The Minister for Energy, John Peter Amewu, says the Volta River Authority, VRA, has no records of communities and individuals owed any compensation for the construction of the Akosombo Dam.
According to him, payments of all such claims in resettlement packages were completed by the Volta River Authority in 1971.
There have been recent agitations from some communities over unpaid compensation packages years after the Dam was constructed.
Whiles answering questions in Parliament, Mr. Amewu said no such records are available.
“These were mainly about 52 settlement sites nationwide. Mr. Speaker, it must be noted that payment for organizations for the accumulations was regulated by the VRA Act 1961 (46). By section 30 of the Act, the Volta River Authority was required to pay an amount equivalent to 3.5 million Euros and any residual payment was to be borne by the Central government. Records available to the Ministry indicate that the VRA by 1971 had completed its payment of the portion of the central government amount of money and took over the responsibility for the remaining liabilities,” he said.
Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has asked government to settle its compensation package to communities that had to resettle due to the construction of the Akosombo Dam in 1965.
Volta River Authority Resettlement Trust Fund
The Volta River Authority Resettlement Trust Fund was established to compensate affected inhabitants for the construction of the country’s first hydro electric dam, the Akosombo dam.
The legislation empowered the Volta River Authority (VRA) to acquire lands for various activities in the discharge of its functions.
However, the construction displaced some 80,000 people across 730 villages who lost their homes and the main source of their livelihood, which was fishing.
The affected people were compelled to move from their original ancestral homes and areas of habitation to other places, and were eventually resettled in 52 townships over four regions namely the Volta, Eastern, Brong Ahafo and the Northern Region.
But for over 40 years, these people have suffered degradation due to deprivation and continue to face very difficult living conditions.