Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey, Member of Parliament (MP) for Keta, has denied charges that MPs along the coast are not doing enough to secure help for their constituents.
Since the Akosombo Dam overflow, the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has been praised for leading relief operations to Mepe, the epicentre of the floodwaters.
However, as the flood levels recede towards the sea, towns further down the Volta River are facing the brunt of the spillage. Tidal waves have already wreaked havoc on some villages.
Mr. Gakpey addressed this in an interview with Citi News.
“Initially when the disaster struck, Mepe was the epicentre… So when you use such videos, the emotional appeal will attract people to their aid. But at the end of the day, it is not just North Tongu; ten constituencies in the Volta region have been affected.”
“It’s not like we’re not advocating, but because of the emotional videos being used in that community, it’s drawing a lot of people to Mepe. But when you go to Keta, the situation is even worse.”
The Keta MP also remarked that for the previous three years, MPs along the coast have advocated for long-term solutions to the situation.
As a result, he urged the government to speed up the approval of the World Bank’s $150 million West Africa Coastal Areas Management (WACA) project in order to give long-term solutions for their constituency.
“We’ve been advocating for this sea defense project to continue for three years now. As I speak to you, the government is reluctant, and nothing is happening. So we’re calling on the government to take a genuine interest in the WACA project.”
“The World Bank has provided funding to Benin, Senegal, and Togo to enable them to carry out the sea defense project and reclaim a lot of land. That’s what the government needs to do as well. The World Bank has earmarked funds for us to access as a loan, and this loan will take 30 years before we start repaying it. So if the government is committed, it should use its political will to access this funding,” he said.
