Wa, Nov. 26, GNA - The Volta River Authority (VRA) has presented 60 bags of maize and 40 bags of local rice to the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council for distribution to communities in the region severely hit by the recent floods.

The disaster was the product of the spillage of the Akosombo and the Bagre dams that led to the displacement of many communities along the Volta River and its tributaries. The donation is the region's share of 300 bags and 162 bags of maize and rice respectively bought by the VRA at a cost of 10,000 Ghana cedis. Mr Stalin Dauda Smith-Issah, the Acting Area Manager of the Northern Electricity Department of VRA, said the Volta Lake was the main input in their power generation and therefore VRA had a responsibility to see that communities around the lake were comfortable. He said VRA decided to buy local rice as a way of boosting patronage to increase its production.

Mr Kale Cesar, the Upper West regional Deputy Minister who received the donation, urged officials of the National Disaster Management Organization in the region that would do the distribution, to make sure the items reached the target.

He thanked the VRA for coming to the aid of the victims and appealed to other organizations and philanthropists to follow the VRA with their donations. The recent spillage of the Akosombo Dam in Ghana and the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso led to the displacement of communities, loss of lives and destruction of property prompting the VRA to promise a package to alleviate the suffering of victims.