Regional News of Friday, 31 January 2020

Source: a1radioonline.com

Fix our dam else we won't vote - Farmers warn

Dorogo dam Dorogo dam

Some Farmers at Dorogo,a suburb of Sherigu community of the Bolgatanga Municipality in the Upper East Region have threatened to boycott the upcoming general elections if their Dam they use for dry season farming is not disilted.

According to the disgruntled farmers , for the past four decades till now that the Dam was constructed, it has not seen any significant rehabilitation works on it which has affected the level of water collected during the raining season.

One of the Framers , Abangna Atiah, told A1 News that “Since the era of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah that this dam was created and up to now, the dam has not been desilted. You just imagine, what can of water do you expect this dam to hold if not quantum of sand. The politicians are treating we the farmers in Dorogo like children, therefore, either they come to our aid or we don’t vote at all.”

Another Farmer Norbert Atanga is lamenting that “I can’t continue showing loyalty to politicians who see me like a cow. Yes, they see me like an animal because only animals do what their owners want. Governments come and go with numerous promises to desilt this dam, but after voting, not even a single soul will come to even greet us neither talking of remembering their promises. This year, for me, I will not vote.”

MR. Adongo Ali has however ,questioned the essence of government’s flagship program dubbed ‘Planting for Food and Job’ if the initiative can not help dry season farmers to strive.

“I believe by this time the government should have been providing us with some seeds and fertilizers, but nothing has been given to us. One Village, One Dam, we have our old dam and just want the government to come and desilt it and this one too wahala. ”

The situation they say ,if not addressed will definitely push them out of the farming business a reason government must intervene immediately.

Meanwhile , the farmers are battling with activities of stray animals that destroy their farms.