A heated confrontation unfolded at the Governance and Assurance Committee hearing on Wednesday when Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Chairman of the Committee, clashed with the Minister for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, over the government’s handling of the Akosombo dam spillage disaster.
The tension began when Mr. Ablakwa, who has been critical of the government’s response to the disaster, allegedly accused Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah of being “insincere” in addressing the crisis. This remark did not sit well with the Minister, who fired back, accusing Mr. Ablakwa of using his position as Committee Chair to intimidate government officials.
“You will be well advised to watch your diction. I will not take that. To suggest that I am using this position as a bully pulpit. You have to retract that. Because that is not what I am doing here. I am well within my standing orders,” Mr. Ablakwa retorted, refusing to back down from his stance.
Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah, clearly agitated, interjected, “But it is okay for the Chairman of the Committee to accuse the Minister of being insincere, of deflecting without more, and I don’t have the right to answer or to say I share a different view.”
As the exchange grew more intense, media personnel were instructed to stop their coverage of the meeting. However, in a move that further asserted his authority, Mr. Ablakwa instructed the media to continue broadcasting, ensuring that the heated interaction remained public.
Mr. Ablakwa has been a vocal critic of the government’s prolonged failure to adequately support those affected by the Akosombo dam spillage. Nearly a year after the disaster, over 1,300 individuals remain in camps, waiting for compensation and necessary assistance to rebuild their lives.
Speaking at a stakeholder public hearing, Mr. Ablakwa expressed his frustration with the government’s lack of action, particularly criticizing the inter-ministerial committee established to manage the crisis.
“You heard the government set up a 30-member committee. We are the inter-ministerial committee. To be very honest with you, we are very disappointed that that committee has not met us even once. I mean, a lot of the members, we are in parliament with them. I would have thought that even if it’s parliament, we can meet here,” Mr. Ablakwa said.
He continued, “We can even meet at the cafeteria, even over coffee that, oh, share data with us or tell us what is happening. You know, not one meeting, not so, we don’t know if it was just maybe an announcement for the public for some cosmetic reason, but we don’t know.”