The Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Mr Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, said preliminary operational activities will shortly be completed to allow the construction of phase two of Blekusu Coastal Protection project.
Mr Adjei said the government recognised the seriousness of the situation, and was dedicated to ensuring that lasting solutions were found to protect affected communities namely Salakope, Amutinu and Agavedzi from further destruction.
The Sector Minister made this known when he visited Salakope in the Ketu-South Municipality of the Volta Region, to assess the level of progress of the various interventions being put in place for the people in the beneficiary communities last Friday.
The sea defence project, involved the construction of a robust coastal resistance designed to mitigate the impact of the tidal waves, prevent further erosion, which would be constructed within the period of four years.
Mr Adjei announced that the government would provide a cold storage facility, fish drying and smoking areas, a car park, lorry station, public washrooms, and waste collection system, to promote good sanitary conditions in the communities.
He said the provision of the facilities, was a testament to government’s commitment, to protect the lives, property and to revamp economic activities of Ghanaians particularly people devastated by the sea in the coastal areas in the Ketu-South Municipality, saying the sea defence project would prevent coastal erosions, enhanced fishing activities, protect life and property, promote tourism and enhance economic activities.
Mr Adjei said Ghana’s coastline stretching from approximately 550 kilometres along the Gulf of Guinea, had 370 kilometres out of the number under threat from erosion, and the most threatening part of it was the eastern coastline particularly in the Volta Region.
He said the housing project started by Ghana Gas at Salakope for the victims of tidal waves to provide 108 housing units, would be re-awarded to the same company to ensure that it would be executed on time, to resettle the affected persons to enable them to continue with their economic activities.
Mr Adjei therefore urged the people to be hopeful and united, adding that it was important for them to respect the construction process, maintain the facilities that would be provided for them, and also avoid activities that would undermine safety along the coastline.
The Volta Regional Minister, Mr James Gunu said the chiefs and people of the communities were satisfied with the government’s decision to continue with the sea defence project that it started in the last National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, which was abandoned by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
Mr Gunu said the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) was prepared to provide the needed assistance possible that would ensure the successful implementation of the project, and asked the people to continue to have hope in the NDC government to improve on their standard of living.
The Makorsor of Some Traditional Area, Togbui Adama III said the sea had destroyed the livelihoods of the people, explaining that fishing nets of fishermen were washed away together with other property, and appealed to the government to as a matter of importance support the people to revamp their economic activities.
The Assemblyman for Salakope-Amutinu Electoral Area, Mr Sylvester Kumawu, said about five kilometres of Salakope community was washed away by the sea, which included schools, churches and recreational centres among others, and thanked government for the decision to continue with the sea defence project , which he said would save lives and property.
The Amandi Holding Limited has moved some equipment to site, and started work to save the communities from further destruction of the sea even though construction work did not officially start.
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, SALAKOPE
