Political Scientist and the Head of the Centre for European Studies at University of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Asah Asante has called on the Government to complete the construction of the Pwalugo Dam.
His comments follow the annual spillage of the Bagre Dam from Burkina Faso, which began on Monday August 25, and has raised concern over the flooding and loss of lives and property it normally causes.
According to Dr. Asah Asante, the spillage is threatening thousands of lives and several acres of arable lands.
Speaking on Joy News AM Show, he expressed worry about the situation, saying, “I am looking at the Bagre dam spillage and the threat that it poses to human lives and property.”
“Every year, we see this ritual. Dam spillage, arable lands destroyed, human lives threatened, and the rest of it. But what is the solution? We always talk about it and go to sleep,” he added.
According to Dr. Asah Asante, experts have continuously pointed to the Pwalugo Dam as the solution to this problem.
He said, “The real solution, if you talk to people on the ground, they’ll tell you it is the construction of the Pwalugo Dam. That dam if constructed will take this volume of water, make us of it, and the excess will be used for irrigation, that will turn the fortunes of the north around.”
He further questioned authorities as to the whereabouts of the funds that had been allocaqted to the building of the dam in the past.
“12 million dollars has gone into the dam, and up to date we don’t have evidence of that. I want to use this occasion to tell Government that whoever is responsible for the construction of the dam, which we never had, must be able to answer questions,” he stressed.
He added, “I will make sure that together with like minded people we will rise up and then ask for this money to be used for the construction. We need the dam.”
Speaking directly to the President and the Government, Dr. Asah Asante pleaded for the construction of the Dam.
“Please Mr. President, please Government, please rise up and make sure that we get the Pwalugo dam,” he urged.
The Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso which supports power generation and irrigation, releases its water every year which leads to flooding in parts of northern Ghana, loss of lives and property.
