Vice President Mahamudu
Bawumia has said President Akufo-Addo will cut sod for the construction of
a Pwalugu Dam in the Upper East Region by November to check the perennial
spillage of the Bagre dam.
Spillage of the dam occasioned
by Burkinabe authorities over the years has inflicted substantial destruction
to farmlands in several local communities, compelling the President Akufo-Addo
to announce to Parliament short term measures to contain the situation in
February this year.
Construction of the Pwalugu Dam
which is projected to cost $750 million is the largest investment any
government has ever injected into infrastructure expansion in the northern
sector since Ghana’s independence from colonial rule in 1957.
About 25,000 hectares of
farmlands would be under irrigation to supplement approximately 12,900 hectares
of land currently under irrigation in the country.
Dr Bawumia said
the Pwalugu Dam would also serve as a source of electricity and help improve
irrigation farming in local communities in the farming area.
“It is the biggest investment
in northern Ghana on any infrastructure project since independence,” Dr Bawumia
said, while addressing the chiefs and people of Lawra on Saturday at their 43rd
Kobine Festival celebration.
The annual festival, marked to
celebrate bumper harvest during the farming season, was held under the theme:
“Protecting our environment – key to ensuring our future food security”.
“We are very grateful to his
Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo who will cut the sod next month for this
major project by the Grace of God,” Dr Bawumia said.
The event was characterized by the rich culture of the Lawra
people showcasing their dancing and hunting prowess as well as their rich
clothing and regalia, the smock.
The occasion is aimed at celebrating the gallant local farmers for
their unwavering efforts and commitment to ensure national food security.
It was graced by traditional rulers across the region, parts of
Savannah Region and neighboring Burkina Faso as well as government
functionaries, Municipal and District Chief Executives and Heads of
Departments.
The government has for the past three years, made huge investment
to modernize agriculture, improve food production sufficiency, achieve food
security and make farming more profitable to rural farmers.
The Vice President told the crowd that the ‘Planting for Export
and Rural Development’, for instance, has promoted growth of local economic
trees for export and local consumption.
It also helped boost sustainable development of the local economy
and protect the fast degrading environment for posterity.
With the ‘’Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme, according to
government, 1,511 farmers benefited from the scheme in 2017, which saw a
tremendous increase in 2018 to 5,024, and further climbed to 5,744 in 2019.
However, Dr Bawumia was unhappy
that efforts of the government to promote the agriculture sector was being
undermined by negative practices of some people.
He said the rampant illegal
mining and bush burning were some negative activities affecting the environment
and undermining efforts geared towards national food security.
He called for collective action
from stakeholders to protect the environment for the benefit of current and
future generations.
On government initiatives to
improve lives of people in the Lawra Traditional Area, the Vice President said,
government has constructed seven water closets with mechanized water facilities
in some communities under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Project
(IPEP).
Mr Anthony Karbo, Member of
Parliament for Lawra Constituency, said government is committed to ensuring
access to clean water for the people evidenced in the drilling of 155 boreholes
in the municipal area.
He said out of the
number, 65 have been completed but are yet to be fixed with pump installation
and other ancillary facilities.
The remaining boreholes would
be drilled by December 2019, he added: “I am also pleased, Naa Chairman, to
inform you that work on the Small Town Water project has started with the
drilling of mechanized boreholes in Ermon and Domwini communities”.
Source: MyJoyOnline.com
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