The Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe has attributed the current flood disaster in the Volta region to the inability of the Volta River Authority to forecast between surrounding countries.
According to Mr. Tamakloe, Ghana is currently experiencing this disaster in the Volta region and some parts of the Eastern region as a result of policy failure and planning of the Volta River Authority.
Speaking in an interview on TV3’s New Day Monday, October 16, 2023, the legal practitioner accused officials of the Volta River Authority of sleeping while at work and currently blaming the Ghana Meteo Agency for the harm caused.
He said VRA relied on data from the Ghana Meteorological Agency while failing to acknowledge the possible entrance of water from countries like Mali, Burkina Faso etc. into the Volta Lake.
“Officials at the VRA over relied on data from the Ghana Meteorological Agency this year. Data from Ghana Meteorological Agency, said the draught and rainfall analysis this year was not anything extraordinary. It was going to be normal but by July, the water pattern had changed and resulted in this current disaster.
“The water level was as a result of water from countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and that is what has caused the problem,” he stated.
The lawyer stressed that Ghana has not experienced spillage of such magnitude of water with 9 districts being affected, and the Anlo and Ada East being the hardest hit towns considering the fact that these towns are at the estuaries of the Volta Lake.
He also bemoaned the actions of the inter-ministerial committee led by the Chief of Staff, Akosua Osei Frema Opare.
“The inter-ministerial committee has failed to prioritise the situation. However, I believe with the President’s visit to the affected areas, there will be proper mobilisation of resources to help man this disaster,” he said.
He further acknowledged that 6,700 cubic metric tonnes of water are being spilled already while officials of the VRA are warning of more spillage of water from the Volta Lake.
“Currently, the Sogakope bridge is one of my biggest worries. It connects southern Volta to the rest of Ghana and if this bridge is affected, it could cut off the whole of Volta region from the rest of the country,” he noted, adding that “all hands should be on deck, to prevent further disaster.”
The legal practitioner is appealing to corporate Ghana, especially the VRA, as part of their corporate social responsibilities, to provide enough relief items and resources to the affected areas and families just like they helped during the COVID since NADMO is currently not able to provide enough.
By Clara Boadi Konadu|Onuaonline.com
