President Akufo-Addo laying the symbolic foundation at Pwalugu yesterday
President Akufo-Addo yesterday made good on his promise of constructing the largest multipurpose dam and irrigation project at Pwalugu in the Upper East Region.
The people of the town ? known for their tomato production? were unusually elated as the President arrived in the region with his entourage of relevant officials, including Vice President Dr. Bawumia, for the $993 million project.
It is a project which the President said would address the perennial drought which deprived farmers of their sources of livelihood by providing an effective alternative to the age-old rain-fed agriculture.
“The irrigation component of this project, the largest ever built in the country, with fifteen thousand out-grower beneficiaries will complement the gains made by programmes such as ‘one village, one dam’ and ‘planting for food and jobs,” the President said during the commissioning.
He recalled his message during this year’s State of the Nation Address (SoNA) when he promised the construction of a dam at Pwalugu to serve as a receptacle to hold the large volumes of water spilled from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso for irrigation purposes and for the generation of electricity.
Continuing, he said the dam would be a permanent solution “to the problems of spillage from the Bagre Dam. Today, we begin the process of realising this pledge.”
Cooperation
The President appealed to all whose property would be affected by the various projects to cooperate with the relevant state institutions in accessing the compensation due them, saying, “Fair and adequate compensation will be promptly paid to all persons for such properties.”
Project Components
The President gave a breakdown of the multipurpose project as the construction of a 60-megawatt hydropower plant, 50-megawatt solar farm and the establishment of an irrigation scheme covering an area of some 25,000 hectares.
Food Security
The project, he went on, “is a key strategy to achieving food security, the eradication of poverty and generation of rural employment in the northern sector, in particular and generally across the country.”
Hydropower Plant
The 60-megawatt hydropower plant and the 50- megawatt solar plant, the President pointed out, “will be the very first hydro-solar hybrid system in the country, with the two technologies complementing each other to provide reliable and stable electricity supply to the national grid.”
North Transformation
His government, he said, was engaging in such projects because “we believe the transformation of the north rests on creating infrastructure, and supporting agriculture and agro-based industries.”
Aquaculture
The Pwalugu Reservoir, the President explained, is capable of accommodating 120 cages of 25m2 each of fish, with an average yield of continuous development of the country’s aquaculture and fisheries sector.
Energy Minister
Energy Minister John-Peter Amewu called on the Chinese construction firm ? Power China ? to comply strictly by the Local Content Agreement, saying government is serious with the terms reached and would not tolerate non- compliance under the contract.
Regional Minister
The Upper East Regional Minister, Patience Abayage, said the construction of the Pwalugu Dam is a “game changer”, adding that “this single project will serve various districts in the region in various ways.”
From Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Pwalugu