The Volta Regional Secretariat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has debunked claims by President Akufo-Addo that his government has completed a coastal fish landing site in Keta in the region.

President Akufo-Addo, in the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Tuesday said his government has completed 12 coastal fish landing sites in Axim and Dixcove in the Western Region; Moree, Mumford, Winneba, Senya Beraku, Gomoa Fetteh, Otuam, and Mfantseman in the Central Region; Teshie and Osu in the Greater Accra Region; and Keta in the Volta Region.

However, in a press release on February 29, the Regional Communications Officer of the party, Sorkpa Kafui Agbleze, denied the claim and urged the President to perform due diligence, as the said facility was non-existent.

“What is equally displeasing is the President's mention of a non-existent project like the Keta Fish Landing Site on page 22 of his presentation. We want to once again put on record that there is no such project in Keta or any other place in the Volta Region.

“The President should learn to insulate himself from always being misled by doing due diligence in getting accurate information on such crucial matters,” portions of the statement read.

Additionally, in the statement, the secretariat expressed its displeasure at the President’s deliberate omission of the compensation of flood victims amidst the dire plights they had to endure.

The statement added that the floods exacerbated the plight of countless families and individuals living in the area; therefore, at the very least, they expected the President to address their concerns.

“The people were actually expecting to hear something about the disbursement of the GH¢220 million allocated in the 2024 Budget to support the affected communities, the funds from the World Bank under the IDA Crisis Response Window (CRW) to support the resettlement of the victims, restoration of livelihoods, compensation and reconstruction of infrastructure in the affected communities,” he said.

Further, the group said the President's silence on their plight has forced the victims of the flood to interpret it as a "deliberate lack of empathy and commitment to the well-being of these countrymen."

The Secretariat appealed to President Akufo-Addo to prioritise the concerns of victims and compensate them.

“The Volta NDC strongly requests the President to urgently address this issue and prioritise the needs of those affected by the flood disaster and tidal waves. We demand immediate action to provide relief aid, rehabilitate affected communities, and implement sustainable measures to prevent future occurrences,” the statement added.