take and who will not take? We appeal for more support including Wellington boots because the floods are still here in the Agbozume suburbs,” Mr Gilbert Kwaku Nuwoku, Assemblyman for Ahorkpoe Electoral Area said.
Ms Forgive Amedi, a lactating mother, said the flooding situation was becoming unbearable for her, noting that apart from hustling to sleep (because she lost her home to the floods), she still had to care for her little child.
“I’m only praying that I can also benefit from this because the flood victims are many,” she told the GNA.
