President Nana Akufo-Addo cut sod for the construction of the dam in 2019
• Akufo-Addo said the dam would be ready in 15 months
• The total cost of the construction amounts up to US$ 933 million
• However, the VRA PRO says the President never made such assurance
David Prah, Senior Public Relations Officer of the Volta River Authority has vehemently denied that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s promised to construct the Pwalugu multipurpose dam in northern Ghana in 15 months.
On Friday, 29th November, 2019, Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam and Irrigation Project where he stated the project would cost nearly a billion US dollars and would be the largest project undertaken in West Africa.
“Upon completion [the Pwalugu multipurpose dam] will be the single, largest investment ever made by any Government in the Northern sector of the country. It is in fulfilment of a pledge that the NPP made to the Ghanaian people,” Akufo Addo said.
He added, “The construction of the dam in Pwalugu will serve as a reservoir to hold the large volume of water spilled from the Bagre dam for irrigation purposes and for generation of electricity and would be the permanent solution to the spillage from the Bagre dam.”
“The total cost of the construction amounts up to US$ 933 million will be borne only by government. The Chinese Sinohydro will build the project under the engineering procurement construction contract which will be executed in 15 months” the president stated.
Adding, “I appeal to all those whose property would be affected by the various project to corporate with the relevant state institution in accessing the correct compensation due them.”
However, 21 months after president Akufo-Addo made the promise which would solve the perineal flooding in the north, the project has not yet taken off.
The Burkina Faso government announced that it will open its dam for spillage between August 27 to 30.
In an interview monitored by GhanaWeb on Joy FM on Tuesday, August 26, the VRA contradicted Akufo-Addo’s 15 months promise and rather stated that the project will be ready in 3-years’ time.
“The president was not saying that in 15 months the project would be completed. The president was talking about all the processes that we need to go through before the actual project takes place. Because you are taking about 11,000 hectors of land in 8 districts,” Mr. David Prah said.
He added, “As we are talking Volta River Authority [VRA] are on the ground, the surveyors have finished with all with the process. On the 14 on September, we are meeting all the people involved so that we prepare the executive instrument for the complete take of the land by government.”
He indicated that, “Since government cut the sod, we have never set foot at the site yet, almost now and then we are in the bush doing this work.”
“We are to finish everything by November-December that is when the actual construction will begin, the actual construction will take 3 years. That is the actual construction of the dam both solar and hydro and the irrigation facility” the VRA PRO added.
According to him, “We are on the site we’ve never rested, VRA is also providing technical support and NADMO as well.”