By Benjamin Makafui Attipoe, Battor-Dugame
The Manklalo of the Battor Traditional Area in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region, Togbe Hevi Borbordzi VII, has commended the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, not only for his sterling leadership qualities, but also for his vision, commitment and sacrifices towards the development of the North Tongu constituency. According to the traditional ruler, the contribution of the North Tongu lawmaker to fighting for the just course of his constituents, cannot be over-emphasized.
Togbe Hevi Borbordzi VII, made the commendation in an interview with our newsteam at Battor over the weekend.
This was when our newsteam paid a working visit to the area to assess the disaster situation in the district one year on, after the Akosombo and Kpong dams spillage which caused extensive damage or havoc to property and the livelihoods of the thousands of citizens and residents of Mepe and its other sister communities in the constituency.
The Battor Manklalo, described the MP as a lawmaker, who has vision, passion, love and concern for his constituency in particular and Ghana as a whole. According to him, Mr Ablakwa’s sterling leadership qualities are unmatched, adding that, his oversight parliamentary duties as Chairman of the Parliamentary Assurance Committee (PAC) as well as the many recent corruption exposes he has revealed in recent times, are there for all to see.
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On the Akosombo and Kpong dams spillage and its effects on the people of Mepe in particular and the district at large, Togbe Hevi Borbordzi VII, noted that the disaster was not only devastating but also very unfortunate, considering the fact that up till today, several hundreds of the disaster victims are still living in tents at areas such as Mepe Degorme, one year down the lane.
While commending Mr Ablakwa for his intervention and residential facility support to the victims in collaboration with some partners and stakeholders of the society, Togbe Hevi Borbordzi also renewed his appeal to government to expedite work on the construction of the proposed housing units in some six (6) affected communities, aimed at providing decent accommodation facilities to victims whose buildings were completely destroyed by the floods.
The Battor Manklalo urged the North Tongu MP, not to rest on his oars but instead continue to push harder for the development of the constituency.
He pledged his support to the MP in his efforts to uplift the image of the district, urging the citizens of the constituency to further reward him in the December elections in order to do much more for them.
He regretted that government has not done much for the disaster victims in the area, lamenting that but for MP Okudzeto Ablakwa, Corporate Ghana, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Religious and Church Organizations, individuals and institutions and indeed all Ghanaians who supported the victims in various ways with relief items in addition to cash donations, the disaster victims in Tongu and other parts of the Volta Region would have suffered the more.
Togbe Hevi Borbordzi, urged government to show greater leadership by rededicating and recommitting itself to addressing the needs and concerns of all the victims of the disaster.
At the Mepe Degorme Camp Two (2) for instance, ninety-two (92) households culminating into Two Hundred and Thirty-Seven (237) individuals are still living in the Volta River Authority (VRA) constructed tents.
The Camp Leader, Ms. Sophia Abbah, told our newsteam in an interview that the situation is very frustrating. According to her, heat and congestion in the tents, water challenges, food shortages and lack of medication, just to mention a few, continue to be their major headaches in the camp.
The situation is not different at Mepe Degorme Camp One (1) where more than Two Hundred (200) victims are also being housed.
