Mustapha Hamid
The Minister of Information, Mustapha Hamid, has said that the New Patriotic Party [NPP] has started implementing the one village, one dam project in the Northern Region.
According to him, some of the dams have been constructed in some parts of the Northern Region as contracts for the remaining dams have been awarded.
Speaking to Citi News’ Godfred Akoto Boafo on Face to Face, the Minister said plans are far advanced regarding the NPP’s campaign promise.
Mr. Hamid was responding to concerns that government had not committed resources for the rolling out of the one village, one dam policy as they have done with the Free SHS, said the program is on course as old dams which could be potentially utilized for the program have all been desilted.
“The dams are being constructed; the contracts are being awarded. They are happening. They are being constructed in the Northern Region. It is being done. Those contracts have been awarded. Even In areas where we had old dams, the desilting has been done, so that is a project that is going on” he stated.
The Government spokesperson added that Members of Parliament in the Northern Region could attest to the fact that contracts for the one village, one dam have been awarded.
Mr. Hamid, however, admitted that the implementation of the one district, one factory policy has delayed as a result of the public partnership component of the program.
Background
The One-Village-One-Dam policy is one of the Akufo-Addo administration’s flagship programmes aimed at ensuring all year-round agriculture in the three regions of the north, through the construction of irrigation dams in every village in that part of the country.
Under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme in the 2017 budget, GHc94, 446,132 was earmarked for the One-Village-One-Dam policy.
One-Village-One-Dam policy forms part of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s key policy initiatives which are expected to cost over GHc2 billion.
-Citifmonline