The Chief of Dachio in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region, Naba Thomas Akaliga II, has described a dam constructed in the community as part of the government’s flagship program, One-Village, One-Dam Initiative as an undeserved punishment.
Speaking to Newsmen during a visit to the community on Monday, May 29, 2023, Naba Thomas Adongo Akaliga II, said one thing he regrets deeply is buying into the message of the NPP that a good dam will be constructed in the community for dry season farming which saw him urge his people to vote for the party.
To worsen his plight and anger, the spillway of the dam has been done in such a way that it prevents him and others living near his house from accessing the road.
The displeased chief who earlier described the constructed dam as a football park, one that even a 10-year-old can walk across with ease, says the residents were not consulted on the construction of the dam.
For him, the dam was not properly cited leading to the conversion of a road leading to homes into a spillway. He added that the manner in which the government went about constructing the dam was capable of inciting violence in the area.
The 1V1D Initiative was to ensure that beneficiary communities engage in dry-season farming. Unfortunately, almost all the dams are not serving their intended purpose.
Beyond not serving its intended purpose, the Chief of Dachio thinks the dam in his community that was constructed in two weeks is not only a failed project but an undeserved punishment.
“One day I was even preparing to go to Kumasi when I heard there are people here digging the dam and I said, without even telling me? When I asked, they said the government has given it to them so, they don’t need to even consult anybody and for that matter, they are taking only two weeks to work I asked where is your sign board and they told me they don’t have one. They are here to do the dam.
So, in exactly two weeks, they finished and went away. And the most annoying part is, look at the Spillway. It is a route passing through my place and it is now like a river. If you go there you can’t pass.
We don’t know, they only came to punish Dachio. They don’t want to give us anything. They don’t want to help us with anything. Our animals don’t come here to drink. They choose to go to the parks because there is no water here,” he lamented
