Kwame Jantuah, Chairman of the Oil and Gas Sector of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), has called the spillage of the Akosombo Dam a necessary evil.
He noted that his conclusions come from his visit to the Akosombo Dam to speak to engineers there.
In his encounter, he indicated that VRA undertook a simulation exercise to avert the disaster but failed.
“I also went to Akosombo and I saw what was happening there. I sat with the engineers at Akosombo and I took some notes. They said per their projections in November 2022, they had not noticed the water in the reservoir was going up so they informed NADMO of their intentions to undertake a simulation. This simulation exercise was a life simulation exercise living along the lower Volta Lake on what they needed to do in case they needed to spill. In May 2023, they launched a simulation exercise called “Dawohoso” (Stay Alert). The military and 9 district assemblies were part of this exercise.
“As difficult as this is, it was a necessary evil. There is nothing we could have done about the water that was coming to the dam.”
Kwame Jantuah
He further explained that the engineers told him despite many releases and attempts to sensitize them, people adopted a wait-and-see attitude.
Mr. Jantuah also explained how the tributaries contributed to quick inflow.
“Now remember the water was flowing from the tributaries that flowed into Akosombo and the rain was also pouring into the dam directly which increased the level of the water. However, the turning point of all this is the magnitude of the water.”
Kwame Jantuah
In addition, he called on the country to rally behind the victims to salvage the situation.
“When you stand on the dam and look at the velocity and the force, they hadn’t opened the floodgate, it would have breached the entire dam. I don’t think it is time to point fingers. I think it is time to work together as a country and everybody should play their part.”
Kwame Jantuah
He thus praised the people affected because if the water had breached the dam, it would have been a very precarious situation for the entire country.
Meanwhile, Abraham Amiliba, the NDC party’s Director of Legal Affairs, emphasized that the disaster is a result of VRA and NADMO’s neglect.
“Let us call a spade a spade and say that state institutions that are responsible for ensuring that this flooding did not affect the people the way it has affected them have failed. They have failed because the people are suffering massively. After all, the institutions, VRA NADMO, and other allied institutions have slept on their job.
“I hear people say there were simulations to the people. My understanding of simulation is that a simulation should be close to reality. That is my understanding. Are we being told that with the level of water, that has been poured out and the house has been submerged, there were simulations by whoever and that person did simulations, in that high amount of water? That person who did the simulation, did he submerge himself in this type of water?”
Abraham Amiliba
Mr Amiliba also bemoaned the comments of the president at Mempe.
“The worst of it all, has the president apologized for the hogwash statements that he made to the people of the Volta region? Has he apologized? This is the third day.”
Abraham Amiliba
“People are distressed, you take the people’s car, you take the people’s money to fuel the car, you go to the Volta region and you insult them this way. The whole country is up in arms against you and would not apologize to the people of the Volta region.”
Abraham Amiliba
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