A group calling themselves Alliance for Reformative Initiatives & Governance, Ghana ( AFRIG, Ghana) have chastised the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government over its One Village, One Dam(1V1D) policy.
The One Village-One Dam project is a policy where earth dams are being built in the northern part of Ghana to serve as a source of water for farmers all year round. Currently, 300 of the 560 dams are under construction in various hamlets in northern Ghana with Each costing GHS250,000.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has chastised the government of misusing the state resources on the 1V1D projects.
Rehashing the position of the NDC, the group stated that the government is “preposterously draining the National Coffers of huge sums of money that could have been channelled into viable programmes.”
In a press release copied to the EveningMailGh.com they are among other things calling on the government to “use more qualified irrigation dam experts who are equal to the task.”
Below is the statement released by AFRIG Ghana
GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED IN EXECUTING 1 VILLAGE 1 DAM PROJECT
Alliance for reformative initiatives & governance, Ghana ( AFRIG, Ghana) lauds the one village one dam (1 V 1 D )initiative by government but finds it worrying the levels of incompetence at which the project has been executed. It is a case of preposterously draining the National Coffers of huge sums of money that could have been channelled into viable programmes that would yield proportionately greater benefits for the Country. Better still, the dams that have been built with immensely greater amount of money could have been used to build fewer dams but ones that could face the test of time to serve it’s purposes even in dry seasons.
AFRIG Ghana is accordingly worried at the desperate attempt by government’s stance on mapping out defensive strategies in maintaining that the dug outs are dams. The claims and defence out out there by government cannot hold water. It is better for government to know that we as citizens deserve the right to put their performance to the litmus test whiles proffering alternative and better ways of handling matters that affect the country. The citizens reserve the right to probe and tell government what they did not bargain for. In light of the contentious discourse regarding the standards of the dams, AFRIG Ghana maintains that those dams cannot stand the test of time and defeats the very purpose for which funds are being used at immensely greater cost to the task payer.
We hereby with this communique propose that:
a. Government should not be in a rush in their bid to fulfil a campaign promise thereby trying to build more sub- standard dams. Attention should be given to building fewer dams that could stand the test of time.
b. Government should use more qualified irrigation dam experts who are equal to the task. This will bring about the much desired quality work.
c. Finally, Government shouldn’t be ashamed to ensure that the existing ones are reconstructed to meet the requirements of a good dam.
We at AFRIG Ghana, hold the view that a rush to fulfill manifesto promises is an exercise in mediocrity. Our fledgling democracy will thrive on strategic policies and a clear road map for ensuring quality work at the execution stages. It will be damaging for us to focus on expedient decisions and policies that will not be sustainable but inimical to our quest for a better Ghana. We implore government to remain focus and truthful to us Ghanaians who repose too much trust in them.
Sovereignty lies in the bosom of the electorates so government must not live under the delusion that they control power therefore they can manipulate all the people all the time. Ghanaians are watching with our prying eyes at the trend of events as they unfold and we will not hesitate to show any government the exit when we deem fit.
Signed :
Abraham Awuriki Yeboah – President, AFRIG, Ghana
0246570303
Richard M. Suleman – Executive Secretary AFRIG, Ghana
054 886 5338
Kingsley Derby- Media Relations Officer
024 918 6364
Godswill Umunakwe Nwangwa – International relations officer
0541166316
Source: EveningMailGh.com
