A group of civil society organisations have asked President Akufo-Addo to relocate victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage to the abandoned Saglemi Housing Project. 

CSOs under the umbrella of the Alliance of Feminists Civil Societies Organisations (AFCSOs) are demanding immediate consideration of their plea. 

The group in a press statement issued on Wednesday, October 18, said the fundamental human rights of the affected persons must be considered. 

“The AFCSOs is calling on His Excellency the President of the republic as a matter of urgency to consider relocating flood victims to Saglemi Housing Project while awaiting finality to be brought to this critical issue.”

“We call on the government, as a matter of urgency, to provide flood victims decent accommodation by relocating them to Saglemi housing project as the right to shelter is a fundamental human right while other interventions are being provided for them.”

The CSOs added that adequate compensation should be given to the victims as well. 

It concluded that “we urge the government to prepare adequate compensation for the victims to help minimize the impact of the flood especially the women and children as they would eventually be most affected in these areas.”

There is a rallying cry for help to be sent to communities along the Volta Basin that have been affected by the spillage from the Akosombo Dam.

Areas such as Anloga, Sogakope, and Mepe, among others, have been submerged by floodwaters, displacing thousands.

This is a result of the controlled spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong dams by the Volta River Authority (VRA) due to the rising levels of the Volta Lake.

Over the past week, the situation has worsened, with the government and various stakeholders mobilising relief items to ameliorate the plight of the displaced victims.

Already, the Electricity Company of Ghana and the Ghana Water Company Limited both cut services to the affected areas, the former for safety, and the latter for health concerns as the floods have also submerged its pumps and also overrun toilets.