Anlo Youth Council Backs Minority’s Rejection Of 2022 Wicked Budget

The Anlo Youth Council (AYC) is backing the Minority in Parliament over last week Friday’s vote to reject the 2022 budget.

In a statement signed by its president, Seth Doe, the Council said the Minority’s action means that it had chosen to stand with victims of the tidal waves along the coast of Southern Volta.

“We wish to declare the support of the Council of the Minority Caucus of the Parliament of Ghana’s decision to reject the 2022 budget. The Minority has chosen the side of many victims of the tidal waves. The victims have been looking up to the Government for hope. And rightly so because it is the responsibility of the state to provide security for its citizens,” the statement said.

Last week Friday’s rejection of the 2022 Budget by a one-sided Parliament dominated by the Minority, after the Majority had staged a walkout, had been informed by a number of things, including the government’s neglect to make budgetary allocations to the Keta sea defense project.

In the lead-up to the presentation of the budget by Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minority had vowed to resist the budget on account of the neglect of the Keta (Anlo) sea defense project, the e-levy, and the reintroduction of the Agyapa Mineral Royalties deal. Last week Friday, the Minority did just that.

According to the AYC, the Anlo coast has been under attack over the past 160 years. Mainly due to global warming and the damming of the Volta River. With the eastern part of the Volta Estuary receding at 300% more than the rest of Ghana. 

It said Over the past ten (10) years, the Government has invested over Five Hundred Million US Dollars ($500)m in coastal protection, and that has been at the Western part of the Volta Estuary; Ada, Sakumono, and Ningo. “We feel this is a clear case of unscientific resource allocation and discrimination. We would like to suggest to the Minority to expand their preconditions to include.”

The statement suggested that Government make provision for the development and the implementation of a comprehensive risk mitigation plan, including protection of the entire eastern coastline, especially the Fuveme and Agavedzi areas. 

Also, it called for the dredging of the Keta Lagoon to improve its holding capacity.