Hackman tours Keta Sea Defence site

Keta, March 25, GNA - Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, the Minister of Works and Housing, has repeated the government's commitment to implement all aspects of the Keta Sea Defence Project, including housing displaced people.

"So much had already gone into the project and we have to get to the bottom to enable the community and the country reap the fullest benefits," he said when he toured the site on Thursday. Mr Owusu-Agyeman expressed regret about the slow pace of work on the housing component of the project with only 32 of the 344 units completed.

He said his ministry would seek funding from the HIPC Fund Committee for the building of a single sanitation system for the entire resettlement area.

Mr Owusu-Agyeman said potable water would soon be extended to the area and called for work on the extension of electricity to be speeded up.

He said the government was considering requests by the people of Ada and Ningo for a similar project to check serious shore erosion threatening their areas.

During a courtesy call on Togbe Joachim Acolatse IV, Chief of Kedzi, the Minister promised that the government would address the legitimate concerns of the people about the project.

Togbe Acolatse called for planting of trees to serve as wind breaks and some protection mechanism for the Horvi community, a few kilometre east of Kedzi, recently devastated by high tidal waves. The defence wall component of the project undertaken by Dredge and Dockworks Company of the United States was completed about a year ago.

The company did not do sand filling of some low-lying areas in Kedzi and Vodza because the people refused to move out.

Togbe Kporku III, Director of Conterra Limited, told the Ghana News Agency that the company had drawn plans to get the sand filling job done as soon as the people in those areas leave.

Mr Owusu-Agyeman, was accompanied on the trip by Mr Kofi Dzamesi, Volta Regional Minister and Madam Cecelia Abena Dapaah, the Deputy Minister of Works and Housing.