They Refused To Leave Comment Amidst Volta Dams Spillage: NDC North Tongu Chairman Schools Sanitation Minister

NORTH TONGU Constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region, Mr C. K. Akaho-Tay has broken silence by detailing some real facts leading to the trends and events of the Akosombo and Akuse dams spillage which has caused flood disaster to thousands of people living along the Volta Basin.

Mr Akaho-Tay who doubles as the former Chairman of the Mepe Development Association (MDA) stated categorically that the facts on the ground prior to the spillage of excess water from the Akosombo and Akuse dams didn't give clear technical information to the public.

Articulating the details of the facts, the senior citizen of Mepe Traditional Area noted that 
stimulation was done by Volta River Authority (VRA) at Mepe some months before the spillage.

According to Mr. Akaho-Tay whose private house was also submerged in the floods at Mepe, the information given by the leadership of VRA during the the stimulation to the people was to move to higher ground at Mepe St. Kizito Senior and Technical School Area.

He added that the stimulation arrangement  didn't give period to remain on the higher ground and it sound as an hour or a few day's program.

He noted that with exception of the classrooms in the higher ground, no other accommodation facilities and social needs were provided.

Mr Akaho-Tay's explaination was to respond to Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources Oheneafrewo Prempeh's outburst who has  accused thousands of  residents affected by Akosombo and Akuse dams spillage for refusing to evacuate.

Freda Prempeh speaking at a forum organized by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and its customers in Accra on Monday, blamed the victims saying they refused to evacuate.

She said “The Akosombo dam spillage, even though Volta River Authority, National Disaster Management Organisation, the Water Resources Commission, came together to educate the people in the community and did simulation exercises with them even at Mepe, yet, they refused to leave. They did not want to be evacuated, and they stayed there till the end when we started spilling.”

“Unfortunately, look at what is happening, and the government has to spend millions of money on relief items, and education. The water in the whole area is contaminated and the Ghana Water Company and Water Resources Commission will have to spend millions of money to treat the water before we can pass it through our pipes.”

But the Chairman responding said "So just moving people to higher grounds alone is not a satisfactory enough to be justified by the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, who doubles as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North in Ahafo Region, Madama Freda Akosua Oheneafrewo Prempeh for accusing the people for not following instructions," Mr Akaho-Tay noted.

He said "Even the so called Save Heaven can only accommodate less than 2000 people whiles the spillage have affected over 14000 in Mepe alone and over 26000 in the Volta Region.

"So is very disappointing for a minister of state to made such abusive comments.Moving people to classrooms to deprived children from education is what the minister is justifying.Ghana indeed has a big problem with leadership," he said.