‘I’ve Been Swimming for Days’ — Weija-Gbawe MP Pleads for Help as Dam Spillage Floods Homes

The Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, is calling for urgent government support for residents hit by flooding after the controlled spillage of the Weija Dam left families displaced and homes and businesses under water.

Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, May 28, the MP described conditions in his constituency as dire, saying he has personally been helping residents evacuate.

“Mr. Speaker, it hasn’t been easy at all. I have been swimming for the past three days, helping people to evacuate. My people are suffering. Weija Gbawe is under siege,” he said.

The National Disaster Management Organisation says at least 85 people affected by the spillage have been moved to safe shelters.

The spillage is part of routine dam management. All five spill gates were opened to control inflows and protect the structural integrity of the dam, which caused downstream water levels to rise.

In Weija and nearby areas, residents have been using canoes to salvage belongings after heavy rains and the dam spillage submerged homes and displaced families.