In the month of November 2021, approximately 4,000 victims along the coastal areas of Ketu South, Keta and Anlo Municipalities and District respectively of the Volta Region were affected by tidal wave disaster.
The Kedzikorpe community where the flood waters ravaged homes
Among the various communities affected was Kedzikorpe in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region. The harrowing experience of the people of the community has rendered them homeless and their properties and livelihoods washed by the giant waves, hence benevolence organizations and individuals such as Promasidor, Former President John Dramani Mahama, Caring Sisters NGO, Centre for Justice etc. donated mattresses, maize, bags of rice and other assorted relief items to the victims.
Unfortunately for the victims of Kedzikorpe, some of their mattresses were sold to them by an associate of the Assemblyman called Mr. Ken Alorsey, aka. Container.
Hon. Joseph Quashigah aka Shaggy
These allegations were contained in a petition dated 6th day of January, 2022 and addressed to the Executive President of the Duamenefa Foundation of Fafaa FM Dzodze, in the Ketu North Municipality of the Volta Region for investigation and intervention.
The investigative team of the Duamenefa Foundation of Fafaa FM unravel the mysteries surrounding the allegations of diversions and sales of the relief items meant for the tidal wave victims.
Ken, an errand boy of the assembly man who was the lead distributor has become the sales agent engaged by those he preferred to call ” Boys, Boys, of Kedzikorpe ” to sell the mattresses to the victims. He admitted his involvement during interrogation on Fafaa FM.
When the Assemblyman was contacted to respond to the contents of the petition, he claimed he would contact his lawyers to respond, but further undercover investigations revealed that the Assemblyman took custody of the last consignment of about 229 mattresses and pillows from an agent of Caring Sisters NGO, for distribution to the victims.
Further investigations revealed that the assembly man deposited the relief items in the premises of one Mr. Sammy Abdallah, an auto electrician of Kedzikorpe, when Sammy was interrogated on Fafaa FM, he claimed that the items were deposited in his premises until the 4th day of January 2022 when the assembly man Hon. Joseph Quashigah again relocated the items from his premises to another location unknown to him.
It took the intervention of the Divisional Chief of Keta in person of Togbi James Ocloo V, to impress upon the assembly man to show him the whereabouts of the mattresses.
Mr. Philip Kokuvi Gadzi aka Gizoh, the petitioner
Togbi James Ocloo, accompanied by Dumega Seth Makumator, a member of his council moved to the family house of the assembly man where 110 mattresses and pillows were found in his personal warehouse. Out of the 229 final consignments received from an “agent” whose name the assembly man refused to disclose on air, but Fafaa FM through its undercover investigation was able to locate her.
The Assemblyman when interviewed on Fafaa FM on why he failed to distribute the items to the victims as at when it was needed most, claimed that the “agent” who brought the items, instructed him not to distribute the items until certain items would be added, whereas, one madam Wuyorkpor a victim of tidal wave disaster says she has been sleeping on the bare floor since the incident. It took the timely intervention of Fafaa FM during investigation to contact the Municipal Director of Nadmo, Mr Bleboo who quickly came to her aid with one mattress, a mosquito net and a blanket for her relief.
When the NADMO Director was asked why they allowed the Assemblyman and his group to share the relief items, Mr. Bleboo explained to Fafaa FM that this NGO bypassed the NADMO Directorate of the Keta Municipality and handed the relief items to the Assemblyman and his group; hence, there was nothing he could do in that circumstance. He used the occasion to call on benevolence organizations to pass through his office to reach out to the vulnerable at any given time in order to prevent such occurrences.
When Fafaa FM contacted the “agent” off-air, (name withheld); she says, she has made a formal complaint to the Ghana Police Keta Divisional Command and she is expecting the Assemblyman would be processed to court for recovery of the items in his disposal for onward distribution to the victims.
According to Togbi James Ocloo V, during an interview on Fafaa FM, the Assemblyman pleaded to be given grace period of two months to buy and replace the missing 119 mattresses to complete the 229 pieces meant for the victims, but Togbi and his elder gave him one month to do so, considering the fact that there are more victims who are in need of mattresses for sleeping.
The petitioner was also directed to make a formal complain to the Ghana Police Service Keta.
According to the petitioner, police were able to retrieve the sum of Ghc 1,500.00 being the cost price of 10 mattresses sold by Mr. Ken, aka Container to the victims. The police have scheduled the matter for court on Monday, the 14th day of February, 2022.
Mattresses delivered to Keta Police Station as sold Exhibit
Watch out for further development from the Keta Police Station and the Court …………..
Source: www.duamenefafoundation.org / news editor in chief