Akosombo dam spillage: Declare state of emergency now – Ablakwa to Akufo-Addo

The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has reiterated calls for the government to declare a state of emergency to draw the necessary attention to residents affected by the spillage of the Akosombo Dam.

Over 12,000 people have been displaced by the spillage of the dam, which commenced last month.

Various institutions have called on the government to attach urgency to the situation.

Providing an update on the flooding situation in the North Tongu Constituency, Ablakwa, whose constituency is one of the most affected areas, bemoaned the government’s posture towards the current situation.

He said in an interview on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Tuesday that declaring a state of emergency was critical because “it will then make resources available. Everybody is going to sit up because so far it’s been a very lethargic approach by leadership, very lackadaisical. You don’t get the sense that there is real mobilization. So that declaration is going to jolt people out of slumber and everybody is going to get to work.”

Mr Ablakwa explained that “we need an all hands-on deck approach. And so far NADMO appears to be struggling… This requires urgency and we are getting frustrated.”

The legislator also noted that he has picked up information that other countries are willing to step in to support Ghana only if the President declares a state of emergency in the affected areas.