The Minority chief whip in Ghana’s Parliament, Kwame Agbodza, has indicated that the amount of GH¢220 million that has been earmarked in the 2024 budget to support victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage is utterly small.
Mr. Agbodza described the amount accumulated for the flood victims as a drop in the ocean.
The Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, made the announcement during the 2024 budget presentation of GH¢220 million for those affected by the spillage of the Akosombo Dam.
He said, “In the last few months, we have been witnesses to the devastating impact of the Akosombo Dam spillage. This follows excessive rainfall recorded in several parts of the country. To preserve the structural integrity of the dam, the Volta River Authority 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 Savanna, Oti, and Bono-East Regions.
“Government through VRA, 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) have 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. Indeed, we empathize with the families that have been affected and displaced by the spillage. We met victims, townsfolk, children, the chiefs, and, of course, the Honourable Okudzeto.
“Mr. Speaker, the government has budgeted an amount of GH¢220 million to support the relief phase for the communities affected by the Akosombo spillage as well as floods upstream in the Oti, Savannah, and Bono-East Regions.”
In an interaction with TV3’s Komla Kluste on Thursday, November 16, Mr. Agbodza, who is also a member of Parliament for Adaklu, said, “For the NDC and some people we have spoken to, the contributions we have made already, I can put a figure to it; it is about GH¢15 million.
“The GH¢220 million, what is it supposed to do? Is it supposed to rebuild the schools and hospitals, resettle teachers and key workers who have been displaced, and repair rapids? What is it supposed to do?
“That money is woefully inadequate to do anything. I wish we could have comprehensive discussions about it because it is not going to be a one-off thing. If this is just for the relief part of the work, fine, but if it is supposed to be part of the reconstruction or rehabilitation, then it is a drop in the ocean.”