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Former Chief Executive Officer of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Ing. Kirk Koffi, has stated that the 2023 Akosombo Dam spillage—which led to the displacement of thousands—was caused by natural events, not human error or negligence.
The spillage, which affected eight communities along the Volta River, including Mepe, sparked public outcry over its management. However, Ing. Koffi maintains that the situation was beyond human control and was triggered by exceptionally high water inflows into the dam.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Face to Face with Umaru Sanda Amadu, he clarified that no one should be held accountable for the destruction.
“No, no, it all depends… direct rainfall can impact what it comes from anywhere. It’s just a result of the inflow. You cannot hold them responsible because they would have died anyway,” he explained.
He added that weather conditions in 2023 were highly unusual, noting that instead of declining by September as expected, the water levels continued to rise. This forced the VRA to increase the spillage to prevent the dam from overflowing or collapsing.
“By September 2023, when we were to see a downward trend in the inflow, it picked up, which was an indication, and they had to spill a little bit more,” he said.
“Those who run the facility don’t bridge the dam; if you do, everybody downstream will go, and you will not save anybody. That is, if the water overflows. 2023 was an unusual year.”
Ing. Koffi praised the efforts of former President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister for Energy and Green Transition, John Jinapor, for their swift response and foresight in setting up a committee to plan for future emergencies.
“Thanks to President John Dramani Mahama for his vision and foresight, as well as Minister for Energy and Green Transition, Hon. John Jinapor, for setting up this committee two years after the event,” he said.
“I believe they are looking more into the future to make sure it doesn’t happen again. I’m sure they might have been briefed.”
The former VRA boss emphasized that the disaster was a result of nature’s unpredictability and expressed hope that future planning would help prevent such outcomes.
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