Ghana Armed Forces Refutes Claims of Withdrawal from Flood Relief Operations in Mepe

ACCRA – The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has publicly rejected claims that its personnel, who were deployed to Mepe in the Volta Region to provide humanitarian aid after the spillage of the Akosombo Dam, have been pulled out. The military says these reports, circulating on both social and traditional media, are not accurate.

According to a new release by the Ghana News Agency, the statement from GAF clarified that while some personnel and equipment from Mepe were moved to other communities in distress, such as Bator, the moves were due to the situation at Mepe having been largely controlled as of Sunday, October 22, 2022. The statement, signed by Naval Captain Michael Addo Larbi for the Director General, Department of Public Relations, also emphasized that military personnel are still actively engaged in relief operations in several affected areas, including Mepe, Battor, Sogakope, Adidome, Aveyime, New Bakpa, Big Ada, and Ada Foah.

The military’s humanitarian efforts, jointly conducted by the Ghana Navy’s Riverine Command and the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Army under the banner of ‘Operation Boafo,’ have rescued 12,000 people since beginning on Friday, October 13. The teams are equipped with 10 naval boats and four engineer assault boats. The statement further revealed that Emergency Operation Centres have been established in partnership with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to coordinate all activities.

The clarification came after Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, alleged in a social media post that military personnel in Mepe had been withdrawn by an unidentified authority. Ablakwa said such a move would impede the delivery of relief items and medicines to community members and called on the GAF to maintain its presence in Mepe.