Feasibility studies and consultative fora have taken place, with work on the first of these dams set to begin in a couple of weeks ahead of the rainy season.

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, made the disclosure at the annual “Paarigbielle” festival of the chiefs and people of the Tumu Traditional Area in the Upper West Region, on Saturday March 17, 2018.

According to Dr. Bawumia, a similar number of dams will be constructed across the three northern regions next year, together with other interventions in the agric sector, expected to have a great impact on Ghana’s food security and improve the lives of farming communities.

Vice President Bawumia indicated that the Sissala area, which is made up of the Sissala East and West districts, will get 10 dams apiece.

Citing the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy, restoration of teacher and nursing trainee allowances, and the reduction in electricity bills, Dr. Bawumia said the construction of the dams was another sign of the Akufo-Addo government’s commitment to fulfilling the promises it made to Ghanaians ahead of the 2016 elections.

“Along with the Government policy of Planting for Food and Jobs, we have also initiated the policy of One Village One Dam, and I am glad to note that this policy is taking off this year, and for the three northern regions this year we expect the construction of a total of 570 dams.

“We expect to cut the sod for the commencement of this policy within a few weeks and in Sissala East, you will be getting 10 dams this year. In Sissala West you will get 10 dams this year by the Grace of God,” Vice President Bawumia announced.

According to Vice President Bawumia, Government is also committed to ensuring value addition in the agriculture sector, and is engaged in discussions with potential investors to add value to crops such as cotton and maize.

“I am aware of the contribution of farmers in the Tumu Traditional Area to the production of cotton and the textile industry in Ghana, especially the establishment of the cotton ginnery at Tumu. I am informed that the machines at the ginnery can be made to work again even after being idle for quite some time.”

Dr. Bawumia continued: “Government is in contact with prospective investors, some of whom have expressed interest in the Tumu Ginnery, and we certainly would facilitate the revamping of the Tumu Ginnery as one of the projects in line with our One District, One Factory policy.”

Government, under the policy of Planting for Investment and Export, is encouraging farmers, especially farmers in the three Northern Regions, to embrace the cultivation of cashew as an important cash crop which would protect the environment and provide stable income for farmers, Dr. Bawumia indicated.

“The Ministry of Agriculture and the District Assemblies are facilitating the cashew project implementation and it is hoped that our farmers would realize the tremendous benefits to be derived from the cultivation of the multi-purpose cash crop the cultivation of which has specifically been designed for the purpose of poverty reduction.”

The 2018 was under the theme “Paarigbielle festival, a vehicle for fostering good neighbourliness to propel the socio-economic development of the area”.

It was attended by profile personalities including Interior Minister Ambrose Dery, who is also MP for Nandom; Water and Sanitation Minister Joseph Kofi Adda, who is also MP for Navrongo Central; and Hon Abass Ridwan Dauda, MP for Sissala East, as well as sons and daughters of Sissala land.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Speaking at a press briefing on the sidelines of the United Nations Convention for Climate Change, Senior Lecturer at the Regional Institute for Population at the University of Ghana, Raymond Kasei said the one village one dam will boost the country’s output from the agric sector.

[contextly_sidebar id=”DK6UJryCSTNm7aFRMGD0drxgEsUF9Ufe”]“The times the rains begin is a big problem for farmers. It is something that affects agriculture in this country. Many of our farming practices rely heavily on rain-fed agriculture so the only village one dam principle will be very helpful for us,” he said.

According to him, the one village one dam policy will upgrade farmers from having to constantly depend on rainfall to ensure their farms are watered to more effective and convenient irrigation systems.

“We might divert from rain-fed agriculture to irrigation farming,” he added.

A number of farmers in various parts of the country have expressed worry over unfavourable weather conditions, which they say is affecting their production and driving a number of prospective farmers from the sector.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, in his campaigns ahead of the 2016 elections, promised to establish one dam in every village in the northern part of the country to boost agriculture through a well-planned irrigation policy.

He said a robust irrigation policy “One Village One Dam” will make Ghana crop all year round and eventually become a net exporter of most foodstuff.

He said his government, would provide functioning irrigation infrastructure through the policy to create jobs and improve food security in Ghana.

Agric Minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto had stated that the implementation of the project would start in 2017 dry season, which normally begins in November.

“We have a plan in place that we are going to submit, and hopefully, the implementation will start in the coming dry season,” the Minister said to Citi News.

“Isn’t it a shame that because the northern Savannah has only four months of rain, for eight months, the people there are sitting, folding their arms, waiting for God to bring rain when we have all these big rivers crisscrossing the savannah zone.

However following agitations from farmers over the government’s failure to implement the project before the end of the year, President Akufo-Addo assured Ghanaians that the programme will be rolled out in  2018.

“This year, the One-village One-dam project starts full operation. It is a simple low-tech project but these dams will make a big difference to all our lives and livelihood of our farmers. Already, many of the little dams that has been abandoned have been rehabilitated and brought back into use. A deliberate and specific intervention to help farmers is paying off,“ he said when he delivered his second State of the Nation Address earlier in February.

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By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Dr. Felix Abagale, the initiative deserves enough resources for its successful implementation.

“For the government’s one village one dam initiative to succeed there is the need for sufficient financial resources to be allocated for the agric sector’s growth.”

He admonished government to be bipartisan in engaging experts during the projects design, saying, “There is the need for government to engage experts in the design of projects and training of the beneficiaries devoid of partisan politics.”

Dr. Felix Abagale was addressing the maiden International Conference on Irrigation and Agricultural Development (IRAD) at the UDS International Conference Centre, Tamale City campus.

He said the UDS is committed to help government achieve its goal in that regard.

The UDS Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Alhassan Seidu, said Ghana’s irrigation potential is 1.9million hectares, but only 11.6 percent or 221,000 hectares is being utilized.

“This means the potential investable area of 88.4 percent of the irrigable potential provided a significant investment opportunity in Ghana.”

Prof. Seidu advocated Public-Private-Partnership investment in the irrigation sector with emphasis on Northern Ghana where water is in abundance during rainy season.

“The provision of small dams and dugouts for the purposes of harvesting rainwater as well as flood waters, and also the construction of tube wells have the potential to greatly contribute to reducing the hunger period through increased agricultural activities such as dry season farming.”

He touted the UDS as a tertiary institution with a unique characteristic of competent expertise whose services are indispensable in irrigation and agricultural development.

“Particularly, we are having irrigation agronomists, soil and water conservation experts, economists and also experts with unmatched skills in the design of dams and dugouts.”

“Since its establishment in 1992, the university has supported and will forever support the delivery of improved irrigation and agricultural development in Ghana and beyond through training and the provision of technical consultancy services especially for the savannah zone,” Prof. Seidu reaffirmed.

The event was themed, “Irrigation and Agricultural Development: Prospects and Challenges for the Sector’s Growth.

The IRAD conference sought to create a common platform for experts in the irrigation and agricultural sectors especially research scientists, local authorities, farmers and non-profit organisations to network and form synergies as means of finding solutions to the sector’s teething challenges.

As a continental conference, the participants comprising academics, researchers, policy makers and civil society organizations, and duty bearers, were from Africa, Europe and the United States of America.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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It would also construct a 300KW dairy farm biogas power plant and irrigation dam as well as fertilizer production units in selected villages in the three regions of the north.

The programme is in partnership with the Renewable Energy and Environmental Conservation (REEC) Biopower, a subsidiary of Hi-Limit Group.

[contextly_sidebar id=”NyAHs9558a5aUOONpJ7nAe5JYpAnxv9n”]This was in a statement issued by Mr Emmanuel Larbi, the Chief Executive of Hi-Limit Group at the Kpandai District Assembly General Meeting for the commencement of the project.

The project, estimated at 660 million dollars, is to generate a total of 132MW of electricity from biopower plants and 35,200 hectres of centre pivot irrigation dams spread across the 44 districts of the three regions of the north.

The objective is to improve rural electrification development, food production and security, and job creation.

Mr Larbi said the Hi-Limit patent plant design would distribute electricity generated from dairy farm biogas plants to rural villages whiles at the same time using the biogas effluent (liquid fertilizer) dams for irrigation purposes.

Mr Mathew Nyidam, the Member of Parliament for Kpandai and Deputy Majority Chief Whip, expressed happiness at the commencement of the project in his district and affirmed government’s support to make it a reality.

Hi-Limit’s REEC Biopower is a Ghanaian company with operations in Africa, Europe, and Asia.

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Source: GNA

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Dr. Afriyie Akoto said the implementation will start during the start of the 2017 dry season, which normally begins in November.

[contextly_sidebar id=”BUM2xbvGzQvkwNk5vXAgJ6w7CqMTM7a8″]“We have a plan in place that we are going to submit, and hopefully, the implementation will start in the coming dry season,” the Minister said to Citi News.

“Isn’t it a shame that because the northern Savannah has only four months of rain, for eight months, the people there are sitting, folding their arms, waiting for God to bring rain when we have all these big rivers crisscrossing the savannah zone.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto said the government was looking to take advantage of these rivers by diverting them to farmlands in need.

“…We have big plans to try and drain some of these rivers and redirect some of these rivers through huge pipes to reach as many farming communities as possible in the northern sector.”

The One-Village-One-Dam policy is one of the Akufo-Addo administration’s flagship programmes aimed at ensuring all year-round agriculture in the three regions of the north, through the construction of irrigation dams in every village in that part of the country.

Under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme in the 2017 budget, GHc94, 446,132 was earmarked for the One-Village-One-Dam policy.

One-Village-One-Dam policy forms part of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s key policy initiatives which are expected to cost over GHc2 billion.

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By: Sammi Wiafe/Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The President prior to the December 2016 election, promised to establish a factory each in all District, Metropolitan, Municipal areas, and also provide the 275 constituencies with one million dollars each to boost development.

He further promised in the New Patriotic Party’s 2016 manifesto that he will set up a Zongo Development fund, and also provide villages in the northern part of the country with irrigation dams.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo also promised to restore the nursing and teacher trainee allowances scrapped by the Mahama government if he is elected into office.

It has been revealed in the 2017 budget statement presented by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, last week, that government is hoping to spend the sum of GHc400 million to fund the much talked-about free SHS policy.

Under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme in the budget, GHc 456,247,495 is expected to be used for the one-district one-factory policy, GHc94, 446,132 for one-village one-dam, and GHc219, 500,000 is to be injected into the Zongo Development Fund.

Other initiatives which have been captured under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme includes small business development, agric input, water for all projects, and sanitation projects, which will cost, GHc110,301,592, GHc70,191,922, GHc47,223,066 and GHc47,223,066 respectively.

On the restoration of nursing and teacher trainee allowances, it is expected that a total of GHc252,143,727 will be used.

Other initiatives which form part of government’s key policy initiatives include:

National entrepreneurship and innovation programme – GHc43, 900,000

National Identification Scheme – GHc100, 000,000

National Address System – GHc11, 000,000

National Asset Protection Programme – GHc8, 000,000

Venture Capital Trust Fund – GHc219, 500,000

Parliament debates budget

Meanwhile Ghanaian parliamentarians have begun debating the 2017 budget presented to the House by the Finance Minister.

Parliament is supposed to approve the budget as a working document after the debate.

Click here to download the full budget statement. 

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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This was contained in the 2017 budget statement presented before Parliament on Thursday [March 2, 2017].

[contextly_sidebar id=”MifGmQQH03sS6lJwysR5xfXGzmF7AZtH”]The Finance Minister, Mr. Ken Ofori Atta, who presented the budget statement, said the policy will see the establishment of medium to large scale factories in each district of the country, and will be driven by the private sector.

He added that, government intends to promote an industrialized economy and ensure that development is spread across the country.

“In 2017, the Ministry will initiate the “One District One Factory” initiative to ensure an even spatial spread of industries. This is intended to promote rapid industrialization at the district level driven by strong linkages to agriculture and other natural resource endowments to create job and wealth,” he said.

The one-district one-factory policy programme, was one of the major campaign promises of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the December 2016 general elections.

The party, led by President Akufo-Addo, said it was optimistic it will help reduce unemployment in the country.

The Finance Minster in his budget statement noted that, the government will also roll out other interventions including the Zongo Development Fund, and the one-village one-dam programme, which are both key programmes used by the NPP as campaign messages in the run-up to the 2016 December election.

The government has also allocated GH¢219 million and GH¢94 million respectively for the implementation of those programmes.

$1m per constituency to be implemented under Poverty Eradication Project

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta also announced that government will set up an Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Project to cater for its one million dollar per constituency promise.

According to him, the fund will be targeted at improving the livelihood of Ghanaians in rural areas, by providing them with sustainable jobs.

“Under the Establishment of the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication project, every constituency will be allocated the cedi equivalent of one million dollars to combat poverty. We will allocate one million dollars to each constituency in this house, to improve the lives of rural dwellers and deprived communities,” he said during the budget presentation in parliament.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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According to the Agona Swedru District Police Commander, DSP Paul Wilson Baah, who spoke to Citi News,  the police service has “done a lot” and has put measures in place to ensure that crime in the area is adequately dealt with.

“The divisional commander, divisional crime officer and all the officers in Swedru are working hand in hand.”

The Police Command had announced in June that it would intensify patrols in the area following persistent attacks by armed robbers.

Despite their recent successes in dealing with crime in the locality, DSP Baah has called on the general public to assist the police in any way they can in order to maintain this feat.

“We believe that the cooperation from the general public will help us achieve better than we have already done.”

By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Crime rate drops in Agona Swedru – Police appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.