Deputy Upper East Regional Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Casper Sunday Kampoli has described as unfortunate falsehood, claims by the Regional Minister, Tangoba Abayage that funds meant for the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam were diverted by the erstwhile Mahama administration.
In a statement reacting to the claims made by Madam Tangoba Abayage, Casper Sunday Kampoli said the allegation is a calculated attempt by the minister to cause disaffection for the former President and defame him in order to shield her shortcomings “as the most non-performing Regional Minister in the history of the Region.”
Stating what he said are the facts, the Deputy Regional Communication Officer stated that the Mahama-led government had sanctioned and completed feasibility studies into the project before it exited power in 2016 and therefore could not have diverted funds meant for the project it had started working on.
Mr. Kampoli rather blamed the New Patriotic Party government for delaying the commencement of the construction of the dam by two years after it assumed power in 2017.
“After the Upper East Regional Minister, Tangoba Abayage lied on GHOne TV that the NPP under President Akuffo-Addo renovated the Tono Dam for the first time in 40 years. She further peddled another nauseating and unfortunate falsehood that H. E. John Dramani Mahama diverted money meant for the construction of Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam (PMD),” he stated
“This wicked and contrived lie has been on the lips of all NPP serial callers and communicators in the Region for some time now. One would have least expected a Regional Minister to join in this low-level propaganda, but it does appear the Upper East Regional Minister was the originator of this barefaced lie, calculated to spite former President Mahama and cover-up her blushes as the most non-preforming Regional Minister in the history of the Region. The prefeasibility and feasibility studies were respectively completed in May 2014 and 2016,” Mr. Kampoli added.
While urging the general public to disregard the claims by the minister, he is demanding for an unconditional apology to be rendered to the former President and the people of the region by Madam Abayage
“Having amply demonstrated that H. E. John Dramani Mahama was the first to conduct feasibility studies on the PMD, hence this noble son of the North never diverted any money that was allocated or approved for the project, I call on the general public to treat that pedestrian lie being championed by the likes of madam Tangoba Abayage with the contempt it deserves.
I hereby call on the Upper East Regional Minister Miss Tangoba Abayage to render an unqualified apology to H. E. John Dramani Mahama and the people of the Upper East Region for her attempt to rewrite history and defame a Statesman,” he demanded in the statement.
Former president Mahama had denied same allegations in 2018 when he was campaigning to be elected as the party’s presidential candidate.
Speaking to Party supporters in the Bongo Constituency of the Upper East Region, Mr. Mahama said funds were not yet secured for the project before he left office.
Mr. Mahama explained that the funds his government allegedly diverted were funds meant for the construction of a dam in Juale in the Oti Region. He said the funds for the dam in Juale was reassigned to a different projects because of non-availability of funds for compensations.
