Hope has returned to residents of Agavedzi, Salakope, Amutsinu and other communities in the Ketu South Municipality in the Volta Region following the commencement of work on the second phase of the Blekusu Sea Defence Project. 

This follows the excavation, grading and dumping of boulders along the shores of Agavedzi to signal the start of the second phase of the Keta Sea Defence project, which sparked excitement and jubilation among the residents who have been battered by destructive tidal waves for years.

The Daily Graphic team, which was part of a media team that accompanied the Minister of Works and Housing, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, on a visit to the affected communities last Friday, saw workers of Messrs Amandi Holding Limited, the company awarded with the contract for the construction of the Blekusu Sea Defence Project, on the site.

The workers had started clearing some debris from homes destroyed by the sea, pushing back the sea sand covering a portion of the road at Agavedzi and also dumping rock boulders (large rocks) on the shoreline.  

The team also saw a construction base set up by Amandi Holdings Ltd at Azizadzi, where its equipment and machines were stationed for deployment to the site.

The project is in fulfilment of the government’s promise to permanently bring relief to residents who have been chased out of their communities by  tidal waves over the past years.  

President Mahama is expected to, later this month, visit the area again to cut the sod to mark the official commencement of the second phase of the Blekusu Sea Defence Project. 

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government started the first phase of the project before 2016, but the second phase, necessary to bring relief to the people, was abandoned after 2017.

The Minister of Works and Housing, who was accompanied by the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, and other officials to the affected communities, said the project was expected to be completed within four years (2025-2029).

Mr Adjei said it involved the construction of robust coastal defence features designed to mitigate the impact of tidal waves and prevent further erosion.

The Works and Housing Minister explained that “It will protect a total coastal stretch of eight kilometres, ensuring that the communities of Salakope, Agavadzi, and Amutinu are safeguarded from the devastating effects of tidal waves”. 

Mr Adjei added that the project would provide ancillary facilities such as “a fish market, a cold storage facility, fish drying and smoking areas, a car park and lorry station, public washrooms, and a waste collection system.”

Background

Tidal Wave had become an annual ritual in the Volta Region over the past decade. Several communities along the coast, especially from Aflao to Keta, were on the brink of being submerged by the sea.

While President John Mahama’s first administration initiated and completed the first phase of the Blekusu Sea Defence Project in 2015 before exiting power in 2016, the next government could not continue the second phase of the project.

This led to the endless destruction of property by tidal waves. Over a five km stretch of the coastline has been lost to the raging sea as a result.

Over 10,000 residents along the coastline in the Some Traditional Area were affected by the tidal wave.

Homes, schools, clinics, cemeteries, and markets within the fishing communities were claimed by the tides. Fishermen and fishmongers had lost their livelihoods; pupils had no school to attend and there were no healthcare facilities in the affected areas. 

Assurance

He urged the victims to remain hopeful and united. adding that the resilience they showed in the face of adversity was commendable.

He assured the people of the government’s commitment to complete this project while also calling for the cooperation and commitment of all the communities.

“We need your support in respecting the construction process, avoiding activities that undermine the coast, educating the youth on environmental preservation and maintaining the facilities that will be provided,” he said.

Commendation

The Paramount Chief of the Some Traditional Area, Torgbiga Adama III, was elated during the visit of a delegation from the Ministry of Works and Housing who had come to assess the ongoing project and reassure the residents of the government’s commitment to give them a lasting solution.  

The Paramount Chief, who spoke in Ewe, said, “We are very excited about what we are seeing.

This has been our cry for years.

We are glad that the promise made by the government was not just a mere talk.

We can all see, but we hope it continues and is fully completed to give us the needed peace and relief”.

Torgbiga Adama also assured the government of their support and encouraged it to complete the project to continue to win the trust of the youth of the traditional area.