The Ministry of Energy – Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh has justifies the decision of the Volta River Authority (VRA) to control spillage of excess water from the Akosombo Dam which ended up flooding parts of the Volta and Eastern Regions.
According to the Minister, but for the controlled spillage of water from the Dam it would have been destroyed, leading to unimaginable effects on Ghanaians.
He maintained it was the only option to preserve the dam from collapsing which also led to the protection of lives.
The former Education Minister made this known on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, while briefing Parliament on the spillage of water from the dams by the VRA that caused flood.
“If the VRA had not been proactive in spilling this year, the water coming into the reservoir would have overtopped Akosombo Dam, which would have had an unimaginable catastrophic impact on the people,” Dr. Opoku Prempeh said.
He added, “The controlled spillage led to the preservation of lives, the Akosombo Dam and Sogakope Bridge. Thankfully no death has been recorded”.
The minister in his briefing indicated the VRA would spill again if necessary, stating that “We are still observing the inflows and if it becomes necessary, we will spill.”
