The Mepe Development Association (MDA) has condemned Sanitation Minister Freda Prempeh’s comments about the Akosombo dam spillage.
The Minister, while addressing the flood situation, blamed the flood victims for their predicament.
She asserted that, the victims refused to relocate despite numerous warnings from the Volta River Authority (VRA) and other state agencies.
Reacting to the statement, which has been widely condemned, the association accused Madam Prempeh of peddling misinformation and disinformation against the victims of the state-created disaster.
MDA argued the Mepe Traditional Council, the Mepe Development Association, opinion leaders, and all stakeholders were not engaged in any simulation exercise or post-simulation exercise as claimed by the Minister.
“How such an important exercise could escape the eyes and ears of these key stakeholders in the community leaves one to wonder whether the monies expended on the simulation should not be refunded to the state coffers,” the MDA stated.
According to them, the Minister’s suggestion that Mepe residents ought to have evacuated is misplaced, as prior to and following the flood incident, neither the VRA nor any other state agency had provided any temporary shelter facilities for displaced citizens.
“It was the leadership of the MDA, in consultation with the chiefs, that took the initiative to create seven makeshift safe havens for the affected flood victims in the following locations: Mepe R.C. Primary, R.C. JHS, Mepe Presby Primary, Presby JHS, D.A JHS, Holy Christ, and St. Kizito Secondary Technical School.
“Out of these seven safe havens, only St. Kizito, which currently houses 1,320 displaced persons, received six mobile toilets just this past Friday, provided by the VRA after persistent appeals,” MDA explained.
They have therefore called on the minister to show up and support the affected communities instead of leading a campaign of misinformation and disinformation concerning the flood disaster.
Also, MDA has called on the minister to unreservedly and immediately apologise to the chiefs and people of Mepe for her unfortunate comments.
It further urged all state appointees and communicators to refrain from making ill-informed and uneducated comments that blame the flood victims for the disaster.
Meanwhile, Madam Prempeh, reacting to the backlash her comment has attracted, has said she was misunderstood.
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