Ablakwa calls for replacement of lost ID cards, passports of Akosombo dam spillage victims

The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has appealed to the government to urgently replace all lost national identity cards, passports and other relevant documents of victims affected by the Akosombo dam spillage.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, Ablakwa asserted that replacing identity documents like voter ID cards, passports, birth certificates, health insurance cards, and Ghana cards for affected individuals is necessary on humanitarian grounds.

“I’m calling on the government to replace thousands of lost Ghana Cards, Health Insurance Cards, Voter ID Cards, Birth Certificates, and Passports. For victims of far-reaching catastrophic consequences of the September 5, 2023 spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong dams by the Volta River Authority.

“The time has come for the relevant public institutions to carry out a special and comprehensive exercise in all affected constituencies to immediately replace these important documents,” he noted.

The MP seized the opportunity to express his profound gratitude to Ghanaians for supporting the victims during the difficult moments in their lives.

However, the MP for Effutu constituency and Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin in response said the call for the replacement of the lost documents should be channeled to the relevant institutions for redress.

“The call should be made to the EC, National Health Insurance Authority and others. We cannot narrow everything to the government, and we may not be getting the solution.

“Let’s move from our offices beyond the talk on the floor of the house and move there, they are our colleagues. Let’s direct this appropriately so that we get solutions”.

The spillage, carried out by the Volta River Authority (VRA) on September 15, 2023, displaced over 27,000 people, according to the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO).