Sod cut for new houses

-For flood victims of Akosombo Dam Spillage

The Ministry of Works and Housing, has commenced the construction of resettlement housing units for Akosombo Dam Spillage flood victims in the North and Central Tongu Districts of the Volta Region.

This comes on the heels of a comprehensive needs assessment conducted by the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA), the Survey and Mapping Division of the Lands Commission together with the District Assemblies to provide essential data to inform the resettlement process.

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.

Minister for Works and Housing Mr. Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah,  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.

He emphasized government’s unwavering commitment to addressing the plight of the displaced individuals.

“Government acknowledges the profound impact of the Akosombo dam spillage on communities and households and it’s In light of this that a needs assessment was commissioned to assess the situation and propose the best way possible to resettle affected persons.

“Today, we came here to validate and conclude on the data. The contractors that we have assigned to start the resettlement and construction of housing units will be here to start the process of construction.

“In the coming weeks, more of our officers from the Housing Department of the Ministry and in particular the District Housing Units with other contractors and consultants will be here to continue the work that has been started,” the Minister said.

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.

First batch of 100 housing units

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.

The Minister urged local chiefs and communities to support the resettlement efforts.

He specifically appealed to the Traditional Council to provide additional freehold lands to facilitate the construction of housing units for the displaced victims.

Regional Minister reiterates govt commitment

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.

Mankralo of Mepe expresses gratitude

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.

DCEs pledge support

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.

Present at the groundbreaking ceremonies were regional and district officials, including, District NADMO Director, Ivy Amewuga, Central Tongu DCE, Thomas Moore as well as Chiefs and other well-known dignitaries.