Flooding in Mepe: Over 1000 houses submerged leaving residents frustrated and homeless | The Big Stories
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Residents who are currently being housed in the various schools in Mephi and its adjoining
00:08 community are still battling with a lot of issues that need to be urgently addressed
00:16 by the relevant authorities as they keep hope alive.
00:20 At the St Kizito School and the Roman Catholic School, where one can only go by crossing
00:29 the flood water, women were seen cooking for their families while the men went about transporting
00:39 items to their safe havens.
00:42 Some of them have been speaking with Joy News.
00:46 I am Joy, I am from Mephi.
00:49 I am a housewife.
00:50 I am from Mephi.
00:51 I am a mother and I am living in a house in Shema.
00:57 I am a housewife.
01:00 I am a housewife.
01:03 I am a housewife.
01:06 Here I am hosting almost 20 households.
01:10 And in each household, people in one household is averagely, I can say, six in each household.
01:19 So when you want to take a creditor, meaning about five to six households are in one room,
01:28 those who are sleeping outside are not part of it.
01:32 So today we pray to God, the army came for one intervention, that they were putting up
01:36 their tents so that some of the people can be sleeping in.
01:40 The people are greatly affected.
01:43 Food to eat, water to drink, because the water has been polluted.
01:48 All the toilet facilities are taking water.
01:51 So you can see, the refugees are all taking.
01:55 So the people cannot get water to drink.
01:57 If you bring a thousand bags of such water, it will get finished.
02:03 No water, no food.
02:05 We want them to have.
02:06 And we are not asking for already cooked food.
02:10 That you bring the food at them, the people will cook it.
02:14 We are providing food in, how do we call it, takeaway, and asking two people to take one.
02:22 It's nice, but if they provide the food, the people, rice, oil, the people can cook it
02:27 themselves.
02:28 Now we decided to visit other schools where the affected residents are putting up with
02:35 their families in the night, just to assess the real situation on the ground.
02:42 And what we saw was really terrible and very sad.
02:48 Let's hear from them.
02:49 I was in the hospital for four days.
02:52 I was in the hospital for four days.
02:55 I was in the hospital for four days.
02:58 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:01 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:04 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:07 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:10 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:13 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:16 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:19 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:22 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:25 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:28 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:31 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:34 I was in the hospital for four days.
03:37 So, you know, accommodation for people has become so difficult that I have to leave my
03:47 shop for colleagues to also relax, since they have no place to sleep.
03:58 So, for the past three days, they have been sleeping here.
04:03 And work too is now halt.
04:06 Work is too much coming because of the submerged houses.
04:10 ECG thought it wise to put off the lights for safety reasons.
04:15 So, we are asking that governments should come to our aid so that they can put things
04:21 in place for us to get back to our old time.
04:26 With the latrine submerged, sanitary conditions are fast getting worse and the fear of
04:35 outbreaks is palpable.
04:38 Stella Akumajo is the Volta Regional Environmental Health Officer.
04:44 Environmental Health Officer Volta Region, we came to assess the situation in North
04:49 Industry, precisely in the sector.
04:52 We came to where they said is the safe haven.
04:56 And so I asked to look at the toilets.
05:00 If you see what I saw, very terrible.
05:04 Even the path leading to the toilet is overgrown with weeds and it will not encourage anybody
05:11 to pass through.
05:12 We are asking all well-meaning Ghanaians, our development partners, to come to the aid
05:18 of people in the affected districts.
05:21 We can arrange for mobile toilets for them.
05:24 We can also arrange for digni-loo or any type of toilet that is safe, convenient.
05:31 Because if we don't do this, I fear that in the very near future, we'll be recording
05:37 outbreaks of diarrheal diseases, which also will be another disaster.
05:42 Now this is the only thing I have.
05:44 My cooking utensils, everything got drawn.
05:47 Even our roofing sheet, it's very small for the roofing sheet to start showing.
05:51 You can't even see the roofing sheet again.
05:53 So we are pleading.
05:54 Even our school fees, we don't have anything.
05:57 The small that we have, that we use to support ourselves to finish.
06:01 So we are calling on the government to come to our aid.
06:04 Otherwise, we don't know where to start and where to end it.
06:07 So you've been here for how many days?
06:09 A month now.
06:10 I mean, the situation that happened, they brought you to this school?
06:13 Four days.
06:14 Four days now.
06:15 Tell us the experience here.
06:17 Oh.
06:18 Place to bathe, I mean, where to poo-poo.
06:21 They're bathing there.
06:22 I can't remember the last time.
06:23 Since the thing has started, I've never bathed.
06:26 Hmm.
06:27 Because there's no way you fetch the water to bathe.
06:31 Even the water that you can't even fetch, not to talk of bathing.
06:34 That's the whole thing.
06:37 And some of the ladies, they are in their menses.
06:39 And how they would bathe, change themselves, nothing.
06:42 They can't do anything.
06:43 So maybe they'll be in one part.
06:45 As I'm talking to you, Nnami, myself, I'm also a victim.
06:49 Thank you.
06:50 So share with us the fact that you are sharing the same room with different people that you don't know.
06:57 Cross infection and all that.
06:58 Because of how the flood is moving, when you hear that it's somewhere here, you need to move to the other side.
07:04 If it is here, you have to move to party B.
07:06 We are just running, just to save our lives.
07:09 Okay.
07:10 As I'm talking to you now, over 70 people have been affected.
07:15 There's nowhere to cook.
07:20 The community, especially the cemetery sites, the toilets, they haven't been submerged.
07:25 So it affects the water entirely.
07:29 So now when they bring food items like this, where to put those things becomes a problem.
07:33 So we want government to set the rules, hot meals, thrice in a day.
07:40 For sure, the spirit is continuous.
07:42 So we don't know where it will land us.
07:45 So we know there is an affordable house at Tupole over there.
07:48 It is better the government convey everyone over here to a safer place there, so that we can stay there for a while.
07:55 When this problem is over, we can come back to resettle over here.
08:00 This is what we are demanding the government to do for us.
08:03 Come and convey everybody, take to Tupole, the affordable house over there, for us to stay there and then live comfortably.
08:10 The impact of the dam spill is quite adverse over here at the lower water.
08:17 We are already collaborating with NADBU to bring some relief items.
08:22 But what you are seeing now, we seek to intensify our humanitarian efforts to bring in more relief items.
08:28 So that is what you are seeing here.
08:30 So basically we are targeting nine districts in all.
08:34 We joined NADBU to donate the first batch of items at Central Tong, that is Adidome.
08:41 We are here now at North Tong and we will be looking at the other districts.
08:45 So basically we have food items like rice, mackerel, and then some cooking oil.
08:54 And then sanitary things like toilet rolls, etc.
08:57 These are different items that we are sending to different areas.
09:02 I must also say that we have a water tanker in the locality.
09:06 That is supplying potable clean water to all the affected people, especially those who have been moved to the safe havens,
09:13 as well as the households who need that service.
09:18 We have promised that we are going to be with the people until this storm is over.
09:22 As I said earlier, we have already donated to NADBU to supply some relief items.
09:30 We are intensifying it, as you can see here.
09:32 So we are committed to make sure that throughout this storm,
09:36 we bring relief to the people who have been evacuated from their original homes until this flood recedes.
09:45 Well on the back of that development, we shall be connecting with Carlos Kaloni, my colleague.
09:53 He is actually touring with the team that will be going to that area again today.
10:00 Carlos, a very good morning to you. Thank you for joining the conversation.
10:03 What's the latest you can report? You've been there before. You've seen the situation.
10:07 What's the latest you can report to us on that disaster?
10:12 All right, we'll connect to Carlos Kaloni shortly.
10:19 Carlos, hold on for me. Let me bring in Amos Ahosu, who is Assemblyman for the Metha Electoral Area.
10:26 Amos, a very good morning to you, sir. Thank you for joining.
10:29 Good morning, sir.
10:31 I know these are really hard times. Paint a picture for us.
10:34 What has it been like for the members of your electoral area, your community, over these last few days?
10:40 Thanks so much for the opportunity and good morning to your cherished listeners.
10:45 Actually, the situation on the ground is not the best.
10:49 Since the flooding, homes have been submitted into the river body properties and all that.
10:57 So, some of us are seeking refuge at the state pavilion that was created by the VIA.
11:03 Some are currently there. Others are also in the town.
11:09 Others are also trapped in some of the small, small areas, small, small islands that they can find themselves.
11:15 And also, some are in campuses. Others are in Batu, Azeima, and Sege.
11:23 So, the situation on the ground is not the best.
11:26 Also, our water bodies are polluted. We can't have access to it.
11:31 When you take it, it means you contaminate yourself. A whole lot of problems.
11:35 But as the gentleman was saying, they started bringing us some relief items.
11:41 Water, water, they are trying their best.
11:45 But, you know, we still need more because there's no other alternative for us.
11:50 We can't go to farm. You know, feeding is becoming a problem.
11:54 And looking at the population of the community, they are trying their best anyway.
11:58 But we need more philanthropists to come in to make things viable.
12:02 Because the situation on the ground currently is not the best.
12:05 And I also thank God that the water, the way it started coming, has stopped for some time now.
12:12 And there's no assurance that maybe they will be spilling it again.
12:15 But, yeah, we are only praying that it shouldn't rise up at the other side so that they also spill it to us.
12:21 That is our seventh prayer now.
12:23 Right. I've also heard talk of, I mean, looking at the footage from the community, it is really sad.
12:29 All of you have had to leave.
12:31 But I've heard talk of wanting to move to the SAGLME, Affordable Housing Unit.
12:37 Have you officially communicated that to government, apart from what has been said to our cameras?
12:44 Have you officially communicated that, especially as Mr. President is coming into the area today?
12:49 We actually, as it came, the Air Force men and other bodies came yesterday.
12:54 They have commissions with our traditional council and I'm sure that request will be put before them.
13:01 So you're sure that will be communicated?
13:07 Yeah, I'm very sure that will be communicated because we were told that when things come to us, then we need to be evacuated.
13:14 You see? So let me just say, I'm sure the authorities will do that.
13:21 My traditional council will do that.
13:24 Is it also to say that some of the members of the community did not take the right precautions?
13:30 We know that this has not happened in about 50 years, this kind of, you know, destruction, the level of destruction and the flooding.
13:39 So some may have taken it for granted that it was just going to be another spillage.
13:44 Unfortunately, it has turned into this situation. What would you say to that?
13:48 We actually, the GIA have tried their best in the first place to put the signboard there, symbolizing safe haven and evacuation center.
13:58 And more so, it was 11th May that they came and did simulation exercise by creating awareness that it can happen.
14:05 In case it happens, where should be your safe haven?
14:08 You know, by the long time now, whenever the spill, it doesn't come like this.
14:12 So people just take it as normal.
14:15 When I communicate to them, they thought maybe I'm lying to them or whatever.
14:18 Even I myself, I didn't know that it would come very high this way.
14:23 We just think that it's just a normal thing.
14:26 But you see, where I bring the RAC was that, after those exercise, mounting of a signboard and a simulation exercise,
14:34 the people did not understand.
14:37 So you should forgive intensive education for them to know that what you are saying is true.
14:43 You see, we are laymen, technicalities are surrounding their work, we don't know.
14:47 So, that's why I do go to their conferences.
14:50 But you see, as human as we are, whatever I tell them, they thought maybe I'm lying and people even raise insults on me.
14:57 I just thank God today that the situation is like this and we have all seen the reality.
15:02 So next time, we have to plan towards it very well because human activity is also a factor.
15:09 And if we want to look at it in a broader perspective, the VR path, the path of the VRA, our path,
15:17 and the path of the loss of the VRA, we should stay 100 meters away.
15:21 If that is also in place, then they should assist us that even if we want to put structures close to the river,
15:28 it shouldn't be permanent structures like that we see now.
15:33 It should be a temporary one forever.
15:35 And the sand mining activity, I am not in support of it.
15:39 We should have dredged the river bank so that it will serve as a wall to us.
15:47 So after everything, we have to look at it in that angle.
15:54 Right. I'm just curious though, are you accepting any of the blame as leadership in the community?
16:00 I am told that some of your members of parliament and other leaders were on hand to engage the VRA.
16:06 You are saying that you are laying a large part of the blame at the doorstep of the VRA for not going down with the dissemination of information.
16:15 But are you as leaders in these communities also taking part of the blame?
16:20 I hear you were communicated with. What's the situation?
16:23 Yes, actually, I think that we should also take part of the blame.
16:28 But you know, the day of the stimulating exercise, we started it not long when Honorable Okwudjotwa Ablakwa called me and asked me, "Bolo, what is going on?"
16:37 And I said, "This is the exercise." And he said he has not been briefed. He's not aware of anything.
16:42 So things of that nature, if a high-powered...
16:45 Hold on, hold on. You're saying that the member of parliament for North Tong, Samuel Okwudjotwa Ablakwa,
16:51 had said that he was not in the know of any of this that was going to happen in his constituency.
16:56 Yeah, he told me point blankly that it's not known to him that there's going to be a stimulating exercise in the area.
17:03 He's telling me for the first time, when the exercise started, that people called him.
17:09 That is why he also called me to find out whether it is true or not.
17:13 So I am equally saying, if things of this nature that cannot be known to our member of parliament,
17:20 then, that's why I already stated that much awareness has not been created in terms of education.
17:28 Yeah, I may have this, but what about those women on the ground?
17:32 Honorable Okwudjotwa Ablakwa, imagine his calibre. For him not to be known...
17:40 Now, I am curious. There are two major points I want to run by you before we take leave of you.
17:49 The VRA will continue spilling. They have to continue spilling to safeguard the integrity of the Akosombudam.
17:59 But at the same time, further spillage will also mean more trouble for those downstream,
18:04 those who live along the Volta River. Are these people aware of the further spillages?
18:11 And what does this mean to them, your people?
18:15 Yeah, actually, we were told that it will continue up to three weeks.
18:20 But we don't know how it is going to be like.
18:23 So I am also of the view that if our people can adhere to it, that what they are telling us is true,
18:29 then we should all believe in. Even myself, I am living in Baton, as I speak.
18:33 If I see that the situation is getting out of hand, I may move further.
18:37 So everybody should come in. We should all listen to what they are telling us so that havoc should not be caused.
18:45 So for now, in your electoral area, does it mean that everyone has been forced to leave, evacuated?
18:53 Yeah, that is the situation on the ground. We were told that we should move to the safe haven.
18:58 Everybody should move to the safe haven, where they designated for us to live in.
19:04 If we are there and the things come to where yesterday they said, please, the health of our land.
19:10 That tells you that if that calls for evacuation, yeah, they will do their best.
19:16 In terms of the loss of property, I'm sure because most people have not been able to go back to their houses and, you know, shops and other things.
19:26 It will be difficult at this point to assess the level of destruction.
19:30 Can you give us an idea of how much people have lost in all of this?
19:34 Because if water has taken over their homes, some buildings have even collapsed.
19:39 Can you give us an idea of what destruction the cost of this?
19:42 Over a thousand buildings have been submerged, including myself.
19:45 Mine fell down before others because when the water passed through, I was very close to that area.
19:52 And within 10 minutes, my building just came down because it was just right there.
19:57 Your building has collapsed.
20:00 So, yeah, lots of houses, over a thousand. I can't quantify any statistics now.
20:06 But it has happened to thousands of properties, buildings have been submerged.
20:13 Now, what assistance really have you got so far?
20:17 The last time I heard there were calls for, I mean, rice cooking oil so that the people can even cook themselves, make some angwa more, oiled rice or something of the sort.
20:28 What has been the level of assistance that has reached these people as of this point as we speak?
20:34 Yeah, for level of assistance, it's been free. They are doing it.
20:39 But looking at the population, a lot of people are still complaining that they haven't had anything.
20:44 Others are complaining of just water. Others, foodstuff to eat is a problem.
20:49 So, yeah, others are having it. But let's just say, it's not enough.
20:55 It's not enough to accommodate the situation, I mean, the population.
21:00 So, if people can come in more, philanthropists, they should come in, organizations, NGOs, they should come in to assist us.
21:09 Mosquitoes started breeding already. There are women and there are children.
21:15 We need more mosquito nets, mosquito quills, bath tubes, all sorts of these things.
21:21 And then more sanitation-wise, when I go to the safe haven yesterday, for me, it's not going to be hygienic.
21:30 Because we need this kind of toilet, this mobile toilet, bathhouse, urina.
21:39 No, Zoom Lion needs to come in. I think this is the time. Zoom Lion needs to come in.
21:45 Just one group of people, yeah.
21:47 You say Zoom Lion needs to come in. Clarify for me again.
21:53 Yeah, very urgently.
21:57 I'm asking the need. You made mention of a need. I didn't quite catch that before you mentioned Zoom Lion.
22:02 Is there a sanitation situation there?
22:05 Yes, sanitation situation, because all our refuge dams have been filled.
22:10 Yeah, there's no place to dump, whatever.
22:12 So, if there are containers available that we can be doing, when people take whatever, they drink water, that they can dump it.
22:19 And a toilet facility is not the best for the safe haven.
22:23 Yeah, the Sanctifiedo campus is not the best. It's not the best for us.
22:27 People started defecating, opening already.
22:30 And the urina and all that, because there's no facility to contain defecation.
22:35 So, if they can come in, so we have those containers in place, yeah, that will help.
22:41 Alright, so I think I get a fair idea of what you're saying now.
22:45 So people are now resorting to open defecation and others because there are no alternatives.
22:50 In terms of dumping as well, they are facing problems.
22:54 I've also heard, just to conclude, Amos, I've also heard that some women, even those at that time of the month,
23:01 don't have access to water to have their baths, to take care of themselves.
23:07 What's the situation now? Is it any better?
23:09 Yeah, for me, it's not good.
23:12 Some of us who are working in the water, sometimes when we come out, we see issues and all that.
23:19 So I don't know why somebody has to be taking baths in this very water now.
23:26 I don't see the need.
23:29 Amos, thank you. Thank you for joining the conversation.
23:33 Amos Ahosu is Assemblyman for the Mepa electoral area.
23:38 Also on the conversation we have Carlos Kaloni.
23:42 He's been on the ground. He went sometime last week with the VRA on site,
23:47 saw part of what had happened.
23:49 Carlos, if you can hear me, what is the latest you can report?
23:52 Today you are en route. You're going to be in that community one more time.
23:57 But what is the latest you can report to us on the plight of the residents there?
24:03 All right. So the latest is that the VRA has deployed a number of teams who are currently on their way to the affected communities.
24:13 I mean, one of those vehicles going to the community.
24:18 We also understand that engineers are currently on board a chopper assessing the situation from the air.
24:27 And we also understand that an inter-ministerial committee will be visiting affected areas.
24:37 Hello, Carlos. Well, Carlos Kaloni, they're interacting with us, unfortunately, in that part of the country.
24:59 He's experiencing some connectivity challenges. But in your shot,
25:03 you can see that trees uprooted, buildings hurled to the ground and basically water taking over entire communities.
25:13 You can only imagine the devastation, level of devastation, the level of, you know,
25:19 the amount of property that will be lost in this entire debacle.
25:24 And that is what has happened on the back of the spillage of the Akosumbudang,
25:28 which has literally taken over entire communities, forcing everyone out.
25:34 We were just interacting with the assemblyman for the Mepaf electoral area.
25:39 And for him, his building collapsed in just a short while after the flooding.
25:44 His together with many others, thousands of people have had to get out of the area, be evacuated.
25:53 And those are shots you see from there. We have Carlos Kaloni back connecting with us via phone.
26:00 Carlos, you were making a point. Yes. So I'll say that we understand the president is currently on board a chopper,
26:07 affecting the situation from the air as the VRA has also deployed a number of teams across all the affected areas,
26:15 including Mepaf, Saskong and all those areas. Concerns have been raised by those who have been affected
26:23 with regards to the situation at the various safe havens.
26:28 But I can say for a fact that the VRA has been forthcoming with relief items.
26:34 Last week, they donated a number of items to the victims.
26:38 And we understand that yesterday, officials of the VRA were in those affected communities.
26:45 And as well as this morning, some arrangements have been made to actually bring some relief to the people who have been affected in this community.
26:54 So that's the latest. And today, the Inter-Ministerial Committee is also visiting.
26:59 And the VRA team will be taking them around to the affected communities
27:04 so they can really appreciate the level of the vaccine and what they can do to bring some relief to those affected on the ground.
27:14 So likely, this is the picture from the Vota region, especially the three Tongue Districts.
27:23 How much do we know, Carlos, about the timelines, when the further spillages will happen,
27:30 and the readiness of the communities for these spillages?
27:34 How much do we know? What's the timetable like?
27:37 Okay, so the information we are picking from the VRA indicates that spilling is still ongoing.
27:43 We were informed last time that about 400,000 cubic feet of water enters the dam every second.
27:51 And out of that 400,000 cubic feet of water, VRA is actually spilling just about 183 cubic feet of water per second,
28:00 which means that VRA is not even doing half of what enters the dam.
28:05 And they also gave us the update that the dam capacity is left with about one foot to get to the brim.
28:12 And so they are really managing the situation.
28:14 But the good news is that we understand other floodgates are yet to be opened.
28:19 And the reason why they've not done that is looking at the situation downstream.
28:24 They are just managing it.
28:25 So VRA is actually in a tight corner.
28:28 While they are trying to protect the integrity of the dam, they are also cautious about how this affects people downstream.
28:36 And so yesterday night, we picked some information from residents from South Tonga
28:42 that a van had gone around to inform residents to evacuate.
28:48 A lot of people are leaving their communities as we speak to other places.
28:54 Some have moved from Batur, Mefe, to Sege area.
28:58 And so if you come to Sege, you find a lot of residents of Mefe, Batur, now residing in Sege.
29:06 So indeed, the residents are taking the warning seriously, and they are moving from the flood zone area.
29:16 And so today you are headed in that direction.
29:19 I know there have been calls as well for them to be sent to the Sagleme Affordable Housing Units.
29:27 Before you go, is there any other information you've gathered on that?
29:31 I know the President will be in the community today, but have you caught hint of any response in that regard, relocating the people?
29:40 As of this morning, no, but on Friday I spoke to the Volta Regional Minister,
29:46 who said that demand is not anything they are considering at this moment.
29:51 The focus for now is to save life and property.
29:55 And so at that level, even from the Volta Regional level, it's not a consideration at all.
30:03 And this morning we drove past Sagleme, we did not see any such activity as to whether the place is being cleared or prepared to receive affected Ghanaians to that particular place.
30:16 But indeed, those who have been affected that we've been speaking to,
30:21 they concern largely has to do with the fact that this water, flood water, is in the community, bringing more people.
30:28 And you know, the water is heavily polluted and contaminated, petrol, matter, and all kinds of things.
30:35 They believe that the ideal place is for the government to move them away from the community,
30:41 and they suggested that they want to move to the Sagleme housing place, the site there.
30:48 Some traditional leaders I spoke to last week believe that the military could have moved into the Sagleme area,
30:55 cleared the place, take the list of the people who have been affected,
30:59 instead of individually the affected people moving to places like Sigi and all that,
31:04 the government could have done a more coordinated job by sending affected people to the Sagleme housing site.
31:11 Well, so this is their demand.
31:13 We wait to see if maybe after the President's visit today and inter-ministerial committees visit the place,
31:19 if it's something that the government will be considering, we will update our viewers on that particular demand made by the residents there.
31:30 Thank you very much, Carlos. Carlos Kaloni there, my colleague here at Joy News.
31:35 He will be on ground today bringing us further information about the situation in these communities along the Volta River,
31:44 greatly impacted by the spillage of the Akosumbu Dam, and this will continue to retain the integrity of the dam.
31:52 But the question is, what happens to those communities?
31:55 We'll bring you more on this later on, but up next, after the break,
32:00 we're going to be contemplating that latest hotline documentary put together by our own Erastus Asare Donko,
32:08 titled Poisoned for Gold. The full version airs later tonight at 8.30 p.m. on this channel.
32:16 I would also be celebrating his exploits. If you haven't heard yet, our very own Erastus Asare Donko has been awarded the EMY PAV Ansar Communicator of the Year.
32:26 Well deserved. I doff my imaginary hat to you, Erastus.
32:30 But that conversation up next with Bernice Abubay-Delance. Do stay.
32:33 [Music]