Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, strongly condemned the government’s response to the Akosombo Dam spillage, labeling it as both inadequate and a hastily made decision.
Expressing his views during a panel discussion themed “Building Resilience: A Socio-Economic Response to Natural Disasters” at the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa (ALIWA), Mr. Bentil voiced disappointment in the government’s poorly planned efforts to address the immediate concerns of affected residents.
While acknowledging the commendable efforts of Citi FM and Citi TV in providing relief and implementing long-term solutions in the heavily affected areas of the Lower Volta Region, Mr. Bentil underscored the importance of not solely relying on charitable initiatives.
He emphasized the necessity for a robust and coordinated national-level approach.
Expressing his astonishment at the lack of a serious government response, Mr. Bentil questioned the ad-hoc arrangement at the national level.
“I am still shocked that we have a disaster of that nature and there was no serious government response; what we saw was not serious. Look, Citi FM has done a yeoman’s job, but is that their responsibility? When you have a disaster of that magnitude, it is not charity that solves the problem.”
“At a national level, what I saw was an ad-hoc arrangement. Where is NADMO? Where is the Ministry of Interior? Where is the State in dealing with this in a way that is not ad-hoc or knee-jerk? Don’t we have systems in place that can take care of this? I am saying this because we are due for a major earthquake, and if we cannot deal with this, then God help us all.”
He queried the absence of organizations like NADMO, the Ministry of Interior, and the State in dealing with the situation in a more systematic manner, raising concerns about the preparedness for a potential major earthquake.
Highlighting the urgency of the matter, Mr. Bentil called on Parliament to conduct a thorough investigation into the spillage. He emphasized that the flooding was not a natural disaster but a consequence of deliberate actions, pointing out that someone initiated the release of water despite being aware of downstream residents.