The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has described as “inaccurate” information circulating on social and traditional media that its personnel deployed to Mepe in the Volta Region to offer humanitarian relief, following the spillage of the Akosombo Dam, have been withdrawn.
In a statement, issued on Sunday night, GAF said that its personnel were not given any ‘orders from above’ to withdraw as was being alleged in the reports.
It explained that some of the personnel and equipment at Mepe were, however, deployed to other distressed communities, such as Bator and its surrounding communities.
This was because the situation at Mepe had been brought under considerable control as of Sunday, the 22nd October 2022.
But its personnel were still on deployment conducting relief operations in accordance with the exigencies of the situation, at Mepe, Battor, Sogakope, Adidome, Aveyime, New Bakpa, Big Ada Ada Foah and surrounding communiti
The statement, signed by Naval Captain Michael Addo Larbi, for the Director General, Department of Public Relations, and copied to the GNA, explained that the humanitarian activities, “Operation Boafo”, being jointly conducted by the Ghana Navy’s Riverine Command and the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Army, had since Friday, October 13, rescued 12,000 people.
The teams have been equipped with 10 naval boats and four engineer assault boats for their operations.
In partnership with NADMO, it said, Emergency Operation Centres had been established to coordinate all its activities in a harmonised manner.
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, in a social media post alleged that the military personnel working in Mepe had been withdrawn by an unidentified authority.
This, he said, would hamper the delivery of relief items and medicines to some members of the communities and urged the GAF to return them to Mepe.