The government in the 2017 Budget promised to set in motion the ‘One village, One dam’ initiative, but two years down the line, iWatch Africa can confirm that little progress has been made towards fulfilling this promise.

In the last couple of days, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng has commissioned 10 dams in four regions across Northern Ghana which is expected to be completed within 6 months.

Though this should be good news for farmers in those communities, the number is well below the 65 earth dams promised in the 2017 Budget as well as the 570 dams announced by Ghana’s Vice President, H.E. Dr Mahamudu Bawumia during the annual “Paarigbielle” festival in 2018.

Read Also: Open Data Day: iWatch Africa criticizes DOVVSU & MoGCSP over failure to publish data on violence and discrimination against women

iWatch Africa checks with the Ministry of Special Development revealed that as at January 2019, rehabilitation designs for the following dams: Sankana (UWR), Tanoso (BAR), Kpando-Torkor, (VR) Amate (ER), Libga and Golinga (NR) as well as 12 small dams under the One-Village-One-Dam programme had been completed but construction had not begun.

The One Village One Dam initiative will help farming communities have all-year-round access to water for irrigation especially during the dry season and eventually reduce the impact of climate change on their livelihoods.

By Gideon Sarpong | iWatch Africa

The post Akufo-Addo gov’t fails to deliver promised 65 earth dams two years after budget commitment appeared first on iWatch Africa.

The government of Ghana promised in the 2018 Budget Statement to build a total of 192 small dams and dugouts in 64 districts in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions. This initiative is part of the government’s effort to create jobs for the youth and increase food production in Ghana.

Speaking to iWatch Africa, Joseph Abanga, who is a rice farmer at Tumu complained bitterly about the lack of progress by the government to fulfill its promise.

“A lot of farmers in this region were encouraged by the prospect of double cropping when government promised that many dams would be built this year. Sadly, we are yet to see the promise materialize in our village.”

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia also stated in March 2018 that the government is committed to revamping the Tumu Ginnery before the end of the year.

“I am aware of the contribution of farmers in the Tumu Traditional Area to the production of cotton and the textile industry in Ghana, especially the establishment of the cotton ginnery at Tumu. I am informed that the machines at the ginnery can be made to work again even after being idle for quite some time,” he noted.

“Government is in contact with prospective investors, some of whom have expressed interest in the Tumu Ginnery, and we certainly would facilitate the revamping of the Tumu Ginnery,” he stated.

Amin Habib, who is a maize and cotton farmer in Sissala urged the government to hasten its effort to revamp the ginnery as promised.

“It is very difficult and costly to get the seeds out of the cotton and its takes a long time to get it done without machines. We call on the government to revamp the ginnery or build a new one for us,” Habib stated.

Senior Lecturer at the Regional Institute for Population at the University of Ghana, Raymond Kasei is of the view that the ‘one village one dam’ program will boost the country’s output from the agric sector.

“The times the rains begin is a big problem for farmers. It is something that affects agriculture in this country. Many of our farming practices rely heavily on rain-fed agriculture so the only village one dam principle will be very helpful for us,” he said.

According to the lecturer, the one village one dam policy will upgrade farmers from having to constantly depend on rainfall to ensure their farms are watered to more effective and convenient irrigation systems.

“We might divert from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation farming,” he added.

A number of farmers in northern parts of the country have expressed worry over unfavourable weather conditions, which they say is affecting their production and driving a number of prospective farmers from the sector.

Read Also: Ghana Medical Association: ‘Emergency healthcare system in crisis’

A mid-year assessment of government’s commitment to construct 192 small dams in the three northern regions of Ghana has revealed that only 5 percent of these projects have actually commenced.

Report by Gideon Sarpong | iWatch Africa

The post Upper West Region: Farmers urge government to implement the ‘One Village One Dam’ pledge appeared first on iWatch Africa.

The Government of Ghana in the 2017 Budget Statement promised to set in motion the ‘One village, One dam’ initiative, specifically rehabilitation of 65 Small Earth Dams in rural communities in Northern Ghana to contribute towards the One-Village One-Dam initiative.

The ‘One Village One Dam’ project according to the government will enhance food security and reduce the food import bill and provide jobs to over 2000 farmers in the Northern region of Ghana.

iWatch Africa field assessment of this policy initiative revealed that little progress has been made regarding the actual construction of dams in the areas specified by the government.

Read Also: Hausarbeit schreiben lassen kosten

Though, the Ghana government confirmed that the initiative will begin in the Kpandai District of the Northern Region, no date was given as to when the project would commence.

The government in September, 2017 promised to build ten units of 300KW Biopower and 80 hectres of centre pivot irrigation dams in ten selected villages within the Kpandai District of the Northern Region.

It also promised to construct a 300KW dairy farm biogas power plant and irrigation dam as well as fertilizer production units in selected villages in the three regions of the north.

Although a date has not been specified for the start of the project, it is estimated to cost $660 million, generating a total of 132MW of electricity from biopower plants and 35,200 hectres of centre pivot irrigation dams spread across the 44 districts in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern regions.

Read Also: Government affordable housing for teachers & free Wifi project yet to commence

This programme is in partnership with the Renewable Energy and Environmental Conservation (REEC) Biopower, a subsidiary of Hi-Limit Group.

Gideon Sarpong | iWatch Africa | Policy and Content Analyst

(www.capitalfoodservices.com)

The post Third Quarter Assessment of the ‘One Village One Dam’ Promise appeared first on iWatch Africa.