By: Emmanuel Amoah
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr. Alban Bagbin, has established a seven-member ad hoc committee under Order 262 of the revised Standing Orders (2024) to evaluate the effects of the Akosombo Dam spillage on impacted communities and to assess the adequacy of the relief efforts provided.
The committee has also been tasked with reviewing the protocols and methodologies employed and considering global best practices to help prevent future flooding disasters.
The committee, which includes members from both sides of Parliament, consists of Mr. Suleiman Adamu Sanid, Mr. Emmanuel Marfo, Madam Francisca Oteng-Mensah, Mr. Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Madam Helen Ntoso, Mr. Kwabena Donkor, and Mr. Kennedy Kludjeson, a technical expert.
Mr. Suleiman Adamu Sanid, who chairs the committee, led the team on a visit to the North, South, and Central Tongu districts to investigate the factors that led to the spillage of excess water from the Akosombo Dam and to gather information on the Volta River Authority’s (VRA) response to the affected communities.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr. Sanid stated that more government relief efforts are required for the North and Central Tongu districts, which are the most affected by the flooding.
He mentioned that the committee would submit a report to Parliament, outlining the necessary actions to be taken.
Mr. Sanid also highlighted that the committee would examine the budgetary allocations made by Parliament to address the situation in the flood-affected communities.
Furthermore, he noted that MPs and District Chief Executives (DCEs) from the affected areas, along with the leadership of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and the VRA, would be summoned to Parliament for further discussions on preventing future floods.
Mr. Sanid commended the MPs, DCEs, and NADMO officers in the Tongu areas for their efforts during the flooding.
The committee has instructed the North Tongu District Assembly to cover the electricity and water utility bills for all affected residents, as many victims have experienced service disconnections.
Madam Helen Ntoso emphasized the need to compensate the flood victims and assured that the committee would inform Parliament to secure the necessary support.
She also expressed concern about the ongoing challenges faced by nursing mothers and children living in tents and indicated that Parliament would work to ensure they are relocated to proper housing.
Mr. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Mr. Alexander Hotordze (MPs for North and Central Tongu, respectively), and Mr. Divine Osborne Fenu, the DCE for North Tongu, expressed their gratitude to the Speaker and the committee for assessing the situation and taking steps to address the residents’ needs.
They also thanked the government for its ongoing interventions during and after the floods and urged the government to expedite the construction of resettlement housing projects and to implement a compensation plan for the affected victims.
