The donation is the single biggest support from an individual or institution to the displaced people who were affected by the spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong dams by the Volta River Authority (VRA).

The relief items included 20,000 bags of five-kilogramme rice, 24,000 cartons of canned Mackerel, 12,000 bottles of cooking oil, 400 packs of water and 1,000 pieces of student mattresses.

The spillage of the two dams caused massive flooding in communities around and within the lower Volta basin.

Eight districts across three constituencies in the North, Central and South Tongu as well as Pru East and parts of the Savanna Region were also said to have been affected by the floods which have submerged farms.

Displacement

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has so far put the number of displaced people at over 35,000 while nearly 12,000 children were also said to be out of school due to school buildings being among the numerous homes that have been submerged.

Other schools that were not affected by the floods have been turned into temporary shelters for the displaced people, amidst fears of sexual exploitation of young girls, considering the absence of proper safety measures for children. 

Some of the displaced people who are teachers have resorted to makeshift school arrangements at the holding centres to keep children busy.

Child’s Rights International has expressed concern about the lack of educational arrangements for the displaced children. 

Donation

Presenting the items to the chiefs and opinion leaders of the affected areas, Mr Mahama, who was accompanied by his wife, Oona, and some staff of Engineers and Planners, said the relief items were a way to show his commiseration with the people.

He also promised to help brilliant needy students who were affected by the flood by providing them with bursaries and school supplies to ensure they did not miss out on education.

Mr Mahama has over the years established himself as one of the biggest philanthropists in the country and has done this through his companies, Engineers and Planners and Dzata Cement.

He donates generously by way of corporate social responsibility to social and environmental programmes, disaster reliefs and support for critical government health and educational programmes at both the community and national levels.

DCE

The District Chief Executive for North Tongu, Divine Osborne Fenu, who, together with the Member of Parliament for the area, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and the Chief of the Battor Traditional Area, Togbega Patamia Dzekley VII, received the items, thanked Mr Mahama for the gesture.

Mr Fenu said the donation would go a long way in ameliorating the plight of the displaced people in the affected communities.

For his part, Mr Ablakwa, who spoke on behalf of the MPs for the affected areas, also commended Mr Mahama for his support for the affected communities.

He gave the assurance that the items would be equitably distributed to all the affected communities.

Togbega Patamia Dzekley, in his remarks, also expressed gratitude to Mr Mahama and his team for the gesture.