Executive Director of the Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NOPRA) Bismarck Adongo Ayorigo has expressed scepticism about the pledge by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer to see to the construction of the Pwalugu Multi-purpose Dam if he is elected.
Mr. Adongo’s scepticism stems from the failure of the Akufo-Addo government to build the dam despite the countless assurances by both the president and the Vice-President.
“So you see when somebody causes little mistrust, he may be coming with honey and milk but you’ll be afraid, you will be careful that look this man does not mean well. So there’s little to convince us because we want to know what has been the track, what has been his credibility,” Adongo said in an interview on Breakfast Today on Dreamz FM.
In November 2019, President Akufo-Addo, accompanied by the Vice-President and other top government officials, performed a sod cutting ceremony for the commencement of construction works.
At an estimated cost of almost $1 billion, the project was envisioned to address the perennial flooding that wreck havoc in parts of Northern Ghana and as well, provide irrigation scheme to ensure all year round farming and hydro and solar power.
It was scheduled to be completed in 4 years and two months time.
However, work has yet to start close to 4 years after the fanfare in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region in 2019.
Following his succession of President Akufo-Addo as the governing party leader, Dr. Bawumia has pledged to prioritize the construction of the dam.
Speaking at the launch of the NPP manifesto for the 2024 elections, Dr. Bawumia said, “ I will prioritize the construction of the Pwalugu Dam by using the private sector financing to crowd in grant financing” .
But for Bismarck Adongo, the Vice-President has demonstrated to convince Ghanaians that he is committed to delivering on the project.
According to him, both the President and the Vice-President made similar pledges in the past but failed to fulfil them.
“All that he is telling us is that ‘look they were doable. It is not something that was beyond the government’s ability to do. But just that they didn’t prioritize it and came to deceive us that it was their priority and that they were going to do it,” he stated.
