The Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, has appealed to the International Monetory Fund to consider supporting the government of Ghana with financial support to construct the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam which lies in between the Upper East and North East Regions.
The Vice President while delivery a key note address during the launch of the $150m International Monetary Fund International Development Association Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion project in the church auditorium of the Desert Pastures in Bolgatanga, used the opportunity to call on the IMF through its Coutry Director, Pierre Laporte, who was a guest at the event, to consider supporting government with the needed funds to accomplish government’s intention to construct a dam along the white Volta to serve as a reservoir for the collection of water from the dams in Burkina Faso.
“One of the major projects that this government has a major intention to see happen in the Northern regions of Ghana because it really impact on climate resilience, food production, flood control and so on, is the Pwalugu Dam project. The Pwalugu Dam project is a project that i believe the World Bank should really take a key interest in and development partners as well. Government is trying to make a start but facing some financial challenges as many countries have in the moment but we want to make sure that this project sees the light of day and is completed.”
“So I want to put it on the table that Pierre, we will be discussing this project further with you so that we can see with its construction.”
President Nana Addo together with the Vice President, Mahamadu Bawumia, The Paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Area, the Overlord of Mamprugu Traditional area, ministers of state and development partners, on 29th of October, 2022, in a fun fair, cut sod for the commencement of the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam which was named, ” Game Changer”.
The $993 million project when completed will serve as a reservoir that will collect excess water from the Kupienga and Bagre Dam from Burkina Faso, 60mgb of installed hydro power electricity and 50mgb of solar power, 250 acre of land will be developed for irrigation.
Delivering his speech on the occasion of the sod cutting, Nana Akuffo Addo said the construction of the facility will be the single largest investment in Northern Ghana by any government.
” I’m delighted to be here to cut the sod for the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam and irrigation project which upon completion will be the single largest investment ever made by any government in the Northern sector of the country.”
Nana Addo added that the project is in fulfilment of a pledge the New Patriotic Party made to the Ghanaian people.
” It is in fulfilment of a pledge the New Patriotic Party made to the Ghanaian people. For us in the governing New Patriotic Party, we do not renege on our promises, we keep them.”
Thirty-six months after the sod cutting for the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam project in Pwalugu, government is yet to secure reliable funding for the signature project of the NPP government under Nana Akuffo Addo in the Northern part of Ghana.
Surprisingly, Dr. Bawumia made the appeal in the very region where the project is expected to be constructed with the Chief’s from the two regions in attendance and four days away to mark three years since the extravagant and colourful event.
By: Simon Agana Blessing/mywordfmonline.com