The amount of the damage inflicted by the Akosombo Dam spillage has been attributed by Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources Freda Prempeh to the villagers’ refusal to evacuate before the disaster.
The minister expressed sympathy for the affected individuals and highlighted the expenses the government must bear to provide relief to the victims.
She made the remarks while speaking at the second edition of the ‘Accounting to our Customers’ organised by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).
“The Akosombo dam spillage, even though Volta River Authority, National Disaster Management Organisation, the Water Resources Commission, came together to educate the people in the community and did simulation exercises with them even at Mepe, yet, they refused to leave. They did not want to be evacuated, and they stayed there till the end when we started spilling.”
“Unfortunately, look at what is happening, and the government has to spend millions of money on relief items, and education. The water in the whole area is contaminated and the Ghana Water Company and Water Resources Commission will have to spend millions of money to treat the water before we can pass it through our pipes.
“So a stitch in time saves nine. Sometimes it’s difficult to accept the situation, but we will plead with all of you to accept it as it is. Water is life and is essential to everything”.
The spillage of the dam has reportedly displaced over 20,000 people in the affected areas.
By: Rashid Obodai Provencal/Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
