A Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Engineering and Operations) at Volta River Authority (VRA), Ing. Edward Ekow Obeng-Kenzo has replied critics who blamed the management of the Authority for the unfortunate flooding situation in the Volta Region as a result of the Akosombo dam spillage and are therefore calling for their dismissal.
The Akosombo dam, which has been opened to allow a reduction in the water levels to avert danger to the dam, has caused floods in nearby communities.
The residents have been displaced and have been kept in holding centers while the government and NADMO together with the inter-Ministerial Committee set up to manage the plight of the affected people provide relief to them.
The spillage, to some critics, is because the VRA management and staff failed to do due diligence.
But, according to VRA boss, they have done an exceptional work.
He said in interview on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” morning show that before the spillage, the Authority had engaged the community in a thorough simulation exercise with all relevant measures put in place to appropriately respond when the spillage occurs.
He noted that the Authority also assessed their data and made all necessary predictions among others to address the situation ensuring the dam as well as lives are saved.
The Deputy CEO argued that their staff and management have the requisite expertise to manage the dam and, to him, it is unfair for anyone to ask for their dismissal.
“There’s nobody in this country who has run a hydro-power plant than people of VRA. We have all the datas. We have run the power plant 60 plus years. We have the expertise, so I won’t say there’s somebody who can say it’s more expert than a VRA person who has the data, knowledge backing him to take decisions”.
“If someone says we don’t know our work, I will say maybe the person didn’t speak well. At least for 60 years, we have managed the dam up to this point . . . This is one of the best managed dams in the world. Every five years, we have people from abroad who come to assess the dam, assess our data we use to operate the dam; always they give us high marks with small lapses on what we should do to make sure the dam is properly secured so that we don’t bridge the dam,” he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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