About two months ago, the authorities of the Volta River Authority spilled excess water from the Akosombo and Kpong hydroelectric dams, which became surplus to requirement in order to safeguard the structural integrity of this highly strategic national asset.
The spillage of the excess water, which was meant to protect the dam, turned bizarre when it flooded some communities downstream of the lower Volta and displaced several thousands inhabitants.
Some residents of parts of the Volta, Oti, and Eastern regions were completely devastated by the effects of the man-made disaster, with the Volta Region being the hardest hit.
Inhabitants of the North, South, and Central Tongu districts of the Volta Region were among thousands of Ghanaians who were badly hit and became victims of the devastating spillage from the dams.
Due to the spillage in the aforementioned areas, occupants lost their personal valuables, farms, livestock, and whatever made them self-sufficient and gave them a dignified life.
As required, state institutions mandated to play key roles in such situations, particularly the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Ghana Armed Forces, deployed personnel to the affected communities to protect lives and property.
Their interventions were timely and highly commendable, as personnel of the Army carried many trapped victims to safety and also sent food and other relief items to those who were in hard-to-reach zones.
One thing that stood out in the heat of the humanitarian crisis caused by the spillage was the willingness of many Ghanaians to quickly get to the aid of the distraught victims with their widow’s mite.
In fact, the rate at which several corporate organizations, philanthropists, private business owners, and Ghanaians in general felt touched by the plights of the victims and quickly moved in to support them gave a good account of how we have peacefully coexisted as a people with a common destiny.
For instance, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Mr. Samuel Okudzato Ablakwa, demonstrated that he was indeed the representative of the people as he committed himself to assisting the victims and rallied support for them.
Additionally, some media organisations, notably Media General, Citi FM/Citi TV, and Joy FM/TV, among several others, empathized with the victims and used their spaces to rally support for them in several ways.
Through their efforts, other corporate organizations and individual Ghanaians responded positively and adequately came out in their numbers to lend a helping hand to the disillusioned victims.
Engineers & Planners, a company owned by Mr. Ibrahim Mahama, who is a younger brother of the presidential candidate of the NDC, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, won the hearts of many Ghanaians when he loaded tracks of relief items for the victims.
Additionally, his company visited some of the affected communities to dredge and re-channel stagnant water, particularly at Mepe and Aveyime, to aid in the recovery of the flooded lands.
The government, which set up an inter-ministerial committee, has also gone to the aid of the victims with various aids, with President Akufo-Addo touring the affected areas to comfort the afflicted.
As a matter of fact, during the Apeatse man-made disaster, which destroyed many human lives through a deadly explosion, many Ghanaians went to the aid of the victims with immense support.
During the peak of COVID-19, corporate bodies and individuals voluntarily donated heavily to a trust fund set up by the central government and managed by a body of trustees, which has, for some time now, ended its mandate.
Such “each for one and one for all” spirit, as amply demonstrated by Ghanaians in the three cases mentioned above, continues to lend credence to the fact that we are still one people with a common destiny.
The Chronicle would like to make a clarion call to all Ghanaians to allow the spirit of one for all and each for one to dwell in us in our endeavours especially as we approach another crucial general election.
In the estimation of the paper, there is no way we would allow partisan politics to divide and destroy us if we continued to hold on to one another to form a national cohesion, as Ghana is the only country we have.
We must forge ahead in unity regardless of how politically divided we may be and eschew all forms of negative tendencies that could cause us to destroy our beautiful selves and country.
Each for one, one for all, one Ghana, one people.
