President John Dramani Mahama has assured residents affected by the 2023 Akosombo and Kpong dam spillage that government is finalising compensation for the disaster, insisting that the process will be concluded fairly, transparently and responsibly. He made the pledge during his ResettingGhana Tour stop at Juapong in the North Tongu District.
Speaking directly to communities across the Volta Region, the President acknowledged the significant hardship the spillage caused, describing it as a test of resilience for a region that has endured considerable disruption to homes, farms, businesses and livelihoods.
“The resilience of the people of this region has been tested in recent years. The spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong dams caused significant hardship for many families, affecting homes, farms, businesses, and livelihoods across several communities”.
President John Dramani Mahama
Verification and Assessment Nearing Completion
President Mahama explained that the government has remained actively engaged in addressing the aftermath of the spillage since it occurred, with the necessary administrative processes now approaching their final stages.
He offered a direct assurance to affected residents regarding the integrity of the process moving forward, emphasising the government’s commitment to handling the matter with fairness and accountability.
According to the President, the Minister of Finance has already made allocations within this year’s budget to begin disbursing compensation payments once the verification process concludes.
This phased funding approach reflects government’s acknowledgment of the scale of the disaster, which affected an extensive number of households across multiple districts within the Volta and Eastern regions.
Commitment Extends Beyond Financial Compensation
Beyond the immediate matter of compensation, President Mahama stressed that government’s responsibility to affected communities extends further, encompassing broader recovery and resilience-building efforts.
This broader commitment suggests that government views the spillage response not merely as a one-time financial settlement, but as part of a sustained effort to help affected communities rebuild in ways that reduce their vulnerability to similar disasters in the future.
The Akosombo and Kpong dam spillage, carried out by the Volta River Authority in late 2023, triggered unprecedented flooding that displaced more than 35,000 people across several communities. The controlled spillage destroyed homes, farmlands and businesses, leaving lasting damage across districts in both the Volta and Eastern regions.
Among the most heavily affected areas were the North and Central Tongu Districts, along with the communities of Mepe, Battor and Sogakope. Mafi, Adidome and Asuogyaman also experienced significant impact from the flooding, with residents across these areas losing homes, farmland and sources of livelihood in the aftermath of the spillage.
Funding Allocation Grows to Meet Demand
Government initially allocated GH¢225 million in the 2025 budget to address compensation needs arising from the disaster. That figure has since increased to over GH¢242 million, reflecting an expanded assessment of the funding required to adequately compensate the large number of affected households across the impacted districts.
These funds are intended for direct disbursement to residents in the severely affected communities, forming part of a broader effort to help families recover financially from losses suffered during the flooding.
Alongside the compensation process, government established a five-member probe committee led by Ing. Kirk Koffi to investigate the circumstances surrounding the 2023 disaster.
The committee’s work is aimed at understanding what led to the scale of flooding experienced during the spillage, with the broader goal of preventing similar occurrences in the future.
This investigative process runs parallel to the compensation effort, reflecting government’s dual focus on addressing both the immediate financial needs of affected residents and the longer-term structural issues that contributed to the disaster’s severity.
For residents who have waited nearly two years since the spillage disrupted their lives, the President’s announcement signals that a resolution may finally be within reach.
As verification and assessment processes move toward completion, attention now shifts to how quickly the promised compensation payments will begin reaching the thousands of households still recovering from one of the region’s most disruptive natural disasters in recent memory.
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