'We were not given prior notice' - Weija-Gbawe MCE on dam spillage

Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Weija-Gbawe, Felix Odartey Lamptey, has blamed the scale of flooding in parts of the municipality on the lack of prior notice before the spillage of the Weija Dam.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem on May 28, 2026, and monitored by GhanaWeb, Felix Odartey Lamptey said the Ghana Water Company Limited failed to inform the Municipal Assembly ahead of the dam spillage, leaving authorities unable to adequately prepare or alert residents.

“We were not given any prior notice, so we could not prepare adequately as a municipal assembly,” he said, adding that previous years had seen better coordination and early warning systems among stakeholders.

He explained that although the spillway was opened on Wednesday evening, May 27, 2026, the sudden volume of water entering communities exceeded expectations and quickly submerged homes in low-lying areas.

Cars, Homes Submerged: See places heavily impacted by Weija Dam spillage

“They opened the spillway and suddenly saw water entering houses. It was not expected to rise to that level so quickly,” he noted.

According to him, emergency response measures have since been activated, with small boats and vehicles deployed to evacuate affected residents and move them to safer locations, including churches.

Assembly Members under the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly have also been tasked to coordinate evacuation and relief efforts for displaced families.

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