President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is still being not been called out by a section of Ghanaians over comments he made during his visit to victims of the floods in the Volta Region caused by the spillage of excess water from the Akosombo and Kpong dams.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, whose constituency was affected by the spillage from the dams opted not to comment on the president’s remarks.
Speaking to GhanaWeb’s team that visited areas affected by the spillage, the MP said he would rather focus his strength and energy on getting the needed support for his people.
“When you spend valuable time responding to the president then you are just like him – playing politics when there is a national disaster. If you have noticed, I haven’t said a word about it.
“It is a needless reaction that is not an example we should follow. I would rather spend precious airtime drawing your attention to the needs of my people. My people need tents, they need mobile toilets, they need relief items, they need food, they need water, they need blankets, they need mosquito nets. These are the things my people need,” he told GhanaWeb’s Mawuli Ahorlumegah.
Ablakwa, however, took a subtle jab at President Akufo-Addo for his 'political comment' during his visit to the flood victims.
“… this is not the time to ask who votes for who and how people intend to vote in the next election.
"I mean, where is our humanity, where is our conscience? People are traumatised, people are dying people are displaced, people are homeless,” he said.
Here is what Akufo-Addo told the people of Mepe and other communities in the Volta Region who were affected by the flood:
I need everybody here (to understand) and I hope you take the message all across… that when these things happen and the 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 for every single individual in Ghana, of all the people in Ghana, all districts.
And whether they voted for me or not, once I have taken the oath of office, I am the president of all the people.
So Togbe, 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.
I came here because Ghanaians are having difficulties and suffering. And it is my responsibility to try and help.
Because if it is the 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 my concern. And in any event, one day you would vote for me and my party.
So Togbe, I came here this afternoon to express my sympathies and to commiserate with all the people in the Mepe area. I chose Mepe because this is the area that has been most affected.
We have to also be very grateful for the work of VRA, the preparation they have been making over the years in such a situation, the simulation exercise, and all the things they have been doing to prepare for this including the sensitization.
Because of the good that they have done up until now, by the grace of God, not one single individual has lost his life in this crisis.
Whatever it is within the powers of the government that can be done to alleviate this situation, it is going to be done.
BAI/AW
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