The committee tasked to investigate the 2023 Akosombo Dam spillage has concluded its probe with a report highlighting how poor preparedness and communication by the Volta River Authority (VRA), the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), and local authorities intensified the devastating impact of the disaster.The five-member committee, inaugurated by President John Dramani Mahama, spent two months investigating the causes and response to the spillage and submitted its 110-page report to the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Abdulai Jinapor, on May 7.While the committee acknowledged that the primary cause of the spillage was to protect the dam from destruction, it strongly criticised the weak emergency response mechanisms that followed.It noted that the VRA’s Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP), though technical and shared with stakeholders, suffered setbacks.“While VRA had socialised the document with all stakeholders and conducted a simulation exercise for some selected communities before the spill, high turnout and divisions amongst some District Chief Executives (DCEs)/Metropolitan Chief Executives (MCEs) and Members of Parliament (MPs) could have derailed clear communication lines for implementing the plan and distribution of relief items,” the report noted.Central to the committee’s findings was the failure of effective coordination among key agencies. Moreover, the response from government institutions revealed worrying gaps.“While there were efforts to provide immediate assistance, gaps in communication, resource allocation, and community engagement were identified,” the committee reported. It added that “operational challenges, such as a lack of local disaster preparedness plans and inadequate evacuation resources, hampered the emergency response process.”According to the report, other challenges included failed resettlement attempts, cultural resistance, and lack of consultation.“The people lament that their opinions were not sought in selecting the sites for the resettlement, and therefore, have refused to relocate and are requesting that the resettlement project be halted as the objective is not served,” the report said.The committee highlighted grievances from communities both upstream and downstream regarding compensation.

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“The affected people in these communities have not been adequately compensated for the devastating impact the floods had on their properties and source of livelihoods,” it noted.To avert future disasters, the committee called for urgent reforms, including better stakeholder coordination, improved community engagement, and the implementation of stricter land use regulations.The flood, which began mid-September 2023 and lasted over six weeks, displaced approximately 38,624 residents and wreaked havoc on properties, schools, health centres, and farmlands in communities such as North, Central, and South Tongu, Ada, and Kpong.Nearly 1,247 homes, 94 schools, and 17 health facilities were destroyed, while agricultural losses were estimated at $78 million.The immediate past government had allocated GH¢220 million as a form of support to the victims. However, it appeared that such funds never reached the victims, as they, and Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, threatened to drag the government to court.However, the incumbent government under the leadership of President John Mahama has pledged to compensate the affected individuals.

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