In an unannounced visit to the areas affected by the recent Akosombo Dam spillage, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has reaffirmed government’s commitment to the welfare of the victims and expressed a deep sense of unity and care for the affected communities.
Mr. Ofori-Atta’s visit to the affected areas of the Volta Region on Friday, October 27, 2023, was to first, commiserate with the victims and assure them that their welfare was topmost on the government’s agenda. The visit was also to gather first-hand information on the nature of the damage and ensure that the flood victims were receiving the support they needed to rebuild their lives.
The Finance Minister was accompanied by over sixty staff members of the Ministry of Finance, a group strength that was second only to the visit of the President’s delegation last week. The visit began in Bator in the North Tongu District, where Mr Ofori-Atta received a briefing from the District Chief Executive (DCE), Divine Osborn Fenu and National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) Director General, Nana Agyeman-Prempeh.
“Our objective in coming here is to have a firsthand assessment of your needs in order to mobilize adequate resources to respond to the situation and ensure that your livelihoods are restored. Today, working with the Volta River Authority (VRA), we are donating food items, medical supplies, and other relief packages to affected communities,” Mr Ofori -Atta stated.
On government coordination of relief efforts, Mr Ofori-Atta further assured residents, “We will continue to work with the relevant agencies to make sure our people and our communities are taken care of today and guaranteed sustainable safety in the future.”
The relief items donated totaled GHC2 million , additional to which staff of the Ministry of Finance, personally donated another GHC 50,000 worth of relief goods.
Mr Ofori-Atta assured the gathering of government’s dedication to assessing the needs of the affected communities, mobilizing essential resources, and facilitating the restoration of livelihoods. He stressed that the government would continue working with relevant agencies to ensure the well-being of the affected communities, both in the present and for the long term.
The second stop on the visit was the St. Kizito Safe Haven in Mepe, where Mr. Ofori-Atta engaged with Chiefs and residents who had been displaced due to the spillage. The Minister was warmly received at St Kizito’s by the traditional leaders, community leaders, District Chief Executive, NADMO officials, and Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for South Tongu.
In his remarks, Mr. Ofori-Atta applauded the spontaneous response of Ghanaians to the situation, highlighting the unity and compassion of the nation. He stressed that the government’s focus went beyond economic recovery to reflect the unchanging priority of saving lives first, and then restoring restoring livelihoods.
He assured the flood victims that the government was actively collaborating with District Assemblies to provide relief, ensuring the provision of essential resources such as food, water, and medical care.
The Finance Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to taking practical and meaningful steps to support the affected communities in their recovery process.
Finally, he highlighted the importance of climate policy and financing to help address the long-term effects of climate change on victims of drought, flooding, and other adverse weather events.
Mr Okudzeto Ablakwa on behalf of the people, thanked the Minister and the Ministry of Finance for their concern and generosity. He, however, went on to indicate that there remained a lot to be done, sharing his hopes for a provision in the 2024 Economic Policy and Budget Statement to help rehabilitate the flood victims.
Mr Ofori-Atta concluded in an interview with journalists, that the journey from Accra had been made by staff of the Ministry of Finance to visit those affected by the flooding in the Volta basin, whom they considered family. He reiterated their deep empathy and continued by stating that while the government had already assisted the victims, more support would be allocated in next year’s budget.
He pledged
“We have mobilized a few things … to share but I think we are also in the budget season and therefore it will not just be numbers that we are working on but true feelings in the field and therefore the need to look at these social interventions in a real way. We will certainly give expression to this immediately, and also in the budget.”
