Energy Minister and VRA to appear before Parliament on Nov. 8
The Minister of Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and the management of the Volta River Authority (VRA) are expected to appear before Parliament on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, to brief the house on the Akosombo dam spillage and its devastating effects on communities along the Volta River basin.
The spillage, which began on September 15, has displaced about 27,000 people in parts of the Volta and Greater Accra Regions, according to the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO).
Addressing the House, the Minister of Energy assured that his outfit would provide the necessary accountability to the citizenry.
“Even though VRA is under the Ministry of Energy, we take responsibility. It is a national disaster, an emergency. It is not only affecting people in the South. I would have requested for even more time, but since this house also needs to be informed about what is going on and the government’s response activities, I am not the lead government agency.”
“There is an inter-ministerial advisory team, but we will take responsibility and come to inform you about what VRA has done and hasn’t done once we have completed everything… And I do pledge that if it is next Wednesday, I will be here with VRA,” he stated.
It will be recalled that at a sitting on October 31, the majority leader in parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu called for the management of the Volta River Authority (VRA) to appear before the House to answer questions concerning the spillage of the Akosombo dam that wrecked many homes in some parts of the Volta, Eastern, and Greater Accra Regions.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu explained that the presence of the management of VRA before the House will elaborate more on the reasons for the spillage and the possible ways to forestall similar occurrences in the future.
“I believe we may need to find some answers to some questions, and I guess the speaker is not yet here, but when the speaker comes, we will have some discussions with him, and I believe it will be important for us to invite VRA to come and fully brief the house about what has happened, the repercussions, and how to avoid any future events,” he noted.