The government has made available GH¢200 million for the resettlement of households in the Tongu areas of the Volta Region affected by the spillage of the Akosombo Dam.
Totalling 2803 houses, the construction and resettlement of the affected persons in the North (1218), South (650) and Central (935) Districts is the first phase of the resettlement plan post the dam spillage.
The Director of Works at the Ministry of Works and Housing, Mark Tetteh, who disclosed this in Accra, yesterday, said additional GH¢61 million would be needed to complement the first phase.
Mr Tetteh made these known when he appeared before the Parliamentary Special Committee probing the circumstance surrounding the spillage of the dam.
Constituting 45 per cent of the havoc caused by the spillage, the three Tongu districts are the worst affected by the spillage which has left thousands displaced especially in the three Tongu districts.
The second phase of the resettlement package, estimated to cost GH¢400 million would cater for 19 other affected districts in the Volta, Greater Accra, Eastern and Oti regions.
Some of them are Asuogyaman district, 64 houses, Ketu South, 59, Keta, 400, North Dayi, 10, South Dayi, 58, Krachi West, 165, and Krachi East, 673.
Others are Kpando 298, Biakoye, 335, Krachi Nchumuru, 198, Ada East, 330 and Shai Osudoku 61, Nkwanta North, 20 and Nkwanta South, 352.
Giving further details on the expected types of buildings, Mr Tetteh said they would be one and two bedroom facilities made with bricks to model the Apiatse resettlement plan.
According to him, stakeholder engagements were underway to get the buy-in of stakeholders and affected persons for the take-off of actual construction works.
With the actual commencement of work expected next year, Mr Tetteh said the timeframe for the completion of the project would depend on the availability of funds.
“If we can do this in two years, then we would need additional GH¢200m to make it GH¢400m for the first year. If we have to do it in three years, then we have do with GH¢200 million per year,” he clarified.
The committee, chaired by MP for Ahafo Ano North, Sulemana Adamu Sanid, with Dr Emmanuel Marfo and Francisca Oteng Mensah also serving as members, Emmanuel Kwesi Bedzrah, Dr Kwabena Donkor, and a technical expert was constituted in July this year.
It is to “establish the circumstances leading to the spillage of excess water from the Akosombo Dam, evaluate the preparedness and response of the Volta River Authority and relevant bodies, assess the impact of the spillage on the affected communities and the adequacy of the released efforts.
“Review protocols and methodologies considered best practice globally to regulate the dam spillage and make recommendation for the consideration of the house on how such disaster can be averted and minimised in the future.”
BY JULIUS YAO PETETSI
