VOLTA REGION – In a move to mitigate the devastation caused by the Akosombo Dam spillage, Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of Asogli, has donated GHC 100,000 to three of the hardest-hit districts in the Volta Region.
According to a new release by the Ghana News Agency, the financial support was given to Central, North, and South Tongu districts on behalf of the Asogli State. The donation followed a visit to the affected communities in the region, where he acknowledged the resilience of residents. About 26,000 people in approximately 10 districts downstream in the Volta Region have been displaced by the controlled spillage from the Akosombo Dam.
The Agbogbomefia stressed that the calamity was preventable and could have been managed better to minimize damage. He pointed out that the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the Government should bear responsibility for the disaster and called for lessons to be learned to avoid similar events in the future.
He also recognized the contributions of corporate entities and individuals who have donated relief items and urged for more support from other organizations to comprehensively address the crisis.
The Members of Parliament for Central, South, and North Tongu praised Togbe Afede for the timely support, noting that the Volta Region has seen a significant loss of land due to tidal waves and the spillage. Wisdom Kobena Woyome, the MP for South Tongu, mentioned that the region is “shrinking in size” with the loss of many coastal hotels, resorts, and other hospitality facilities.
Togbui Kwasinyi Kakaklolo Agyeman IV, Chief of Adidome, emphasized the need for a well-structured disaster management fund, particularly since the lower Volta had made sacrifices for Ghana’s electrification. He insisted that such a fund would enable more efficient relief efforts and called for unity among the chiefs through the crisis.
Togbe Afede was accompanied by chiefs and queens of the Asogli State during his visit to holding centers for the displaced, where he commiserated with those affected by the disaster.