General News of Friday, 15 January 2010

Source: GNA

Construction of major dams in Northern Regions

Bolgatanga, Jan 15, GNA - Four major dams are to be constructed by Government in the three Northern Regions to harvest water to power hydro-electricity, serve as irrigation and source of drinking water. One of the dams would be constructed along the White Volta in the Upper East Region, which would harvest water to prevent the annual disasters caused by the Bagre Dam in neighbouring Burkina Faso, which affected especially residents of the Upper East Region whenever there was a spillage.

The Sisili area in the Upper West and Yagba-Kubori in the Northern Region are the areas to also benefit from the facility.

Mr. Kofi Portuphy, the National Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), disclosed these when he was canvassing for votes from NDC delegates in Bolgatanga on Thursday. He said the projects would be part of the climatic change adaptation project with funding from the United Nations and the World Bank.

Mr. Portuphy said in addition, the Japan Government had pledged to support Ghana with funding to also plant more trees, construct more irrigation dams and provide farm inputs including water pumps, graders and bulldozers among others to farming attractive especially to the youth.

He assured the foot soldiers of party who had been clamoring for jobs that the implementation of the projects would provide employment avenues for them and asked them to exercise restraints. Mr. Portuphy stated that under his directorate about 6,000 jobs would be created and more would be created in other sectors including the security services to engage more people.

He asked the delegates to vote for him as the National Vice Chairman of the Party and said as a cadre he had served the MDC in different capacities and had brought a lot of development to it. Mr. Portuphy advised the delegates to vote for competent people and capable of championing the activities of the party and not to vote for people who were just contesting for selfish motives especially amassing of wealth.

He asked them to adhere to the social democratic principle of the NDC that sought to promote the welfare of all Ghanaians.