“We require resources not a state of emergency”

A Deputy Minister of Information, Fatimatu Abubakari, says the government does not require a state of emergency to provide support for the Akosombo Dam spillage flooding victims, but requires dedication, competence and resources to rehabilitate the people.

In her view, the call for the declaration of emergency is not the only available option for the government can use to mobilise support from the international communities for the victims of the Akosombo dam spillage.

In an interview on GBC, Madam Abubakari explained that Ghana by its membership to the West Africa Climate Programme and other international organisation programme is entitled to V20 Loss and Damage funds, among other international organisations programmes, whether a state of emergency or not.

“In fact, the UN country representative and his delegation I saw them on grounds making donations and other things they have done independent assessments of World Health Organisation all of them so in terms of resources and where we are supposed to get their resources, the government is already working on,” she noted.

She pointed out that, given the level of contamination of water within affected areas, the Water Resources Commission, the Water Research Institute and the Hydrological Authority had visited the places to take samples of the water for testing.

“They will still have to stay away from the water resources within the communities and rely on the water tanks for the time being while every effort has been made to support during these moments,” she said.

Madam Abubakari explained that the Inter-Ministerial committee was working with dispatch because they know that the people must be quickly resettled to ensure that the schools are accessible to the students in the areas.

Rebuttal

The Deputy Minister dismissed claims that the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) had failed to give the affected residents before the spillage adding that claims that no sensitization and information is not a true representation of the information.

According to her, the Ghana Navy has established some two command centres in the area to save lives and property in the affected area.

She said before the spillage, there was a strategy but the government was oblivious to the volume of water that was going to be spilled, she was also quick to add that rainfalls within the area had exacerbated the plight of the people.

“When it comes to the houses, the Ministry of Works and Housing, the district planners, and engineers have been working together, the inter-ministerial committee has tasked the Ministry to get people to go on the ground to do assessments on whether the people should be relocated or resettled,” she added.

She further disclosed that the Ministry of Health has commenced an assessment of some five hospitals in communities that were affected by the flooding after the water had gone down and the Ministry of Education was also doing same.

“Ministry of Education is doing assessment conducting assessment of their facilities which are schools in the affected areas, those assessments are to advise them as to how they’re going to quickly clean up see if their buildings have integrity what needs to be replaced,” she said.

Madam Abubakari commended the individuals, government officials, and non-governmental organisations as well as the civil society organisations for their immense support and for reaching out to victims.