Afenyo Markin’s comments on Volta tidal waves dumb – David Tamakloe

Editor of WhatsUp News, David Tamakloe believes statements from the Deputy Majority leader, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, blaming sand winning activities for the recent tidal waves which hit Keta and displaced many as an indictment to his credibility.

To him, it is sad and very unfortunate the tidal waves hit and destroyed communities in the Volta Region. “The victims are crying out as their lives, heritage and livelihood have been affected. But the sad thing was for us to wake up in the morning for the majority party led by Afenyo-Markin to make a presentation like he has never been to school".

"He made a very dumb statement that day to justify why the gov’t is laid back about the disaster caused by the tidal wave. He brought a picture from Sierra Leone saying it was sand winning in the Volta Region that led to the disaster and he did that without remorse.”

The news editor argues the Efutu Member of Parliament stooped so low to make that statement and further tainted his credibility by presenting a false image to represent the Ketu situation. “I feel very sad for him and the hell he has put himself through and the lane he has put himself on.”

According to David Tamakloe, the government’s posturing on the tidal waves is poor and it has become obvious it (gov’t) is not thinking about the welfare of natives.

In the Editors’ Take discussion on the Happy Morning Show with Samuel Eshun, he revealed that the government sent an emissary in the person of Vice President Bawumia in 2018 to Sierra Leone when they faced a similar problem. “He took items worth a million dollars to support them and that money was from the taxpayers, including those of Aflao, Ketu and all those affected by the tidal waves. But since the tidal waves hit the Volta Region, NADMO has only sent 30 bags of rice, 10 containers of cooking oil and a handful of mattresses to the over 3,000 people who suffered the disaster.”

David Tamakloe advised the government to treat the issue with a clear lens, void from political biases. The newsman called the majority in parliament petty for blaming the disaster on sand winning.

Over 4,000 people and 257 households in Keta Municipality were rendered homeless after tidal waves swept through their homes.

Communities such as Abutiakope, Kedzikope, Keta Central, Dzita, Agbledomi, Atiteti, Agokedzi, and Fuveme were largely affected as homeless residents were left with nothing to salvage.

While addressing the press on Friday, Mr Afenyo Markin displayed a photo of some heavy-duty trucks purportedly loading sand from the shores of Keta – images confirmed to have been shot in Sierra Leone and not the former.

This was to back his assertions that, the tidal waves that have ravaged communities such as Abutiakope, Kedzikope, and Keta Central in the Volta Region are due to sand winning.