Large-scale sand winning and export of sand to Togo from Volta Region has taken an alarming dimension.
The illegal activities, especially around Ametsikope, a village along the Denu-Dzodze road in the Ketu South District and other communities in the Volta Region have been going on for years.
The sand is extracted and exported to Togo through the Segbe border – one of the entry points along the Ghana-Togo border.
Over the years, the community members have looked on, not knowing who to report to, because they wonder how the tipper trucks cross to neighbouring Togo in the full glare of officials guarding the route.
Speaking on the illegal activities, the Volta Regional Minister, Archibald Yao Letsa expressed concern about the increasing rate of sand winning in the region and its subsequent export to Togo.
According to him, although the Regional Security Council is in control, there is an urgent need to halt the exportation of sand to Togo.
He made the remarks after a closed-door meeting between the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, and the Volta Regional Security Council.
Dr. Letsa noted that issues of illegal logging and depletion of the forest cover of the region are, “one major problem that the Security Council is dealing with head-on,” and appealed to the Minister to assist.
On his part, Mr Abu Jinapor said issues that have to do with protecting the country’s ecosystem are of prime importance to the government hence his resolve, ”to visit all the regions to get first-hand information on all the issues and fashion out measures to solve them.”
In order to curtail the illegal logging and sand winning in the region, a meeting was held with the Regional Security Council on the Council’s vital role in addressing the menace.
Recently, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) revealed that more than 200 homes have been destroyed by the high tides that swept through some communities in the Volta Region.
Deputy Director-General of NADMO, Seji Saji Amedonu said preliminary assessment shows the devastation is massive.
“The data we got, we are having 200 to 300 houses affected. Then those who are displaced, most importantly, I hear they are about 4000, and that is quite a huge number. So the devastation for us is quite serious and we are giving it all the serious attention that is needed. The hardest hit I’m told, is the Keta area,” he said.
Mr Amedonu stated that he is assessing the damage to the homes to ascertain which ones can be salvaged or temporarily restored to serve as shelters for homeowners.
He, however, added that some residents have been given temporary shelter and safe havens while assessment is ongoing.
Some residents of Keta Municipality were rendered homeless after tidal waves swept through their homes on Sunday dawn.
Communities such as Abutiakope, Kedzikope and Keta Central are largely affected to the extent that residents have nothing to salvage.
In Anloga, residents of Dzita, Agbledomi, Atiteti, Agokedzi, and Fuveme were also displaced by the fierce tidal waves that swept through the communities during the wee hours of Sunday.
Properties running into thousands of Ghana cedis have been destroyed.
This year’s waves have affected many households and individuals, displacing many residents and destroying fishing accoutrement, livestock, and other valuables.
Reacting to the incident, Member of Parliament for Ketu South, Dzifa Gomashie cautioned that if action was not taken at the earliest possible time, the effects of the waves will exceed what residents are currently experiencing.
Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, disclosed that the Finance Ministry will allocate funds for the construction of the second phase of the Keta sea defense wall.
By Vincent Kubi