The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has vowed to ensure that every victim of the Kpong/Akosombo dams disaster receives full compensation.
This is after the disaster, which occurred in September 2023, rendered some 30,000 people homeless while properties worth millions of Ghana cedis were destroyed.
Mr. Ablakwa made this commitment during the grand durbar of the 68th Aƒenorto festival of the Chiefs and people of Mepe in the North Tongu district.
The event, held in the Mepe Traditional Area, was a moment of reflection and resilience, as the Mepe community celebrated under the theme, "Rebuilding and Sustainability of Mepe, Post Akosombo Dam Flood Disaster.”
Addressing the crowd, the outspoken lawmaker said government must also fast-track the handing over of its housing projects to help those living in tents till date.
“I want to remind Government, that since the disaster, we are still waiting for government to deliver on their housing projects to take care of those who are still in the tents.
"We are waiting for the VRA to compensate all the victims of the disaster and as your Member of Parliament, I am not going to rest until every victim is compensated, no VRA spillage victim will be left behind. Everybody deserves compensation,” Mr. Ablakwa stated.
Following the ceremony, the MP donated some medical equipment worth US$1.2 million to the newly constructed health centre at Mepe.
The donation, made on his birthday, included a 40-foot shipping container filled with essential medical equipment and supplies such as anesthesia machines, ECG/EKG machines, ultrasound machines, an endoscopy tower, an x-ray machine, infant incubators and warmers.
It also included autoclaves, defibrillators, a lab freezer, CPAP machines, labour and delivery beds, OR lights, suction machines, patient monitors, an oxygen system, pulse oximeters, surgery tables, vaccine storage refrigerators, wheelchairs, sphygmomanometers, and more.
The health centre’s construction and equipment provision are part of Mr. Ablakwa’s broader efforts to rebuild and support the North Tongu community after the devastating spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams last year, which displaced many residents.
Credit: Najat Adamu