The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) has reiterated its stance of not being accountable for the Akosombo dam spillage disaster.
According to the agency, it provided timely forecast information to the Volta River Authority (VRA) for appropriate action.
Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament, the Director-General of the Agency, Eric Asuman, emphasised that the decision-makers at VRA had been sufficiently informed.
Consequently, he asserted that it would be unjust to attribute blame to the agency for the inaction of others.
“Our forecast indicated that we were going to have an above-normal forecast. That was early enough for anybody to watch and be prepared and take the necessary precautions. It couldn’t have been the fact that GMA didn’t give them information."
"We did, and the news came that we were being blamed. If you talk to the right people at VRA, they will tell you that couldn’t have been the problem of GMA,” he said.
His comments come months after the Volta River Authority (VRA) commenced water spillage from the Akosombo and Kpong dams.
The discharge, which commenced on September 15, 2023, was prompted by a sustained increase in the inflow pattern and water level of the Akosombo reservoir, resulting in the overflow of the Volta River.
This overflow caused extensive flooding and displacement of communities across nine district assemblies in the Volta and Eastern regions, including North, Central, and South Tongu District Assemblies, Asuogyaman, Shai Osudoku, and Ada.
The flooding left several communities submerged and displaced nearly 15,000 residents in the Volta, Eastern, and Greater Accra Regions.
In the aftermath, concerns were raised regarding the data-sharing mechanism between the GMA and VRA.
However, Mr. Asuman reaffirmed his agency's exoneration from any culpability in the matter.
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