The Minority in Parliament has said the GHS220 million that was earmarked in the 2024 budget to support victims of the flood in the Volta Region and other parts of the country that were hit by the spillage of water from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams, is inadequate.
Minority Chief Whip, Kwame Agbodza described the amount as a drop in the ocean.
The Minister of Finance Ken Ofori-Atta made the announcement of the GHS220 million while presenting the budget in Parliament on Wednesday, November 15.
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 15th September 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 empathise with the families that have been affected and displaced by the spillage. We met victims, townsfolks, children, the chiefs and of course 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.”
Commenting on this in an interview with TV3’s Komla Klutse on Thursday, November 16, Mr Agbodza who is also lawmaker for Adaklu said “for NDC and some people we have spoken to, the contributions we have made already, I can put a figure to it, it is about GHS15 million.
“The GHS220 Million, what is ist 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 if it is supposed to be part of the reconstruction, rehabilitation then it is a drop in the ocean.”
Source:Fiilafmonline/3News
