Former president and flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama has said the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam was envisioned by the NDC and its government.
The Multipurpose Dam and irrigation project sited between the Upper East and North East Regiond is geared towards tackling the perennial flooding in Northern Ghana caused by the seasonal spillage of the Bagre Dam.
It is also aimed at providing water for irrigation of farms especially during the dry season and generating electricity.
In November, 2019, president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo accompanied by his Vice-President and other high ranking government officials cut sod for the commencement of construction works on the project at a funfair durbar.
The project, which was awarded to a Chinese state-owned hydropower engineering and construction company, Sinohydro, was scheduled to be completed in 4 years time from then.
But more than 4 years after that sod cutting, which was tagged historic, no significant work has been done at the site of the planned project with the contractor vacating the site.
Speaking at an engagement with the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs on Friday, February 2, 2024, Mr. Mahama accused the Akufo-Addo government of playing political gimmicks with the project.
He said the government did not secure any dedicated funding for its construction yet rushed to cut the sod just to win votes.
“This president came and cut the sod and Synodro were appointed as the contractors. The impression was created that it was going to be funded by Synohydro. It was to be funded by GoG budget and you know how GoG budget ooperate,” he said.
“If they come and cut sod in any place and tell you that they are building something for you, if it’s GoG, you can be sure that it will suffer the hazard of financing.
So even though the sod was cut before 2020 to convince the people of Upper East to vote, there was no intention of ever completing it. It was one of those political gimmicks that this government is well known for”
While describing it as a “baby” of the NDC, Mr. Mahama stated that he has already started engaging private organizations for possible funding and will see to its construction and subsequent completion if elected in the December polls.
“We can say seriously that that is our baby, we envisioned it and so when we come, it is something that we are going to look at and we have already discussed with several organizations. We need to get a dedicated funding to be able to fund it and bring it to a reality”.
