Ketu South tidal waves victims reject relief items, demand a permanent solution
Some affected residents of the tidal waves in some parts of the Ketu South Municipality are yet to receive their relief items because they rejected the initial one.
From the National Disaster Management Organizations’ accounts of events, they tried to count the victims and also enquire from them about what they needed but the affected persons outrightly told NADMO they rather needed a permanent solution to the issue and not relief items.
It has been five days since the tidal waves struck the area, but no relief items had reached the victims because the municipal and regional offices of the NADMO did not have any relief items in stock for the victims.
Mr Maxwell Lugudor, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ketu South said that they were waiting for the Volta Regional NADMO office to supply them with relief items.
Volta Regional NADMO Director, Ivy Amewugah Mawufemor, in response to the situation on the ground, said “it is true the items are yet to get to the victims”.
“They said they are not ready to receive rice and oil. They want a permanent solution to the problem, so we found it difficult to send letters to the headquarters to release items.”
Madam Amewugah Mawufemor continued: “We cannot place a request to the headquarters [NADMO] without figures so we needed to ascertain their needs before we place a call.
“We are working on relief items. We liaised with the headquarters and we are hoping to get something from them very soon but for now, we are yet to receive the relief item from the headquarters.”
The Director added that NADMO officials were able to convince the victims to accept the relief items while efforts are being made to respond to their demands.
“They have now agreed to accept the relief items but they told us point blank that they are tired of rice and oil because this thing happened four months ago. It has been the normal thing that when it happens, they receive such items. They now want a permanent solution which is sea defence. This is what they told our men on the ground, that anytime they suffer to get something, the rain will come and wash them away.”
