Akosombo Dam Spillage: Government is not unresponsive – Mpraeso MP

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Mpraeso, Hon. Davis Ansah Opoku, has called on fellow MPs representing flood-affected communities not to give the impression that the government has been unresponsive to the recent flood situation caused by the spillage of the Akosombo Dam.

In an interview on Joy FM's “Top Story” on November 8, Hon. Opoku emphasized that the government and its various agencies are actively addressing the situation and working to find solutions to the challenges created by the dam spill.

Opoku urged his fellow MPs to refrain from suggesting that the government is unresponsive to the matter. He stated, “Once that is done, then, we seem not to appreciate the things that government is doing.”

While acknowledging that people have been displaced and need to be resettled, he explained that such activities require careful planning and budgeting, which cannot be accomplished immediately.

The MP for North Tongu, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, had criticized the government for allocating GH₵2.86 million to the Volta River Resettlement Fund to address the crisis, arguing that the amount was insufficient considering the extent of the damage caused by the dam's spillage.

He noted that the disaster was so severe that a “paltry” GH₵2.86 million could not adequately address the situation.

Hon. Opoku defended the allocation, highlighting that the Volta River Authority (VRA) has been contributing annually to the fund, with the latest contribution occurring just last year.

He emphasized the responsiveness of the VRA to the needs of the affected communities, pointing out that they have also established a GH₵20 million fund to manage the disaster.

Hon. Opoku further noted that Ablakwa acknowledged the relief efforts made by the VRA, NADMO, and the Finance Minister in support of the flood-affected communities.

Regarding the resettlement plan for displaced individuals, Hon. Opoku referred to the Volta River Resettlement Fund, which manages resettlement-related issues. He encouraged MPs representing flood-affected areas to call on the government to provide compensation for affected residents.