The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has advised the government to declare that Ghana is in crisis if it cannot meet the relief needs of the Akosombo Dam spillage flood victims.

He believes the international community learning of the plight would extend humanitarian support to the over 26,000 citizens affected by the floods.

Mr. Nketiah was speaking at a short ceremony where his party donated relief items to flood victims in 11 affected districts in the Volta and Eastern Regions.

“I am calling on the government, we have as a nation found reasons to go and donate to other countries that have found themselves in a crisis like this. We know the nature of our financial situation now. If we think that the required relief will be beyond us as Ghanaians, let us swallow our pride and then declare to the international community that Ghana is in crisis and whoever is our friend can come and help us”, he said.

He, however, blamed the “calamitous flood” caused by the spillage on the negligence of officials of the Volta River Authority, indicating the flooding incident could have been avoided if the Authority had been vigilant and done due diligence.

“If we are doing our work well as scientists, we should know that when there is heavy rainfall and the water is entering the rivers flowing into the dam, we should know that within some one month, the effects should be calculated and preventive actions should be taken.

This is not the first time the dam has been opened for water to spill. We must ask, how come that in all the previous years that we have had calls to spill water, the effects have not been this devastating?”, Mr. Nketia quizzed.

He, however, commiserated with the affected residents and was grateful no lives were lost since the spillage started on 15th September 2023, leading to floods that submerged hundreds of home along the lower Volta.

He called on institutions and individuals to extend helping hands to the victims to enable them to survive these hard times.

The items donated by the NDC included 2,000 bags of rice, 500 cartons of cooking oil, 500 cartons of tinned tomatoes, 500 tinned fish, and 1000 packs of sachet water.

The items worth GhC1.5 million will be distributed to victims in the North Tongu, South Tongu, Central Tongu, Anlo, Keta, Ketu South, Kpando, North Dayi, South Dayi, Afadzato South, and Asugyaman Districts.