Hopes for safe and permanent shelter for victims of the Mepe floods are dwindling, as housing units under construction for the displaced have been abandoned and left to deteriorate in thick bush.
A visit to the site by Adom News revealed that weeds and shrubs have overtaken several unfinished buildings, some of which already show cracks — despite being intended as a lifeline for hundreds of affected residents.
These houses were part of a government initiative under the previous NPP administration to resettle victims of the 2023 Mepe floods, which displaced thousands and destroyed livelihoods following the Akosombo Dam spillage. Months after construction began, work has stalled, leaving the project in limbo.
It would be recalled that on March 26, 2024, the then Minister for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, cut sod for the construction of resettlement houses in the North Tongu District (Mepe) to relocate victims of the disaster. The project followed the spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong Dams by the Volta River Authority (VRA), which submerged communities and displaced close to 15,000 people in the Volta, Eastern, and Greater Accra Regions.
At the sod-cutting ceremony, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah explained that the relocation plan was informed by data collected by NADMO and other agencies, and aimed to restore dignity and provide healthier living conditions for affected residents. He assured that the project would be completed within six months, commending chiefs, elders, and local authorities for releasing land and pledging full support to the contractor.
However, when Adom News revisited the site in August 2025, the project — which started around June 2024 — had been abandoned.
Some victims, still living in temporary shelters, expressed deep frustration.
“We are still in makeshift shelters while these houses waste away in the bush. This is not fair to us,” one resident lamented.
Assemblyman for the Mepe Electoral Area, Ahorsu Amos Borlor, has called for urgent government intervention to resume construction before the buildings become completely uninhabitable. He also demanded accountability for the stalled project, describing it as a painful reminder of unfulfilled promises.
For now, the abandoned structures — swallowed by overgrown vegetation — stand as a stark symbol of neglect and a daily reminder of the ongoing suffering of the Mepe flood victims.
Source: Odehyeba Owusu Job
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