Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Dr. Freda Akosua Oheneafrewo Prempeh, has said she has been taken “out of context” with her comments regarding the noncompliance of flood victims on evacuation campaigns championed by relevant stakeholders prior to the spillage of the water from the Akosombo and Kpong Dams.
According to a viral video on social media, the Minister is seen saying “we don’t want what has happened at Akosombo to happen to us in Accra. The Akosombo spillage, even though VRA, NADMO, the Water Resources Commission came together to educate the people in the community, did simulation exercise with them even at Mepe yet they refused to leave. They didn’t want to be evacuated. They stayed there till the end when we started spilling.
“Unfortunately look at what is happening. The government has to spend millions of monies on relief items, on education, the whole area the water is contaminated and Ghana Water, the Water Resources Commission spend millions of monies to treat the water before we pass it through our pipes. So, a stitch in time saves nine but sometimes it’s difficult to accept the situation. We cannot continue to sit down and allow these things to go on looking at what is happening,” she indicated.
“Now people are blaming government, VRA, NADMO. These three institutions really did a lot of education right from January. Even in September they were still talking to the people to move because there was the likelihood they were going to spill in the next week or two because the rainfall patterns have changed, climate change…you cannot anticipate when it was going to rain. So even if they start to spill on a very gradual note the rain could also fall and the dam will keep coming up,” she pointed out.
Reacting to the issue after several backlash from a section of the public in a message cited by OnuaOnline, the Minister said her comments were taken out of context.
“Akosombo spillage. I was taken out of context. Thank you all for your very much,” she posted on the page after receiving backlash from some people.
She said the government was committed to supporting the victims of the spillage, indicating the Volta River Authority is on course to providing support for the victims.
She listed some of the things that have been done and is being done for the victims so far.
1. VRA has committed GHS20 million towards alleviating the adverse impact on the affected communities in addition to the
2. VRA has deployed water tankers to make water available to the affected people.
3. VRA has provided medical items and personnel to screen and administer medical treatment to emerging health issues.
4. VRA has provided buses, trucks, and pick-up vehicles to assist in the internal transportation of both goods and affected people.
5. VRA has restored the damaged community water supply pumps in Aveyime.
6. VRA has installed a portable water treatment system at the St. Kizito School, a safe haven, in Mepe.
7. With the support of the Ministry of Energy, VRA has distributed 5000 solar lamps to various safe havens.
8. Together with ECG, the power supply has been reconnected to the St. Kizito safe haven in Mepe.
9. Zoom Lion has been contracted to provide mobile toilets, service them, and also to provide sanitation services at the safe havens.
10. An access road has been created in Mepe to the St. Kizito center to avoid accessing by boat.
11. Removal of weeds from the Sogakope bridge to facilitate the flow of the river into the ocean.
The Minister noted to keep Ghanaians updated with the turn of events.
READ ALSO: Akosombo dam spillage: 3 Foundation expresses need for water tanks for flood victims
