The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced the commencement of voter ID card replacement for victims of the Akosombo dam spillage starting on Thursday, May 30.
The Commission said it would replace all the voter cards for the residents of the affected communities by the dam spillage free of charge.
“As a well-meaning Commission, it is our duty to support all eligible voters to vote in the upcoming General Election. The replacement of voter ID cards which is scheduled to commence from 30th May 2024, is intended to fulfill that duty.
“Recognising the untold harships and economic loss suffered by victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage, we agree with Hon. Fiifi Kwetey of the NDC to support them. In solidarity with the victims and as a gesture of goodwill, the Commission is happy to announce that replacement of Voter ID Cards for victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage will be free of charge,” the commission said in a statement it posted on its official X page on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, has hinted that a class action suit against the government on behalf of the victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage is imminent.
According to him, after careful consideration of the issues and the government’s complete neglect of the victims, legal action will compel the government to fully compensate them.
Moreover, the lawmaker noted that there has been little action taken despite intensive efforts to get government support for the thousands of people affected by the disaster, including new homes and assistance for those who lost property.
In an interview on Joy FM, the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament stressed that the victims feel betrayed and ignored eight months after the catastrophe, emphasising that they should be compensated for their losses.
“To be very sincere with you, we have begun discussions with our lawyers. We’ve done everything we can do in Parliament. We have filed motions, we’ve made statements, we’ve filed urgent questions and we have engaged ministers. It’s clear that this is a clear case of government abdicating and engaging in cruel neglect. So, we are considering a class action.
“We are talking to our lawyers, and we want to take legal action to compel the government to be responsible and be responsive to the plight of the victims of this man-made disaster which they created. It appears that that’s the only realistic option we have now,” Mr. Ablakwa noted.
Source: myghanadaily
