The President, John Dramani Mahama has cut the sod for the construction of the Blekusu Coastal Protection Phase II project at Agavedzi in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region.
The project is expected to bring relief and protection to the chiefs and people of Salakope, Amutinu and Agavedzi who have been devastated by perennial tidal waves.
The disaster has displaced thousands of residents and destroyed several properties in the three communities for the past four years.
Phase I of the project which commenced in 2015 during President Mahama’s first term in office covered a 4.3 kilometre stretch in Azizadzi, Horvi, Blekusu and parts of Agavedzi.
Phase II of the Blekusu Coastal Protection project is expected to be executed within four years (2015-2029) by construction firm, Amandi Holdings Limited.
It will cover an 8 kilometre distance on the coastline stretch, comprising 37 armour rocks groynes at circa 220m intervals with land reclamation, in Agavedzi, Salakope, Amutinu and Adina.
In addition to the coastal protection works, a modern fish market, cold storage and processing facilities, a lorry park among other auxiliary facilities would be constructed to boost the businesses of the people in the predominant fishing communities.
President Mahama said the project is a testament of his government’s commitment to ensure the well being of all Ghanaians regardless of their location.
” This occasion is not merely symbolic, but it is a clear demonstration of what responsive leadership can do when it listens, when it cares, and when it acts”, he stated.
“The sea has taken a lot from this community. It has taken land, it has taken property, it has taken livelihoods, and it has taken our peace of mind. But today I stand here to say, no more will the sea consume our life. We are here to reclaim what has been lost, to rebuild stronger, to offer our children a future where they are not forced to flee their homes because of rising tidal waves. This project and others like it reflect my government’s broader commitment to building a resilient and inclusive Ghana where no citizen is left behind and where communities, regardless of location, can live in safety and dignity”, President Mahama stressed.
The Fiaga of Some Traditional Area, Torgbui Adama thanked President Mahama for the project, saying that it would save the area from further destruction.
President Mahama disclosed that plans are advanced to extend the the coastal protection project to Aflao through the West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) Resilience Investment Project.
“I wish to inform you also that the WACA project is currently awaiting approval at the Ministry of Environment. The WACA project will take care of the rest of the coastline, after where this one ends, all the way to Aflao to help protect the coastline. It will have beach replenishment, and so the beaches will be expanded, and the sea will be pushed back so that we can have more activity”, President Mahama noted.
Source: gbcghanaonline.com
