Dam Spillage: No civilized country intentionally drowns its citizens every year — Oliver Barker fumes

Social activist Oliver Barker Vormawor has condemned the annual spillage from the Akosombo Dam, which he says has devastated communities along the Volta River.

He accused the Volta River Authority (VRA) of disregarding the lives of citizens affected by the spillage.

In a tweet on Friday, Vormawor said "No civilized country, intentionally drowns its citizens yearly, and yet zero disaster mechanisms are activated."

Vormawor, a lead convener of the #FixTheCountry Movement, said his own family has lived along the Volta for generations, even before the construction of the Akosombo and Kpong dams.

"It has always been our home and sanctuary," he tweeted.

"Entire communities have been plunged back into poverty and the economic capital of the surrounding communities wiped out over night!" Mr. Barker Vormawor said.

He accused the media and politicians of ignoring the disaster and VRA's culpability in the "completely avoidable tragedy."

"We lost so much to give this country electricity. And yet every year, we get punished for it!" he tweeted.

Meanwhile, VRA said it was collaborating with the National Disaster Management Organization to provide relief items to affected communities.

The recent spillage has left more than 500 households submerged in flood waters.

Properties worth thousands of cedis have been destroyed, including numerous buildings.