Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in Parliament, has called for the Volta River Authority (VRA) to brief the House on the recent Akosombo Dam Spillage, which had led to flooding of some communities downstream. The Majority Leader made the call on Tuesday during a press conference in Parliament House in Accra. He said recent heavy rainfalls recorded in the country and the spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso had really contributed to immersed flooding in the north. ‘This year, thanks to the heavy down pour of rains, we were preparing ourselves for bounteous harvest, unfortunately we had this inundation of farmlands due to the massive rainfalls and the spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso,’ he said. ‘That certainly is going to compound the food situation in the country, the hope is that it will not lead to the skyrocketing of food prices to add to the already high level of food inflation in the country. I am hoping that it is not going to happen that way.’ He said, however, because of the fear of breaching the Dam, the VRA caused a controlled spillage of the Akosombo Dam. He noted that even though the spillage was controlled, because of the heavy rainfalls it made the communities down south to the Dam to be already flooded, hence, the spillage of the impounded Da ‘People have lost properties, houses, vehicles, livestock and even lives and crops have also been lost,’ Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said. ‘So, certainly it is going to contribute to the impoverishment of the people downstream; that is below the Akosombo Dam.’ He mentioned the immediate communities Akrade, Atimpoku and the rest. ‘I believe as representatives of the people, we should show concern. We need to have some dialogue with the Speaker to know exactly what we should be able to do as a House to assist them,’ he said. On my own part, some of our own colleagues, because it exacted a considerable toll on them, must individually also bear some burdens in relieving the people, the communities that they represent of those hardships. So, they’ve been calling on me to also come to their aid, except that it is not easy for any of us.’ The Majority Leader said: ‘Notwithstanding, I believe we may need to find some answers to some questions. And the speaker is not yet here, but when the Speaker comes, we will have some discussions with him, and I believe it will be important for us to invite VRA to come and fully brief the House about what has happened, the repercussions, and how to avoid any future such events.’ He said it was pivotal for them to also look at the integrity of the Akosombo Dam itself.
Source: Ghana News Agency