Victims of the Akosombo Dam Water Spillage have threatened to take legal action if compensation is not paid to them in the coming months. A year after the incident, many victims are still struggling without adequate resettlement and rehabilitation, feeling abandoned by the authorities.
The victims, who have been displaced within their own communities, describe their situation as dire. They assert that if they do not receive the compensation they are owed, they will seek justice in court.
Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, the most severely affected area, raised this issue last Monday during a session with the Ad-Hoc Committee established by the Speaker of Parliament to investigate the spillage. He was accompanied by the district’s chief, District Chief Executive, Assemblyman, and a representative from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO). The session was chaired by Hon. Sanid Suleman Adamu, MP for Ahoto Ano North.
Hon. Ablakwa highlighted that September 15th will mark one year since the disaster, yet the victims have not received any formal communication or notification regarding compensation. He emphasized that the victims survived through the grace of God, the goodwill of individuals, concerned citizens, philanthropists, and the communal spirit of the people.
VRA Has Questions to Answer
Hon. Ablakwa pointed out that the Volta River Authority (VRA), at the center of the disaster, has many questions to answer. He stressed that the victims, numbering around 12,000, were housed in 21 centers established by the VRA. These centers, which were mainly school classrooms, were overcrowded and lacked basic amenities such as toiletries and privacy. Approximately 1,500 victims still remain in these cramped conditions.
He also noted that, if not for mobile medical centers, the area could have faced outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and malaria. The economic conditions in the area have collapsed, with schools, hospitals, clinics, market centers, farms, fish farms, and animal husbandries all affected.
The MP and his entourage argued that besides compensation, many victims prefer financial assistance to rebuild their own homes instead of being relocated to evacuation centers. They expressed gratitude to all who helped them during their difficult times.
“Enough is Enough! We’re Tired of These Floods”
The victims also voiced their frustration with the perennial flooding that has plagued the region since the establishment of the Akosombo Dam, with a major flood occurring in 1963. They argue that despite these repeated disasters, no lessons have been learned, and they demand compensation this time around or they will take legal action.
VRA Has Not Been Fair to Us
The victims contend that the Volta River Authority has not treated them fairly in these circumstances, and they demand better treatment moving forward.
“We’ve Sacrificed but Suffered for Ghana”
The victims also argue that they have sacrificed enough for the development of Ghana but have only suffered in return. They highlight that their lands were taken for the construction of the Akosombo Dam without compensation, and they continue to bear the brunt of disasters, both natural and man-made.
Western Region and Oil Find
The aggrieved victims pointed out that in the Western Region, where oil was discovered, a percentage of the proceeds is allocated to the people in the area. They question why they are not receiving similar treatment and even suggested that they should, at the very least, enjoy free electricity. They are perplexed as to why they continue to face power outages from the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
Similar stories of suffering were shared by other affected constituencies, including South Tongu, Central Tongu, Anlo District, Keta Municipal, Asuogyaman District, Lower Manya Municipal, Ada District, and Shai-Osudoku District.
By S.O Ankamah || Ghananewsonline.com.gh