Fresh devastation from tidal waves in the coastal towns of Amutinu and Salakope has intensified pressure on authorities, as displaced residents, stranded students, and disrupted businesses remain unhappy about the rising cost of inaction.
Kumawu Sylvester, Assembly Member for the Amutinu/Salakope area, has renewed calls for immediate government intervention, following the destruction of homes, damage to schools, and the displacement of entire communities.
The Keta-Aflao road, an economic lifeline for the region, has been inundated with sand, forcing residents to flee to higher ground with salvaged belongings.
“The worst form of tidal wave devastation is currently ongoing at Amutinu and Salakope. Homes have been destroyed, graves have been dug open, the school is on the verge of collapse, and domestic animals are drenched,” Sylvester said in a statement. “The Ketu South MP must speak up, the Minister for Works and Housing must explain the delay, and the Finance Minister must provide some clarity. The NDC cannot disappoint the good people of Agavedzi, Amutinu, and Salakope.”
Despite a GHC 2 million allocation in the national budget following former President John Dramani Mahama’s visit to the affected communities, no clear updates have been given on how the funds have been used. Apart from an earlier reassurance from the Volta Regional Minister on the government’s commitment to constructing sea defense walls, there has been silence from key institutions.
“Can we stop the shenanigans and come to terms with the fact that this issue is about human lives?” Sylvester added. “Act fast and now.”
Speaking to The High Street Journal from the area, tourism promoter and environmentalist Joel Degue said the situation has forced commuters to travel across the border into Togo to access basic amenities. Students who depend on the affected road to reach their secondary schools have been left stranded, now paying higher transport fares via alternative routes. Business and economic activity in the area, he said, has come to a complete standstill.
Though government and private donors have supplied food and other emergency relief items in recent months, local leaders argue these interventions fall far short of the structural response needed. Without a functioning sea defense system, communities along Ghana’s eastern coastline remain exposed to frequent tidal surges, threatening livelihoods, mobility, and public safety.
