Eight months after the Volta River Authority (VRA) released water from the Akosombo Dam, resulting in devastating floods, businesses in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region are still grappling with uncertainty. Many business owners are struggling to survive and are urgently calling for government intervention and compensation.
Despite advocacy and appeals from affected residents, concrete government support has been slow to arrive. Hotels and recreational businesses along Volta Lake, severely impacted by the spillage, have not yet recovered economically.
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Approximately 1,000 small-scale enterprises (SMEs) in areas such as Tefle, Vume, Sogakope North, Alikekope, Sokpoe, Tadze, Agordomi, Tadame, Anaosukope, and the Comboni Technical School have been significantly affected. Additionally, eight fish farms—Dongazi Fish Farm, Decko Fishpond, Best Fish Farm, Flosell Fish Farm, Eagle Farms, Gedza Farms, Dordor Farms, and Reinbees Farms—remain unrecovered and uncompensated.
Fashion designer Mr. Tsekpo Augustine expressed feelings of abandonment and desperation for aid. “We have been left in limbo for months. Every day, we struggle to make ends meet while waiting for the promised aid that never seems to come,” he lamented. Despite the government’s assurances of comprehensive compensation packages, the delay in fund allocation and disbursement has left them skeptical.
Similarly, food vendor Mr. Isaac Dzivenu has faced substantial financial losses since the flood devastated his restaurant. He emphasized the urgent need for government compensation to restart his business, saying, “I lost everything to the flood. We’ve been appealing for help, but so far, there’s been no real action. We can’t rebuild our lives without support.”
Mrs. Effah Joan, who runs a cold store, voiced her frustration over the prolonged delay in receiving aid. Despite numerous promises from the VRA and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), these have yet to materialize. She stated that her business is on the brink of collapse without immediate government compensation.
Flosell Farms’ Managing Director, Mr. Evans Danso, detailed the disaster’s impact on his business, noting a loss of about GHC 6.4 million in revenue due to the spillage. He called for substantial government support to help relaunch their businesses in the area.
Community leaders and local authorities are urging the government to expedite the delivery of financial aid to the flood victims, emphasizing the critical need for immediate intervention to prevent further economic decline in the district.
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According to the 2024 budget, the government has allocated GHC 220 million for ongoing rehabilitation efforts in the affected communities, with GHC 80 million already released by the Ministry of Finance. However, residents are concerned about the urgency and adequacy of the government’s efforts to revive their lost businesses.
