A tense confrontation erupted on Wednesday between the Chairman of the Governance and Assurance Committee of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, and the Minister for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, during a committee meeting discussing the aftermath of the Akosombo dam spillage.
The disagreement, which quickly escalated, began when Mr. Ablakwa allegedly described the Minister as “insincere” in his handling of the Akosombo dam spillage disaster. This comment did not sit well with Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah, who, visibly disgruntled, responded sharply, accusing Mr. Ablakwa of using his position as Committee Chair to intimidate government officials.
“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 demanded, clearly offended by the Minister’s accusation.
Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah, however, stood his ground, interjecting, “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 intensified, media personnel present were instructed to stop their coverage of the meeting. However, Mr. Ablakwa intervened, insisting that the media continue their broadcast, further fueling the heated atmosphere.
The North Tongu MP has been vocal about the government’s prolonged delay in providing adequate support to those affected by the Akosombo dam spillage. Despite nearly a year passing since the disaster, over 1,300 affected individuals remain in camps without receiving compensation or the necessary assistance to rebuild their lives.
During a recent stakeholder public hearing, Mr. Ablakwa expressed his frustration with the government’s response, particularly criticizing the inter-ministerial committee established to address the disaster’s aftermath.
“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 further highlighted the lack of communication and engagement with MPs from the affected areas, stating, “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.”
Mr. Ablakwa’s remarks reflect growing dissatisfaction with the government’s efforts to address the ongoing crisis, as affected communities continue to wait for the assistance they were promised.