In the wake of severe flooding, 893 basic school students found their education abruptly halted in South Tongu District following the emergency closure of five schools over significant health and safety fears.
The students, comprising 395 boys and 498 girls, are currently idle at home, with their academic future uncertain due to the environmental crisis. According to a report by Graphic Online, the schools impacted include Cuinberto RC Memorial Basic School, Anaosukope PCG Primary, Sogakope RC Basic, Gonu Agbokopwe D/A Primary, and Gonu RC Basic School.
Celestine Sewoenam Adzoa Korsi-Agordo, the District Director of Education, revealed this unsettling development during a crucial meeting with the Volta River Authority (VRA) and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) officials. The director voiced apprehension regarding the disruption to the schools’ academic calendars, emphasising that authorities may need to transfer students to alternate schools should conditions worsen.
The current disaster stems not only from the spillage from the Akosombo Dam, leading to the submersion of several school structures, but also from the hazardous overflow of sanitation facilities. In some instances, schools with KVIP toilets are confronting grave health threats due to the overwhelming presence of faecal matter, as Korsi-Agordo outlined.
Reflecting on past tragedies, Togbe Nakakpo Dugbaza VIII, the Paramount Chief of Tefle Traditional Area, recounted the 1963 floods that similarly devastated the Tongu area during the Akosombo Dam’s construction. He criticised the lack of foresight in the dam’s initial studies, which failed to predict the current adversities plaguing southern Volta. The chief urged for comprehensive dredging of the Volta Estuary to ensure rapid drainage of floodwaters, condemning VRA’s prolonged inaction in preemptively curbing flood-related disasters.
VRA’s Deputy Chief Executive, Kenneth Arthur, defended the spillage as a controlled measure, crucial in averting a larger catastrophe by preserving the dam’s integrity. He offered a glimmer of hope, projecting that the floodwaters might begin to diminish within the week.
Echoing this sentiment, NADMO’s Deputy Director-General, Seji Saji Amedonu, committed to relentless efforts, in tandem with VRA, to alleviate the hardships of those affected. Despite these assurances, the menacing floodwaters showed scant signs of receding near the iconic Sogakope Bridge as of the last assessment.
