‘VRA must compensate flood victims of Akosombo Dam spillage’ - Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey

The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey has charged the Volta River Authority (VRA) to compensate victims whose homes and other valuable properties have been damaged by the flood during the spillage.

He made the call at Ashaiman on Sunday, October 16, 2023, at the inauguration ceremony of the Volta Diaspora Caucus, and was the guest speaker at the event.

Residents in Central Tongu, North Tongu, South Tongu, Keta, and Keta North have fled from their communities due to a flood from excess water from the Akosombo Dam released by the Volta River Authority.

As a result, the General Secretary suggested that the leaders of VRA should have served notice to inhabitants in the affected communities before embarking on the steps to release the excess water from the dam.

“It is obvious that the Volta River Authority should have given far more notice to the people to know this was going to happen. Anytime there is going to be spillage from the north and Burkina Faso, a notice is given to the people to prepare to evacuate themselves not to be taken by surprise, so the way they went about it was very terrible”, he stressed.

Fiifi Fiavi Kwetey also stressed that the VRA is now liable for the menace of the victims living at the mercy of the flood, hence, they must expedite steps to compensate the victims since some have lost their homes and other properties to the flood.

“The government should react immediately and ensure that adequate support is given to the people. Relief items should be given to the people, they should be given water and things that they will survive on”, he advised.

He advised that it is not too late for the government to come to the aid of the victims and ensure that they are properly compensated.

“We can use this opportunity to tell the government that it is not too late to do what they have to do to show responsibility to the people and ensure that proper compensation is paid to all the people who have suffered because of the irresponsible manner the VRA has done”, he said.