Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, MP for North Tongu
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has warned that another spillage of the Akosombo Dam without resettlement of the victims of the first spillage will be catastrophic since many are still living in tents.
He has called for urgent action ahead of the spillage of the Akosombo Dam, as he revealed that some victims of the disaster occasioned by the earlier spillage are still living in tents.
The Volta River Authority (VRA) has announced community engagement ahead of a controlled spillage.
But speaking during the presentation of the business statement for next week on the floor of parliament, Ablakwa revealed the exercise is scheduled for August 1, per his checks at the VRA.
He questioned why a parliamentary probe instituted by the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, has not done any checks to inform the people about the next spillage.
“Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I remind you and this house that it has been 10 good months since the September 15 spillage, which unleashed untold devastation. More than 60,000 people were displaced; in my constituency, more than 12,000 were displaced. We filed a motion, and Mr. Speaker assured us that there would be a committee of inquiry so that, most importantly, we would learn lessons. I am not too fixated on any sanction or punishment per se; that is not in our interest. Best practices all over the world: when disasters of such nature occur, they carry out a probe so that it will lead to institutional reforms so that there will be far-reaching recommendations so that lessons can be learned and it will be avoided.
“As we speak, there are people still living in tents. If you go to Mepe Degomey Camp 1 or Mepe Degomey Camp 2, there are hundreds of our fellow citizens still living in tents. So those living in tents who lost their properties, Mr. Speaker, how do you think they see us if they hear there’s going to be spillage soon? Indeed, my follow-ups show that the spillage is going to occur as soon as August 1. That is what I am picking up from my usual deep-throat impeccable sources.”
The MP for Oforikrom, Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, demanded the sector minister be dragged to parliament over the development.
His call was supported by the MP for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah.
MP for Asuogyaman, Ampem Nyarko, who has already filed an urgent question on the matter, pleaded with the speaker to summon the ministry.
Deputy Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, consequently stated that parliament will hold a closed-door engagement with the Ministry for Energy over the matter.
Heavy downpours in the Lower Volta area of Ghana led to the worst flooding in the region’s history.
The flooding was caused by a spillage (a deliberate release of water) from the Akosombo Dam. Over 26,000 people were displaced, and no deaths have been officially announced.
The last recorded spillage was in 2010.
The Volta River Authority, the state agency that manages the Akosombo Dam, opened the floodgates to release pressure on the dam after unusually high rainfall.
By September, Volta Lake, the vast, 400 km-long reservoir behind Akosombo Dam, had been filled to capacity. A month after the spillage started, communities along the Volta River were severely affected by the excess water.
Local residents fled to safety, leaving behind most of their belongings. Farms were submerged, and crops were destroyed.
The inventory of stores and businesses in low-lying areas suffered extensive damage.
