The Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business in the Parliament of Ghana, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has lamented over the aftermath of the spillage of the excess water in the Akosombo Dam, expressing fear that it may plunge the country into a food crisis and further worsen the plight of affected communities downstream.
He prayed that should food shortages hit the country, it would not lead to the skyrocketing of prices to add to the already high levels of food inflation.
“We were preparing ourselves for a bounteous harvest. Unfortunately, we have this inundation of farm lands. No thanks to the massive rainfall and also the spillage of the Bagri Dam.
That certainly is going to compound the food situation in the country and the hope is that it will not lead to the skyrocketing of food prices to add to the already high levels of food inflation in the country,” he noted.
Addressing members of the Parliamentary Press Corps prior to the sitting of Parliament on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, he described the situation as dire, and called on the House to act swiftly and alleviate the plight of the people and ensuring that food security was sustained in the country.
“I believe that as representatives of the people, we should have a dialogue with the Speaker to know exactly what we will be able to do to assist. The spillage has also exacted considerable toll on some of our colleagues who are MPs in the affected communities. It is not easy for any of us,” he noted.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, said that it would be important for the Legislature to invite the leadership of the Volta River Authority (VRA) to brief the House about “what has happened, the repercussions and how to avoid any of such occurrences in the future.”
The Minister responsible for Water Resources and Energy, he added, may also be invited to be part of the briefings.
He said in all the discussions that they would have, it would be important to also consider the integrity of the dam, wondering what would have happened if it had been breached.
“If the dam itself got breached, you know the effects of the impounded water – it stretches from Yeji and beyond and all this impounded water will be gone,” he underscored.
The Majority Leader later on the floor of the House when delivering his welcome remarks told the Members of Parliament (MPs) to be wary of politicising the spillage of the Akosombo dam.
“I have heard about some comments that have been made by some colleague Members of Parliament. It is scary the extent some Ghanaians and MPs go to politicise every single event in this country. As MPs, one of our core responsibilities is to inform and by that educate the citizenry.
The education must be done in sincerity and truthfulness; nothing short of that. We should educate the people in order for them to make informed choices. Mr. Speaker, serving citizens with propaganda is corruption of the night,” he advised.
By Stephen Odoi-Larbi
