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President John Dramani Mahama has issued a stern warning to the Chief Executive Officer of the Volta River Authority (VRA) and his deputies.
According to him, a recurrence of the devastation caused by the spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams will not be tolerated and will result in their dismissal.
Delivering a national address on his administration’s 120-day social contract on 7th May, President Mahama stated that his government had fulfilled its promise to initiate a probe into the incident.
ALSO READ: 120-Day Social Contract: ‘We’ve delivered on our promises’ - President Mahama
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He noted that the Energy Minister had inaugurated a five-member committee, chaired by Ing. Kirk Koffi, tasked with investigating the events leading up to the spillage.
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President Mahama disclosed that the committee has since recommended measures to prevent future occurrences, including the establishment of a controlled spill flood plan and the implementation of downstream engineering solutions for flood management.
He cautioned:
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I have directed that the recommendations be implemented immediately. I have further indicated that if they are not properly implemented and another destructive VRA-induced flooding occurs, as witnessed in 2023, the VRA CEO and deputies must resign or be dismissed. Immediate steps must also be taken to compensate flood victims.
Meanwhile, the government has allocated GH₵242.5 million to support victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage.
On 15th September 2023, the Volta River Authority commenced a controlled release of excess water from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams.
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ALSO READ: VRA hints at possible spillage of Akosombo Dam, plans to hold stakeholder engagement
The exercise, which continued until 30th October 2023, resulted in significant flooding in surrounding areas, particularly within the Lower Volta region.
Government data indicates that over 88,000 people and more than 5,000 homes were affected by the floods.