Ketu South: Tidal Wave Victims Demand Absolute Solution To Menace

Victims of the recent tidal wave incident that hit some communities along the Keta lagoon in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta region are threatening to reject any form of relief items government may send to them. Communities such as Agavedzi, Salakope and Amutinu were ravaged by the sea on Saturday night destroying

about 85 houses and left 361 persons displaced. But initial reports from the officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation NADMO indicated that the victims had refused to co-operate with them as they went about collating data in preparation towards the provision of relief items. This has further been confirmed

by the victims when visited on Friday. A resident, Midawo Agbokpa said, they should build the sea defence wall for us. We have also been promised some temporal accommodation, we are appealing to the government to do that for us so we can at least have a place to lay our heads; that is what we need not food. The victims are

rather demanding an absolute solution to the menace. We are rather pleading that the sea defence wall is built to protect us. That is what we need and that’s what we want, as for food we can always find something to eat, another resident, Alugba Goka said. In 2021 alone, these areas suffered about seven severe sea wave

destructions that destroyed many houses, and leaving thousands of residents also displaced. But calls for the continuation of the Phase II of the Keta Sea Defence project only received promises from government, with deadlines that passed without any action. Life here is full of uncertainties since no one knows when the sea will

come stealing from the residents again, now that the rains have started. A raging young man, Elo Blebu whose home have also been destroyed by the sea said, We are the ones suffering, we don’t need rice or corn or any kind of food from NADMO. We don’t even expect them to come with anything like that. What we need is the sea

defence project. Assemblyman for the Salakope-Amutinu Electoral Area, Sylvester Kumawu explained that the threat by the victims to reject any food items government send is to send a clear signal to government. He noted that government also appears to be insensitive and then unconcerned about the happenings along the Keta lagoon. Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive for the

area, Maxwell Kofi Lugudor has announced plans for the construction of some 110 houses on a 37 acre land on the lagoon side for the victims. According to him, the project would be funded by the offices of the First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo and the Second Lady, Mrs. Samira Bawumia with some 30 of the houses expected to be completed within the next three months.