Togbe Komla Sakpiti V, the Dufia of Bakpa Awadiwoekome, has expressed his frustration with the Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, over what he perceives as unfulfilled promises and continued delays in the reconstruction efforts aimed at assisting victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage.
In an interview on November 10 with Jude Duncan and Eno Safo on Sunday Breakfast on Channel One TV, Togbe Sakpiti V expressed the mounting exasperation felt by himself and his community.
He conveyed a sense of disappointment, emphasising that numerous assurances made by government officials, particularly by Oppong Nkrumah, have yet to materialise into concrete action.
The Chief revealed that consultants visited some of the affected sites the previous week, providing yet another commitment that reconstruction efforts would commence immediately. However, despite these assurances, no visible progress has been made.
Togbe Komla Sakpiti V underscored that while the site was inspected and plans discussed, the lack of follow-through on promised actions has left the community disillusioned and feeling neglected.
“One year on, we are just listening to people saying on their lips they are coming to do this, they are doing this and all that all over the media most especially the Minister of Works and Housing, my very good friend, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah who I may say I am a bit disappointed in him.
“I can confidently tell you that last week, the consultants were at the site. They promised me that they would come to clear the site and all that. But still, nothing has been going on there and it is rather unfortunate.”
Togbe Sakpiti V noted that this prolonged delay and lack of action exacerbate the suffering of the Bakpa Awadiwoekome people and others along the Lower Volta Basin.
The controlled spillage of the Akosombo Dam, which began on September 15, 2023, caused extensive flooding, displacing families, damaging homes, and disrupting lives in communities along the Lower Volta Basin.
The continuous inaction, the chief suggests, only deepens the hardship already imposed by this environmental crisis.
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