Volta floods: 'You came empty-handed to insult us' – Dzifa Gomashie to Akufo-Addo

Ketu South MP Abla Dzifa Gomashie has said President Nana Akufo-Addo insulted and disrespected the chiefs and people of the Volta Region when he said on Monday, 16 October 2023, during his tour of some flood-ravaged areas in that part of the country, that he came there to "try to help" the situation irrespective of the fact that the people there do not vote for him and his New Patriotic Party.

The president, during his tour of Mepe, to assess the disaster caused by the planned spillage of excess water from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams, said he was there to commiserate with the thousands of displaced people of the Volta Region, whose homes, farms, and property have been ravaged by floods.

President Nana Akufo-Addo told the traditional leaders and people of Mepe that: "My visit here, today, is a very simple one: It is to come and commiserate with you about the tragedy that has occurred."

The president explained that even though he was out of the country when the disaster struck, he set the government in motion to strategise to help the situation.

"When it happened, I was in America, on official business, when the Chief of Staff called me in America about what had happened, and we discussed what had to be done; so that is when we agreed to establish an Inter-Ministerial Committee to co-ordinate government's response to this tragedy", he noted, adding: "The co-ordination is about immediate, about tomorrow, and about tomorrow, tomorrow."

Mr Akufo-Addo said: "The most important thing was, first of all, to ensure the life of people."

"That is why nine centres were established here in Mepe for all the displaced people", he explained, indicating: "And all the people in these nine centres have been provided relief items by NADMO; and its NADMO’s intention to continue the exercise of providing relief items".

"So, apart from what NADMO is doing, we have also to think about the future", he said.

The president said he was aware that the people of the area were predominantly farmers and acknowledged that the rivers that overflowed destroyed the many farms along their banks and announced that "one of the things that the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the President is going to be working [on] with the District Assembly, is to decide exactly the nature of the support we have to give to you when the water has gone away, so nobody could do the farm".

"This is why I am saying that the committee is working in several phases. One, immediate relief; and then tomorrow," he added.

The president then pointed out that he was a president for all Ghanaians, thus, his intervention irrespective of politics.

"But I want you to know that the government is going to do everything in its power to assist, to make sure that things are all right. I think everybody here, and I hope you take the message all across, North Tongu, South Tongu, Central Tongu, that when these things happen and government acts, politics does not come into the matter at all."

"When I took the Oath of Office as President, I took the Oath of Office as President of every single individual in Ghana; of all peoples in Ghana, all districts, and whether they voted for me or not, once I have taken the oath, I am the President of all people. So Togbe, you and your elders, I want the people here, beginning with you and the elders to understand that when something like this happens and the government acts, government is acting for Ghanaians, all Ghanaians," the president asserted.

He stressed: "I came here because Ghanaians are having difficulties and are suffering, and it is my responsibility to try and help. Because, if it is a question of counting who votes for me and who doesn't vote for me, I shouldn't be here, because you don't vote for me, but that is not a concern, and in any event, one day you will vote for me and my party."

"So, Togbe, I came here this afternoon, to express my sympathies and to commiserate with all the people of Mepe, and the area."

Ms Gomashie, however, told Class News on Tuesday, 17 October 2023 that: "His Excellency, the president, should be ashamed of himself because if you go into your archives, you'll see that from 2021, the three MPs along the coast of the Volta Region -- my good self, the MP for Keta, Hon Kwame Dzudzoli Gakpey and the MP for Anlo, Hon Richard Kwami Sefe, called on the president many times to come to the aid of our people who were inundated with the tidal waves that had hit our communities."

"In my particular case, in one year, the tidal waves hit me three times", she revealed, complaining: "On none of those occasions did the president speak about it, tweet about it, or think about it."

"His ministers came here, made promises, and left and till date, there's no record anywhere, where you'll find if either the president or his vice president or his ministers came back on that issue of what was happening to us", she bemoaned.

She said: "We're still in that same situation and he still has not spoken about it."

Zeroing in on the recent disaster, Ms. Gomashie said: "After weeks of this disaster and planned spillage of excess water from the dam by the VRA, weeks after, the president now gathers courage and comes to us and the first thing he says to us, is not to apologise for the neglect, it's not to apologise for the ineffective way in which he has handled this disaster in the Volta Region, it was not to apologise to the chiefs and people and the ones who voted for him to get the 50 percent plus one; he did not apologise to us. He comes and rubs it in our faces that if it was about voting, then he wouldn't have been here, but you came with your empty hands and you want to come and insult us."

"I am disgusted, I'm horrified that His Excellency can descend that low," she condemned.