Philanthropist, Dr Prince Nelson Mortoti, has donated GH¢1,000 each to 200 people affected by the Akosombo and Kpong Dam spillages.
The gesture is to return the beneficiaries, all women, to business to support their families.
It is the third assistance to victims of the 2023 disaster that left at least 4,000 people in need, by Dr Mortoti, founder of Piwak Natural Health.
At a durbar of Chiefs and people of the affected districts – North, South and Central Tongu – at Aveyime in the North Tongu District on Thursday, Dr Mototi said the gesture was a feeling of responsibility as a son of Tongu.
The beneficiaries are made up of 80 from North Tongu, the most affected area and 60 each from South and Central Tongu.
“This is not charity-it is responsibility. A responsibility we all share as leaders, as businesses, and as fellow citizens,” Dr Mortoti stated.
According to him, “while the floods may have displaced our homes, they have not displaced our humanity. They have not drowned our spirit. They have not taken away our unity”.
Commending the government for making provisions for the compensation of victims in the 2025 budget, Dr Mortoti said individuals and organisations must continue to support the victims; some who still live in camps.
“Let us join hands – government, private sector, NGOs, and citizens -to do more. There are still many affected residents who need help. We must continue rebuilding schools, houses, health posts, and roads. We must ensure psychological support for victims and invest in preventive systems for future disasters,” he said.
Dr Mortoti entreated the beneficiaries to invest the money wisely to make the most out of it to restart their ventures.
Representing the three Tongu Members of Parliament, lawmaker for South Tongu, Maxwell Lukutor, appealed to the government to consider dredging the Volta Lake to increase the intake capacity of the water body.
He urged the youth to take advantage of youth development programmes of the government like the coders initiative, feed Ghana, apprenticeship programme amongst others to better their lots.
A beneficiary, Fidelia said many of the victims still live in camps and subjected to the vagaries of the weather.
She narrated how many young girls had turned into mothers as a result of displacement and appealed to government to speed up the relief initiative to alleviate the plight of victims.
FROM JULIUS YAO PETETSI, AVEYIME
