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Policy of Monday, June 10, 2019
Source: Ghanaweb.com
2019-06-10
Sammy Gyamfi, National Communications Manager, NDC
The National Democratic Congress reacted to an official government statement drafted by Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah in response to a statement titled "The Akufo-Addo Village, a Misleading Dam Initiative" – a case of financial loss caused by the state ".
In a statement issued on Monday, June 10, 2019, signed by Sammy Gyamfi, National Communications Officer, the NDC said: "We find it rather unfortunate that the Minister of Information, who is responsible for explaining the government policies in a truthful manner, will cast honesty towards dogs and seek to dispel legitimate public concerns about a flawed government policy in such a casual manner. "
He then added that, however, in his indecent haste to defend the indefensible, the Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah further reinforced the misleading nature of the Akufo-Addo government that the 1V1D, in its current disordered state, is "a solution to the problems of irrigation in the northern regions" and that the previous administration of the NDC n & # 39; 39, offered no credible answer to the population. demand for dams.
Below the complete statement:
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release:
Monday, June 10, 2019.
SUBJECT: 99% OF PROJECTS 1V1D WITHOUT INCIDENT, STOP THE PROPAGANDA
The National Democratic Congress has taken notice of an official government statement drafted under the caption above and signed by the Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, in reaction to our statement entitled: "L & # 39; AKUFO-ADDO USER: A VILLAGE, ONE DAM PROJECT – A CASE CAUSE LOSS IN THE STATE ".
We find it rather unfortunate that the Minister of Information, who is entrusted with honestly explaining government policies, is honest with dogs and seeks to address the legitimate concerns of the public. concerning a failed government policy. . However, in his indecent haste to defend the indefensible, the Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah further reinforced the misleading nature of the Akufo-Addo government.
WHAT ARE THE ISSUES?
1. Hon. Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah says that the 1V1D in its current disordered state is "a solution to the irrigation problems of the northern regions" and that the former administration of the NDC has not provided any credible answer to the demand for dams of the population .
What Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah does not understand is that people in northern Ghana, and Ghanaians, know what a small irrigation dam looks like when they see one.
If we can ask, what is a dam? In simple terms, a dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of water to provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, water management, and other activities. industrial use, aquaculture and airworthiness.
Even if we consider the literal meaning above of a dam, what this Akufo-Addo government has attempted to do in parts of northern Ghana, which they call dams, is nothing but dams.
What Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah invites us to celebrate is that when a government digs a pond, and during the rainy season, water is collected in these ponds, this government can claim to have built a dam and therefore deserves applause. At best, it can be dug out canoes or dug ponds. And yet, these are the exact nature of the roadblocks that Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah advocates.
In contrast to this celebration of the mediocrity of the Akufo-Addo government, the previous CDN administration under President Mahama built and rehabilitated several small irrigation dams across the country. For example, as part of the Ghana Social Opportunities Project (GSOP), more than 86 small irrigation dams were constructed and rehabilitated throughout the country in 2016 alone. The Mahama Administration has also built real irrigation dams in localities such as Zakpalsi and Sakpe in the Mion district, the Tamne Dam in Garu District, which is expected to create 5,000 jobs and irrigate about 3,250 hectares, to name just a few examples. The Mahama administration has well designed and built these dams, worthy of small irrigation dams that can be used for dry season agriculture.
In addition, the Mahama-led administration has rehabilitated irrigation systems such as the right and left banks of Tono, Vea and Kpong, developed approximately 3,625 hectares of irrigated land, rehabilitated 8,044 irrigated areas. hectares and introduces the central pivot irrigation system.
In addition, in 2015, the cabinet of the day approved a new policy allowing private sector companies to manage publicly funded irrigation schemes. This policy has essentially opened up the space available for irrigation. In order to introduce more dynamism, the Water User Association LI 2033 was pbaded by Parliament to help regulate the subsector of irrigation.
These few facts demonstrate the superior record of the NDC government under President Mahama, compared to the defunct "dams" of Akufo-Addo, themselves thirsty for water.
2. Hon. Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah says that three hundred (300) dams are currently under construction as part of the 1V1D initiative, of which four (4) dams, representing 1.3%, have experienced difficulties. This, according to him, bases his badertion that 99% of the projects proceed without incident.
First of all, the badertion that 300 "dams" are under construction is not corroborated by the facts. We challenge the government to publish the list of 300 "dams" and their location.
However, admitting that 300 dams are currently under construction, this will not be the case yet for the 570 dams promised by Vice President Dr. Bawumia in 2018. Whatever the case may be, the promise was to build a dam in more than 6,000 villages in the three (3) northern regions. Therefore, if so far, the entire government can boast of only 300 basins / terraces dug out, this in itself constitutes a self-accusing admission of catastrophic performance by the Akufo-Addo government.
In addition, the Information Minister's claim that only four (4) of the alleged dams have so far experienced difficulties is false, as field evidence points to several widespread occurrence of poorly constructed dams in the three (3) northern regions.
In the municipality of Bolgatanga, for example, a so-called 1V1D dam in a community called Bolga Soe was washed away by a two-hour rain on April 25, 2019. In the eastern Bolgatanga district, the Dacheo 1V1D canoe was washed away after a A few hours of rain prompted community leader Naba Akliga to describe the so-called barrage of his community as a "football park" and to express his regret for his decision to release land for such a lousy project.
In Kajelo, a village near Navrongo, mentioned by the Minister of Information himself, all the shores of the 1V1D canoe were washed away on April 25, 2019, while several villages in Bongo District such as that Ayopea, Kulingu and Feo were destroyed. empty and thirsty shelters that serve no important purpose of irrigation.
These projects of poor quality and executed at random can not be of any use, as confirmed press organs such as the A1 radio in Bolga, Joy News and, of course, the vote of censorship opened opinion leaders from some of these communities.
3. Concerning the specification of the so-called dams built by the Akufo-Addo government, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah says that people from various communities have asked for the model and specification of the mis-constructed Trojan gifts that have been presented as dams to the people of northern Ghana. What an insult! To further challenge the intelligence of the people, it is claimed that the inhabitants of these communities did not ask for "a type of Akosombo dam." Which average northern farmer does not know what an irrigation dam looks like?
In addition to the Akufo-Addo government, which is the only one to have designed the dams, all the experts in agriculture and rural development know that a small irrigation dam has some unique characteristics, especially a cbad for the entry and exit of water for agricultural purposes. This view has been corroborated by various experts, including former renowned professor, the University's Vice Chancellor of Development Studies, David Millar, who called the 1V1D policy a failure.
Obviously, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah and his government live in a delusional world, far removed from reality.
If we can ask ourselves, which well-built dam loses its strength and is carried away by the rain after a few months of its completion? Your guess is as good as ours.
4. On the fact that the 1V1D is a complete financial loss for the state, the NDC remains fortified to us. Indeed, this view does not come only from the NDC. This view is corroborated by evidence gathered in the field and shared by the chiefs and inhabitants of northern Ghana who are supposed to be the beneficiaries of the poorly constructed dams under the Akufo-Addo government's 1V1D initiative.
In addition to the fact that many contractors who build these supposed dams do not have the required certification from the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority, the small size, shallow depth and shallow embankment walls surrounding these supposed dams reinforce the lack of profitability of 1V1D projects. course. The projects are simply of poor quality and a waste of public funds.
Conclusion
The NDC reiterates its position that the One Village, One Dam initiative of the Akufo-Addo government, in its current form, is misleading, does not solve the problem of the dry season and all-out cultivation in northern Ghana, and especially represents a huge financial cost. loss for the state.
Indeed, the highly prized 1D1V program of the Akufo-Addo government remains a deceptive mantra, and its inconsiderate and uninformed implementation only confirms this fact.
Therefore, it is unfortunate to say the least that the current government maintains its stubbornness to do nothing about the lamentable way in which it implements its so-called flagship projects.
Instead of wasting our scarce resources on unproductive canoes and excavated ponds, we urge the Akufo-Addo government to put an end to the ongoing fraud and to allocate these resources to the construction of real small irrigation dams, such as provided by JICA all over the country, likely to promote dry season agriculture and serve useful agricultural purposes.
The government should swallow its pride and listen to the voices of reason.
Sign.
SAMMY GYAMFI
(National Communications Officer, NDC)
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