Some of the beneficiary communities include Agormor, Ave-Avevi, Kpevi, Avevoe, Atsinuve and Buvikope, among others.

The founder of the NGO Dr Donald Senanu Agumenu, announced this when he provided a water storage facility to the Avevoe community in the Akatsi North.

[contextly_sidebar id=”62tNxanHXFadaU0WL0lYfP1qzDWMIMGT”]Dr Agumenu said the NGO had drilled a borehole for the Avevoe community but realised the water was contaminated and decided to provide the storage facility to enable them to connect water from Agormor to serve the community.

He said samples of the contaminated water would be sent to the laboratory to determine the cause of the problem.

According to the Dr Agumenu, during the team’s visit to the Avevoe community, an old woman asked him: “my son what sins have we committed to be denied clean water ever since I was born?”

Dr Agumenu said he was inspired by the woman’s statement to embark on the project because the Akatsi North communities were faced with serious water challenges, which he believed was a basic necessity for human survival.

He said the communities relied on water from the stream for their cooking and drinking, which posed health concerns and called on the authorities to be proactive and give them the needed attention.

He added that the NGO was established to champion the provision of quality water in rural Africa, adding that in three years, the organisation’s vision was to drill 10,000 boreholes on the continent.

Dr Agumenu said their outfit was poised to meet the target of the Sustainable Development Goal six – access to safe water and sanitation and sound management of freshwater ecosystems – which the NGO believed were essential to human health, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity.

Togbe Adelakpui III, the Chief of Avevoe, Akatsi North District, expressed gratitude to the management of the organisation for assisting the community to solve its water challenges.

According to the Chief, the community used to walk more than 10 miles to Agormor in the next village to get a stream water to drink and for other household chores, but the provision of the facility had brought relief to the community.

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Source: GNA

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According to the Director of Public Affairs for the PURC, Nana Yaa Gyantuah, the projects which are yet to commence, are “integrated water systems” saying the cost of such projects are higher than normal boreholes.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, Nana Yaa Gyantuah said the Public Procurement Authority, has given them the green light to execute the project on sole sourcing basis.

[contextly_sidebar id=”U4Q1QlNDFKh6V3F75nNjGuf0DQ4lm7d9″]“I am saying that the PPA has approved it,” she added.

Nana Gyantuah made the comment in response to the New Patriotic Party’s claims that the cost of the project has been bloated.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, a former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, said the amount has been inflated by the Mahama-led administration to enable them siphon state funds for its campaign activities.

“It is in the light of this that a Public Utility Regulatory Commission letter dated 6^th October,2016, requesting for a ‘single-sourced procurement approval for PURC’S pro-poor water project’ shows the danger that our cash is in under Mahama. In the said letter, it is stated ‘the commission is seeking approval to single-source contractors to construct bore-holes in selected deprived communities.’ The letter continues ‘the total cost of the project for the 500 bore-holes is GH¢30million.’ And, no matter where the borehole is being dug, the rate per unit is quoted at GH¢60,000. This, ladies and gentlemen, is four times, the market rate,” he added.

He also insisted that the amount for each borehole should not be more than GHc18, 000.

But Gyantuah said integrated water systems have a lot of components and cannot be less than GHc 18,000 and thus challenged the NPP to provide contrary evidence.

“What they are talking about is the normal mechanized borehole without lines. If there is anyone out there who thinks that an integrated water system will cost less [GHc18,000] we don’t have a problem the people should come,” she challenged.

She said the project will have electronic submersible pumps that will carry the water to some installed tanks, and pipelines connecting standing pipes in the communities as well as a pump house.

“You have to do geophysical studies, chemical analysis of the water, that is in the ground because it is going to a whole community,” she added.

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post PURC justifies GHc30m for 500 boreholes appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra today [Tuesday], a former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, said the amount has been inflated, and it’s being executed by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), to enable the Mahama-led administration siphon public funds for its campaign activities.

[contextly_sidebar id=”EBYNulSblb9JZVbXrzqaUUW0KgiV2JJi”]“It is in the light of this that a Public Utility Regulatory Commission letter dated 6^th October,2016, requesting for a ‘single-sourced procurement approval for PURC’S pro-poor water project’, shows the danger that our cash is in under Mahama. In the said letter, it is stated ‘the commission is seeking approval to single-source contractors to construct bore-holes in selected deprived communities.’ The letter continues ‘the total cost of the project for the 500 bore-holes is GH¢30million.’ And, no matter where the borehole is being dug, the rate per unit is quoted at GH¢60,000. This, ladies and gentlemen, is four times, the market rate.”

According to him, the amount for each borehole should not be more than GHc18,000.

Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie also known as Sir John, further made several allegations including accusing government of signing a fraudulent deal worth about $300 million for the supply of national security equipment.

According to him, government has already paid a UK-based firm, Santa Barron, $120 million dollars for the supply of the equipment on 30th November without due diligence.

Meanwhile, speaking on Eyewitness News, Director of Public Affairs for the PURC, Nana Yaa Gyantuah, justified the GHc30 million used in the borehole project, saying the boreholes in question were “integrated water systems”.

Click here for Sir John’s full statement

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post Gov’t blows GHc30m on 500 boreholes – NPP appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.