Stop the Blame Game and do the needful – Dafeamekpor to VRA

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Mr. Sam Fletcher, was reported to have said on Adom TV’s Nnaw)twe Yi programme which was published on adomfmonline on Sunday 15th October (https://www.adomonline.com/akosombo-dam-spillage-ghana-meteo-misled-us-vra/) that the Authority was misled by the Ghana Meteorological Service Department.

According to him, based on the information from the Meteorological Service Department, they did not expect massive collection of water into the Volta Lake and for that matter, the Akosombo Dam. He intimated that as of July this year, they have gotten indications that the projections of the Meteorological Service had proven to be false leading to this recent spillage that is causing devastations downstream.

However, in the said publication, the PRO for Ghana Meteo, Joshua Asamoah, was reported to have disputed the claims. According to him, the Ghana Meteorological Service Department work closely with VRA, NADMO and the Geological Service and all these stakeholders to provided adequate updates on the seasonal forecasting.

Having regard to this information, it is unfortunate to have the VRA specifically taking this angle of defense which has resulted in their shifting of responsibility. Mr. Fletcher admitted that as far back July 2023, they had a clear indication that the volumes of water would exceed what was projected.

That being the case, reasonable steps were expected to have been taken to spill water from the Akosombo Dam without causing devastation of the magnitude being experienced. This recent spillage has caused so much pain and anguish, destroyed homes, means of livelihoods, disrupted power supply, cut off means of travel, and taken over the homes of individuals within areas like North Tongu, Central Tongu, South Tongu, Keta among other places.

The issue in contention remains the level of sensitization that was carried out in the communities along the River banks before this spillage. Engagement with people in these areas reveal inadequate sensitization.

The VRA has slept on its responsibility and brought about this disaster that has befallen over 100 communities along the banks of the Volta Lake.

What we need at this moment, is not attempts to shift and place blames on the doorsteps of other institutions when what we know is that the VRA has undertaken a spillage of the Dam. What needs to be done at this moment, is to take measures to protect the affected people without compounding their already devastated conditions.

The Volta Regional NDC, in a press release of Thursday 12th October, had taken the pain to compile the list of communities which have been affected by floods resulting from the spillage of the Dam. Additionally, over the weekend, the former President and Flagbearer of the NDC, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, together with the Volta Region MPs Caucus of the NDC toured parts of the affected areas and brought to light the volume of devastation that has been brought about from this spillage.

At this material moment, no one is interested in who misled who. We need interventions to mitigate and curtail the current state of despair among our people in the affected areas. This is what the VRA should be directing its efforts and attention to. It is unacceptable that the VRA would, in the midst of this crisis, resort to blaming another agencies for a subject matter that it had confessed having known since July.

Signed:

Hon. Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Esq.
MP, South Dayi.