Akosombo Dam: Matters on the National Disasters and the way forward

Matters on current National Disasters especially the issues Associated with the Akosombo Dam, Like the National Economic Disaster effective 2022 which the Bank of Ghana saved the Economy of Ghana from Collapse, this National Environmental disaster saga revealed the good work by VRA and also demo the Deceit, Dishonesty, Hypocrisy and Incompetency of our Leaders both NDC and NPP and some of our Intelligentsias.

So, please let us encourage efforts for national cohesion in dealing with both the National Economic Disaster and the National Environmental Disaster. As such, let us stop the infantile or irresponsible comments especially the premature blaming of the very competent persons at VRA until a probe into the incident to give us the state of affairs. As started, both the NPP and the NDC are the real enemies or problem of Ghana and not BOG and VRA for the National Economic Disaster and the Environmental Disaster respectively for not using the National Development Planning Commission effectively.

Beloved Compatriots, the Spillage of water from both the Akosombo and Kpong (Akuse) Hydroelectric Power Stations Dams has occasioned another very serious National disaster at our hand in addition to both the financial and economic crises we encountered since 2022.

Once again, due to our Pull Him Down (PHD) syndrome, we are not united on what caused this Environmental Disaster just like the National financial crisis. So once again with have another problem, like the Financial Crisis or problem in Ghana, which resulted in some of us seemed to be very confused with what really caused the financial crisis.

It is strange that some of us, on one breath we put blame of economy crisis to the Minister Finance by accusing the Minister of Finance for an unbridled borrowing of external loans so that Data Bank, his former Company makes gains as a Book runner by Financial engineering and in another breath the same persons put the blame on Dr Bawumia for the economy mess. Thus we forget that per the Constitution, the Vice President is a mere Standby or Spare Driver in Ghana’s Office of Government Machinery. We need to listen to ourselves whenever we are making blames.

We need to note that Dr Bawumia has zero executive powers to deal with the Minister otherwise per the saying the Buck stops with the President so the President must be blamed. So if the allegation is true there is no way Dr Bawumia can force the Minister to take his ideas. Example Dr Bawumia advised against the levy on Mobil Money but the Minister thought otherwise

Folks let us stop blaming VRA and rather blame both the NDC and the NPP, especially the NDC which emanated from the PNDC, so both the NPP and NDC are to be blamed for problem of the crisis at Akosombo Dam and Kpong Dam and not the poor Engineers of VRA. This is not politics but the truth. The Engineers must be commended from saving the collapse of both Dams and like the Governor of Bank of Ghana and his two deputies who saved the Collapse of the Economy of Ghana, the Engineers of VRA also deserve National Honor Award.

As student of Risk Analysis, I want to state clearly, that the problem was a natural disaster due to an exogenous factor that is not originated at Akosombo or Kpong or VRA due to unpredicted or massive water from River Volta in the North and beyond and not the tailings or waste water o both Akosombo and Kpong Dam.

The solution of the current Ghana’s economic Crisis and the Environmental Disaster in the Volta Region or the crisis of VRA and the perennial flooding in the North, which I stated in my previous submission in 2022 as Open letter to the President of Ghana as published in Modern Ghana is for the establishment of both Irrigation Dams for Farming and power like the planned Pwalugu and Salaga Multipurpose Hydroelectric Power and Irrigation and Sugar Production Series in the Northern parts especially along the upstream of Akosombo Dam and the Down Stream to absorb excess water from the White Volta River and the Barrage Dam in Burkina Faso, which will also improve the Economy Fundamentals of Ghana.

Example of wise use of excess water or a possible Flooding by the State is the Water Absorber unit termed as the Akuse or Kpong Hydroelectric Dam. It was built as a power station and the possible shock absorber of VRA spillage at the very Downstream of River Volta or the Downstream of Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam.

The Kpong Hydroelectric Dam was initiated or built by the late former President Dr Liman of the PNP fame and was continued by the late General Acheampong and it was completed by then Chairman of the PNDC namely Flt Lt JJ Rawlings with irrigation facilities in addition. This is an example of good leadership by the mentioned heads of State with the continuation of Master or Action Plans of President Dr Kwame Nkrumah (Nkrumah never dies) to prevent flooding from the Akosombo Dam. Other Nkrumah’s projects or ideas bought by General Acheampong and later by Dr Liman’s included the plan for the establishment of Multipurpose Irrigation and Hydroelectric Power Stations at BUI. Thanks to God for President Kofour continuation with the BUI project which was initiated by Dr Liman and it was completed by the late President Mills.

The plan was to establish water shock absorbers at Savelegu and Pwalugu and other areas at the Upstream of the River Volta to kill four birds at the same time namely additional hydroelectric power Stations, Irrigation Dams for Farming thus for both the improvement of the macroeconomic fundamentals of Ghana and address possible flooding of the Northern part from excess water from Burkina Faso,

Before building the Akosombo Dam, Dr Nkrumah prevented then Upper Volta now Burkina Faso from building the biggest hydroelectric power/irrigation in West Africa. So, both Countries came out with plans for projects like the Bagri Dam at Burkina Faso by Burkina Faso, and by Ghana for multipurpose dams at the segments of the Upstream of the Akosombo Dam. Note River Volta was named by the Portuguese and the word Volta in Portuguese means turning or meandering that is the river which turns so the Portuguese came out with some of the ideas of the Projects along the segment of River Volta due to the turning effect. Burkina Faso was originally name as Upper Volta.

We need to be educated that our Economic Problem and the current Disaster is the refusal or failure to use a Constitutional Body namely the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) for Economy Planning. The framers of the 1992 Constitution took cognizant of the fact that we have two major economic thoughts in the World, namely Socialism as propounded by Karl Marx, with his followers as then rooted in the CPP/PNP and now rooted in the NDC and Capitalism or Free Market Economic System by Adam Smith with the United Party of Dr Busia, SD Dombo, CK Tedam, Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, the ToloNa and others which later metamorphosed into the Progress Party now NPP as the followers of the ideology of Adam Smith

To address the haphazard way of national development due to the difference in the Political and Economy Ideologies which has resulted in the lack of the continuation of projects started by previous regimes, the framers of the 1992 Constitution, with God’s wisdom cleverly ceded the Ministry of Economy Planning which was formerly a combined Ministry of Finance and Economy Planning and used so the framers of the Constitution used the Ministry of Economy and established the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) as a pseudo Ministry of Economy Planning at Article 86 of the 1992 Constitution and ousted the Vice President of Ghana, a politician from being the Chairman of the NDPC (the Constitutional Economy Management Team of Ghana) and for a qualified person to be nominated by the President as Chairman.

The membership of NDPC for very good reasons it includes the Governor of Bank of Ghana, the Government Statistician, the Regional Directors of Economy Planning, the Minister of Finance for them to draw a common National Development Plan based on Comparative Advantage of each Districts like the planned multipurpose hydropower Station and Irrigation project for massive production of say Rice, Sugar and vegetable in the North especially at Pwalugu and Savelegu based on comparative advantages of each Districts as in Section (2) (b) of the Article 87 of the 1992 Constitution.

Unfortunately, we are not united in adhering to the Constitutional provisions on the development of Ghana, this led to us wasting money in establishing a sugar Production Series at Komenda, an albatross on our neck because the Project was badly sited because it was not based on good experts’ advice or on economic planning (available feasibility reports by the help of Brazilians Government in President Kofour for Sugar Production at Savelegu and not Komenda Cargill International Ghana report in 2010 to President Mills and by Japan through Marubeni Google for Marubeni to set up Sugar Complex at Savelegu and also Google for Omanicane Sugar Consortium to set up sugar production at Savelegu during President Mahama’s regime.

Cry the Beloved Country, what has the son of Man done for the poor Leadership of some of our Leaders. The Sugar complex at Komenda is/was very wrong or problematic. First no enough land close to the Sugar Refinery for Sugar cane to be cultivated within 40km radius to be crushed within 14hrs by Sugar Mill to maintain the quality of the correct brix level for the Refinery or Factory. Komenda reported by studies including by University Cape Coast to the very low yield of 20 metric tons of sugar cane per hectare as against the possible 80 metric tons of Sugar cane per hectare at Savelegu as by a feasibility report from the Brazilian Government through a Brazilian Company named Embrampa which was done in 2007. The project of 240Million Dollars by the Government of Brazil through the Northern Star Resources was down by some MPs of Parliament.

The arable land situation and the climatic condition in the North especially at Savelegu was found by the Brazilians in 2007 as better than Sao Paulo in Brazil, the World leading producer of Sugar, Because Sugar Cane like Guinea Corn belongs to the grass family and the North is the grassland of Ghana.

Komenda is not like Savelegu District, since Savelegu is closed to the segments of Volta River in the North, note Burkina Faso used to be Upper Volta. Hence the North has massive land and close to water source for massive irrigation and Hydroelectric Power and dams which could act as shock absorbers for heavy rains from Upstream of Akosombo. So, do not blame VRA but blame both the NDC and NPP for poor leaderships.

Thanks to God that he made President Nana Addo to be very honest when after casting his vote at the NPP Delegate Conference on 28 Oct 2023 for trimming down the number of the NPP Primary Presidential candidates, when he indirectly I repeat he indirectly told us that he sabotaged the economy plans of Dr Bawumia, so the Savior for the Economy of Ghana is one of the NPP Presidential Candidates. My six years old granddaughter by name Aliana Owusu Bogobiri can tell that he meant Dr Bawumia, the Walewale Adam Smith or the man from the Savelegu area that is in the North East Region. So it is hope the Projects in the North especially Pwalugu and Savelegu may come on board by President Mahama or Dr Bawumia whoever is elected as President and this may help reduce greatly to improve the Economy Fundamentals of Ghana and reduce the headache of VRA. So, we need to halt the Deceit, Dishonesty, Hypocrisy and Incompetency in our Country and speak the truth and work as one Country, One People, One Country with a Common Destiny.

Enter the National Environmental Disaster which some of us say as the VRA Crisis, we need to take the good advice from Hon Mr Aseidu Nketia, the Chairman of the NDC, that we should get united and see how best we can resolve the associated risks or problems including seeing to the necessary steps which amongst others should ensure a fair wellbeing and the settlement of genuine victims and the prevention of future occurrences.

Folks, we need to stop, our usual Pull Him Down (PHD) syndrome with the divisive tendencies. Otherwise, we may not find a civilized way of dealing with a national question like the issues with the genuine technical impairment of GHC60.8 Billion from the balance sheet of Bank of Ghana, which helped Ghana during the Financial Crisis to meet the major condition of reduction of the huge Nation’s Debt created since 1993 by Parliament (both Majority Group and Minority Group) as the approving authority of loans and expenditures of Ghana. So we must blame Parliament and the Executive Arm of Government and not Bank of Ghana.

Our current irresponsible discourses on the Environmental Disaster, may make it very difficult to be united and suggest a civilized way of doing things, especially a proper, thorough and fair investigation into the VRA’s incident, in order to determine the extent of liabilities and corrective measures.

Whilst some of us are very cautious and are not apportioning blames but calling for a probe into the matter at the right time for appropriate remedial actions to prevent future occurrences and appropriate compensations where and when necessary, others are thinking of unwarranted Court action against VRA. Thus the latter group is depicting our usual trademarks of finding people guilty without the right to due process. Compensation may be considered in the investigation.

Incidentally, Hon MPS are among those who are apportioning blame prematurely to VRA. Such persons need to wait for a probe since we are told that some other Regions including Ahafo Region or areas outside the jurisdiction of VRA were inundated with water from the River Volta which runs through the Akosombo Dam. Matters upstream of the Akosombo Dam is beyond the scope of VRA but a poetical decision for new Dams upstream as shock absorbers. Akosombo Dam tailings or spent water goes Downstream to Akuse where it is again dammed as Kpong irrigation and hydroelectric Power Station before it finally flows into the Atlantic Sea at Ada Foah. The affected areas in Burkina Faso or in the North up to the Downstream of River Volta at Akosombo Dam were/are still experiencing heavy rains due to climatic change, hence the problem may be said beyond the scope of VRA or as anticipated. Hence it is exogenous shock.

Investigation into the incident may among others, give answers to whether VRA has or created a very credible buffer zone within its jurisdiction that is along the bank of the River after the Dam area and along the segments of River Volta Downstream, existing the Dam (the Outlet). Whether affected persons were warned of likely spillage and whether Simulation exercise was organized as rehearsal for a possible incident, any death or wounded human casualties

From the media on reports of flooding situation Upstream of Akosombo Dam from Burkina Faso, any person with a critical mindset could tell that VRA did their best by managing to save Tema and Accra from being flooded. That would have been a major disaster, VRA must be commended and not condemned. VRA also did simulation exercise and started the spillage in early September 2023.

It is likely that the investigation may tell that the current Board and Management of VRA may be blamed for criminal negligence or lack of duty of care due to the sins of past managements for allowing squatters or encroachers at the Downstream along the River to Kpong Dam and Downstream of the Kpong Dam. Hence, it is recommenced buildings and activities other than farming at the Buffer zone must be destroyed by VRA after the flood and the areas should be used for perennial crops to facilitate protection of the areas by VRA’ Security. The AFefe/ Avayime Rice Project at the Downstream must be revamped and made to expand the project at some of the buffer areas of VRA to help in the economy fundamentals of Ghana and provide employment.

The current Board and Management of VRA, were/ are just managing an impending disasters. it happened in 2010, so what has happened is warning to us because the Bible says at Ecclesiastes 1.9 that what has happened before will happen again. So, like the situation of the possible ills at the Weija Dam, which the current management of Ghana Water Company may be required to deal with encroachers or called to answer for a crisis with the management of the Dam. We need to warn persons at the affected buffer areas that they are the affected areas at their own risk and where possible they will be warned to evacuate at their own cost but VRA or Ghana Company is not liable for any crisis in connection with management of the Dam. Safety First No Excuse must be the Mantra of VRA.

This premature blame games in our democratic dispensation on the National Issues on front burner and the associated lynching of the character of affected persons without proper investigation for the exact state of affairs must be stopped if we want to be regarded as civilized people. As stated an Investigation may tell that the blame game is unfair, same as the current Governor of Bank of Ghana is being blamed for an exogenous (originated outside the Bank) shock due to an accumulated national debt to the level of 110 percent of GDP termed as unsustainable debt created by Parliament (Majority Group and Minority Group) since 1993. So it is strange for the Minority Group instead using Parliamentary tools to get the BOG, a subordinate Constitutional Body are rather making Parliament to be powerless hence unbecoming of persons dubbed as Hon MPs, who have been granted Right/Immunities and Responsibilities by the Constitution.

The VRA Crisis like the Bank of Ghana crisis was an exogenous shock due to the sins of two other creatures of the Constitution namely Legislature (Parliament) and the Executive Arms of Government of Ghana for loans approved and spent respectively since 1992 without both Parliament and Executive ensuring massive improvement of the economy fundamentals to enable the economy to be in the position to withstand external conditions or shocks respectively.

Pardon me to add that Bank of Ghana as the holder of the Accounts of Ghana and in 2022 for Ghana to meet a condition precedent for the IMF Bailout thus necessitated the technical impairment of the GHC60.8 Billon precisely GHC55.1 Billon with the balance sheet of Bank of Ghana.

The variance loss of GHC5.7 Billon by BOG was due to foreign exchange movements. Hence, the loss of the balance sheet of GHC60.8 Billon was part of crisis management tool to save the integrity of Ghana (Public Good). The spillage of the water by VRA too was a necessary evil to save the integrity of the VRA’s Dam as well as Tema and Accra at all cost for the larger Public Good or National Security.

Pardon me add that In 2002, as one of the two shortlisted applicants for the final interview for the Post of Head of Security for VRA, I recommended among others, the planting of perennial trees within the buffer zones of the Dam around the inlet and outlet of River Volta to prevent encroachment, as part of my vision on the Security and Safety of the VRA assets as requested by VRA. This was based on a similar recommendation I made at 2BN Takoradi, to one Major Akaptsu in 1998 or 1999 or so, then as the Officer Commanding of the 2BN Rear Details for him to secure some Military lands of 2BN Takoradi under threat by encroachers by planting perennial crop like Oil Palm and Mangoes.

The Senior Major (Officer), bought the idea and the two of us initiated the tree planting project. This idea was later on bought by then Colonel OB Akwa, a former Commanding Officer of 2BN, then Military Attaché to the then Minister of Defence (Hon Dr Kofour) and sold it to the Minister who supported us and other Military Units with seedlings of Mangoes, oil palm etc. The then Colonel OB Akwa is the one who became Army Commander and later on the Chief of Defence Staff. Today 2BN has secured part of the lands and is gaining economically from the project initiated by then Major Akaptsu and myself.

So Ghana stands to gain a lot from Agric Projects and may be Salt projects (especially near Ada) along the River Volta from Pwalugu to Ada Foah where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean. As stated, instead of seeing how best we can help the affected persons (victims) to get the basic necessities for survival like shelter (comfortable sleep) , food and portable Water you may add suitable clothing or PPE, we are rather with our canker of PHD, among others busy speaking ill or childish about the donation of GHC160,00, by his Excellency Dr Bawumia, which even is the highest personal donation by a Citizen of Ghana proclaimed at that time or possibly as at date.

So, without critical mind set or poor memories or may be due to our usual canker of PHD, we are wrongly comparing this very generous donation by Dr Bawumia (which may not be the last one from him because he will surely be at the areas, several times especially during his campaign efforts), to the one time donation of One Millions Dollars’ worth of goods and not cash from the People and Government of Ghana to our brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone. This has made others to come out with the equalization disease thus reminding the critics of Dr Bawumia that they should not forget of Ghana’s donation of not goods to promote Ghana but cash of Three Million Dollars to Haiti in 2010 and that no one made a huge personal (pocket) cash donations up to GHC20,000.00 by a Citizen to the victims in Ghana of disasters especially the Circle incident in 2014 or so. And thus intensifying the rancor and acrimony due to the infantile or premature comments or national issues without a critical mindset. Funny enough some of us want the Government to declare a State of Emergency simply for external donation for the victims.

The need to be educated that a declaration of State of Emergency has both its good and bad sides and does not necessary attract foreign support. I stand to be corrected, the President does not need to declare a State of Emergency before Ghana may attract foreign support. To attract external support, the President should declare a State of Disaster at affected areas including the other 4 regions of Ghana like Ahafo and North East Region etc, by a broadcast or other means and state that the people and the Government of Ghana request for both internal and external support for the State of Ghana for the affected areas or Victims.

The President, on his risk assessment could make a Declaration of state of Disaster and calling for external support without declaration of State of Emergency which means almost mean the institution of Martial law for the Military and Police to act as deem fit.

Normally a mere declaration of a disaster in an area means external support is required but a declaration of State of Emergency does not necessary mean that external support is needed. It is only to make the Government to enable to be free in mobilization of resources including the bypassing or ignoring of Parliament and print money or borrow money, spend any how without checks as well as mobilize resources including confiscation of vehicles, building for the affected areas or the Military operations.

Note, per the definition of some international Bodies including the definition by World Bank, Small Scale Mining is a disaster area. So Ghana without declaring a State of Emergency can obtain sufficient external support with cash and expertise from UNDP, USAID, World Bank etc to combat Small Scale Mining if and only if Small Scale Mining is treated as a disaster. This is as per my recommendation in my earlier submissions since 2017.

Ghana or Parliament should create a third Category in the Mining Sector as Medium Scale Mining Sector so that licensed Small Scale Miners are navigated to the Medium Scale Mining Sector as recommended in 2017 and we redefine Small Scale Mining, since per International Definition it should be regarded as a National Disaster for the Nation to deal with it with External Support. This idea was bought by Dr Tony Aubynn, a former CEO of Minerals Commission/former CEO of Ghana Chamber of Mines (Google for Tony Aubynn on let us redefine Small Scale Mining dated 18 April 2021). I still stand with this recommendation and other recommendations including working with both State Security and the Private Security Service Providers and a dedicated Committee under the Chairmanship of a former CEO of Ghana of Mines for good support from the Chamber and external associates. as the way forward.

It must be noted that Small Scale Mining was banned in 1902 by the Colonial Masters and remained banned until 1986 when the PNDC legalized Galamasey operations as Small Scale Mining at Section 77 of the Minerals and Mining Act 1986 (PNDCL153) check this law for the meaning of Small Scale Mining and you will see that the PNDC saw Small Scale Mining as a disaster area but legalized through a win –win solution and the process of Legalization and Formalization of Galamasey into Small Scale Mining was done by the passage of the Small Scale Gold Mining Law 1989 (PNDCL215).

Please read the Interpretation at Section 21 of the Small Gold Mining Law 1989 (PNDCL215) and you will tell that our Problem with Small Scale Mining can be attributed to the poor work by Parliament with the passage of nebulous Small Scale Mining Law at section 81 to Section 99 of the Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703). We need to address Small Scale Mining as a National Disaster or with a good law and not the current bad law that allow the in the same mining sector termed as Small Scale Mining, the operation of a mixture of community with big time mining as Licensed Small Scale Mining by rich people with their Chinese associates. This a foolhardy law.

Back to VRA issues. So at this juncture what it really means by a Declaration of State of Emergency

A declaration of State of Emergency (SoE) if approved by Parliament may mean the Executive Arm of Government or the Presidents and his Delegates, are granted the power to restrict movement. The Government may request or allow for external support when the scope is beyond the State’ resources. Also Ghana may use this to make a request for both internal and external supports and the danger is people can use the state of Emergency to punish their critics as well as enrich themselves.

State of Emergency will enable the Government to make resources immediately available to rescue, evacuate, shelter provide essential commodities and quell disturbances in the affected area. As stated, It may entails spending without a recourse to Parliament for approval (note next year is election year, so the Executive or NPP may be accused of using this chance to build a war chest or use the monies etc for campaign effort.

A State of Emergency means, the Rights and freedom of the Citizens at affected areas may be suspended see Section 10 of Article 31 of the Constitution of Ghana which is in line with International Law. So it may include a temporary declaration of martial law to allow the Military greater authority to act and to some extent no Judiciary action against the Military may hold as explained below.

A State of Emergency means, the Government or the Military can commandeered vehicles or property, fuel etc to facilitate its operations. Curfew may be imposed as when and where necessary. Government can knock down buildings that pose threat, cancel day off, weekends, order people between 18 to sixty years to do some jobs.

It must be noted that in reality or secretly whenever the Military is ordered to deal with a civil unrest or civil disturbance like the Ejura incident, it should be regarded as a kind of declaration of state of emergency to deal with the incident since this allows a possible use of force or some kind of Martial law.

A Military Officer on operation is authorized to use minimum force that is the amount of force that is objectively reasonable to effectively bring an incident under the Military control whilst protecting the safety of the Officer(s) and others or assets. Objectively reasonable is clear when you from the judgment of the Supreme Court of USA, in the case of Graham v. Connor which is usually cited in explaining of minimum Force. Since the Supreme Court of USA in this case interpreted a force that is objectively reasonable as the standard use of force and the level of force to be based on the individual Officer’s evaluation of the situation considering the totality of the circumstances. So it is the Officer on the ground who determines the Force level to be used based on the circumstance from his judgment.

Normally, the use of force is based on what was reasonably believed by the Officer on the ground to be employed and the standard by the Officer is not to be an analysis after the incident has ended since the circumstances was not known or clear to the Officer at the time the force was used. Hence section 2 of Article 13 of the 1992 Constitution permits the deprivation of another person’s life under circumstances mentioned therein including suppressing of a riot. So State of Emergency not advisable because it has serious economic, social and political problems.