Speaker sets up committee to investigate Akosombo Dam spillage
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has set up a special committee to establish the circumstances leading to the spillage of excess water from the Akosombo Dam in September last year.
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The committee is also to review the protocols and methodologies considered as best practices globally to regulate dam spillage. The seven-member committee, chaired by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ahafo Ano North, Suleman Adamu Sanid, comprises the MP for Oforikrom, Dr Emmanuel Marfo, MP for Kwabre East, Francisca Oteng-Mensah, MP for Ho East, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, MP for Krachi West, Helen Adjoa Ntoso, and MP for Pru East, Kwabena Donkor.
The committee also has a hydrological engineer, Kennedy Kludjeson, who is not an MP but will serve as a technical person for the committee. The committee is also to evaluate the preparedness and response of the Volta River Authority (VRA) and other relevant bodies, access the impact of the spillage on the affected communities and the adequacy of the relief efforts and also make recommendations for the consideration of the House on how such a disaster can be averted and minimised in the future.
The ad hoc committee has been given a month, starting from August 1, this year, to conduct its investigations and report its findings to the House in September this year.
Based on the committee's report, the House will make recommendations to the Executive to implement measures to prevent future disasters.
Speaker
Addressing Parliament to announce the formation of the House yesterday, Mr Bagbin urged the members to act decisively and collectively to uncover the truth, provide justice to the affected and implement reforms that would safeguard the communities in the future.
“The establishment of the committee is not merely a call to action, but a testament to our shared values and our dedication to ensure the safety and prosperity of our nation,” Mr Bagbin said.
Shippers’ Authority Bill
In another development, the Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) has welcomed the passage of the Ghana Shippers’ Authority Bill, 2024 by Parliament, with an assurance to protect the interests of shippers and shipping service providers and improve its regulatory oversight of the entire industry.
Parliament passed the bill into law last Monday, following its successful third reading. Among others, the law which amends its 50-year-old establishment law, NRCD 254 (1974), will regulate commercial activities of shippers, and will primarily address the issue of unfair and excessive charges that burden traders who use Ghana’s sea and air ports, as well as land borders to ply their international trade.
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The law will also introduce transparency in the determination of port fees and charges, and will by that, ensure that there is accountability in the legal movement of international trade cargo across all borders of Ghana.
Speaking at a press conference in Parliament yesterday, the Director of Operations of the authority, Sylvia Asana Dawuda, said the new law was an enabler because it would empower the authority to better adapt to emerging trends and complexities within the shipping and logistics industry.
In that capacity, she said, the authority could better protect the interests of shippers and shipping service providers and improve its regulatory oversight of the entire industry.
“One of the fundamental reasons for the passing of this law is the need for effective regulation of the shipping and logistics sector to guarantee fair pricing and charges for all stakeholders, especially importers and exporters,” Mrs Dawuda said.