Ken Ofori-Atta
Government has budgeted an amount of GH¢220 million to support the relief phase for the communities affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage as well as floods upstream in the Oti, Savannah, and Bono East regions.
Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta revealed this during the presentation of the 2024 budget in Parliament yesterday, saying that during the restoration phase, the government will commit additional resources through the Ministry of Agriculture to facilitate the restoration of livelihoods.
In the last few months, the nation has witnessed the devastating impact of the Akosombo Dam spillage, which followed excessive rainfall recorded in several parts of the country.
To preserve the structural integrity of the dam, the Volta River Authority (VRA) commenced controlled spilling on September 15, 2023.
This led to the flooding of downstream communities in parts of the Volta, Eastern, and Greater Accra regions.
The heavy rainfall also caused flooding upstream of the Akosombo Dam, and impacted communities in the Savannah, Oti, and Bono East regions.
The Finance Minister indicated that the government through VRA, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and various agencies under the 13-member high level inter-ministerial committee, (comprising of the Ministries of Energy, Finance, Local Government, Environment, Interior, Health, Sanitation & Water Resources, Defense, Roads & Highways, Education, Information, Health, and Gender) had subsequently provided various forms of support to the impacted communities.
This support included food and related items, drinks, mattresses, mosquito nets and coils, clothes, baby food and diapers, sanitary pads, treated water services and storage tanks, solar lamps, sanitation services, restoration of utility services, and some social infrastructure.
“Mr. Speaker, the visit of the officials of the Ministry of Finance and myself, in collaboration with VRA, to the victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage in Mepe was truly revealing and sobering,” he stated.
According to him, the government empathises with the families that have been affected and displaced by the spillage, adding that during their visit they met victims, townsfolks, children, the chiefs and the North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
“We have requested funding from the World Bank under the IDA Crisis Response Window (CRW) to support the resettlement of the victims, restoration of livelihoods, compensation and reconstruction of infrastructure in the affected communities,” he said.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House