Ninety days after President John Dramani Mahama visited tidal wave-hit communities in Ketu South, a new open letter has renewed pressure on him to act on his pledge to resettle the displaced. The letter, dated Friday, 6th June 2025, was written by Joel Degue, a concerned citizen who describes the situation as a humanitarian emergency.
“This letter is written with a heavy heart, deep sorrow, and yet a flicker of hope,” Degue begins. “It has been 90 days since your visit to the devastated coastal communities of Adina, Salakope, Amutsinu, and Agavedzi in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region. During your visit, you gave a solemn promise to resettle the displaced residents who had lost everything to the raging sea.”
Degue writes that “today, with no action taken on that promise, the people remain in limbo, displaced, hopeless, and helpless. The sea has sealed the fate of part of Agavedzi and completely swallowed Salakope. Homes have been reduced to ruins. Schools, livelihoods, and sacred memories have been washed away. Now, with the rainy season upon them, hundreds of citizens, Ghanaians too, have no roof over their heads.”
Calling the situation “not merely an environmental disaster,” but “a humanitarian emergency,” Degue reminds the President that “your own words gave these communities hope. But with each passing day, that hope fades into pains, pangs and pleas.”
This is the fourth open letter Degue has written to the President regarding the crisis. “Not to criticise,” he says, “but to remind you of the pains of the children, the pangs of the women and mothers, the cries of the men who once were on their own, the despair of the elderly, and the silence of those who have lost too much even to speak.”
While acknowledging that medium to long-term coastal protection works are being planned, Degue raises concerns about the absence of interim relief. “But what happens now? How can people wait for years when they no longer have a place they could call home, a safe place to sleep in, a roof over their head tonight or a wall to shield them from the rains the following day?”
He calls for “immediate action,” listing the following demands:
- “Emergency shelter and relief support for the displaced;”
- “A clear and urgent resettlement plan for the affected communities;”
- “Transparency and timelines on coastal protection interventions for the medium to long term.”
“You are not just the Commander-in-Chief – you are the Father of the Nation,” Degue writes. “Fathers protect their homes, care for their children. These communities are part of our national family. They deserve to be seen, heard, and helped – not forgotten.”
He closes with a stark reminder: “Mr. President, history is watching. Posterity will remember what you did or failed to do in the face of manageable disaster.”
“With sincerity of heart and urgency of time, I remain a citizen and not a spectator.”
The situation in the hit areas have lead to disruptions in business and economic activities, with school children within the area affected as much. In an interview with The High Street Journal in May 2025, Degue told that people within the area travel to Togo to get food and other amenities, telling that the people prefer a shelter to lay their heads and not rice, oil and other itmes that were given to them.
