The Ministry of Energy has refuted assertions in the media that the sector minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO), lied to the people of Ghana, during his address in parliament on the floods in parts of the country, including some parts of the Volta Region, caused by the spillage of the Akosombo and the Kpong Dams.
In a statement sighted by GhanaWeb, the ministry said that persons accusing the minister of lying about eventualities before the spillage of the dams and the support the government has given to victims of the flood are only engaging in mere propaganda.
It added that all statements made by NAPO, as captured in the records of the Parliament of Ghana, are nothing but the truth.
“The attention of the Ministry of Energy has been drawn to distortions in news publications, on the update in Parliament by the Hon. Energy Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh on the Akosombo and Kpong Dam spillage by the Volta River Authority VRA.
“These distortions may be borne either out of genuine lack of knowledge or deliberate distortions, clearly intended to achieve political and electoral gains, and also to cause disaffection for the Hon. Minister. The Ministry would like to put on record that, the Minister never peddled falsehoods in Parliament,” part of the statement which was dated November 13, 2023, reads.
It went on to state the fact of the matter as follows: “That, the immutable fact, remains that, the VRA had to spill at the time it did to prevent the catastrophic consequence of the collapse of the dam. That, the record will show, that before the spill and in the month of May, 2023, VRA and NADMO conducted a live simulation exercise in Mepe. That, the VRA, NADMO, the inter-ministerial committee, CSO's, NGO's, FBO's and indeed well-meaning Ghanaians, have supported and continue to support the communities affected by the spillage”.
The minister added, “... responsible leaders, including Members of Parliament in partnership with VRA, NADMO and the inter-ministerial committee have also been assisting victims with relief items to be distributed to the affected communities”.
It assured the general public the government remains committed and would ensure, together with its agencies, that the challenges faced by the victims of the flood are alleviated.
BAI/NOQ
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Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh