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Minister for Special Development Initiatives responsible for one village one dam, Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson says former President John Dramani Mahama is being mischief with his comment that there are no signs of government’s one village one dam initiative.

Former President John Dramani Mahama has said that there are no signs of the government’s one village, one dam initiative on the ground after almost two years in office.

In some cases, Mr Mahama noted that the government is rather providing dugouts for the people, instead of the dams. 

Addressing delegates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Wechiau in the Wa West constituency as part of his three-day campaign tour of the Upper West Region, Mr Mahama pointed out that dugouts had always existed in the savanna area, with the NDC government digging many for the people.

He said during his tour of Mamprusi West as part of his Northern regional campaign tour, he saw the first experimental work of the one village and one dam, and that work cannot be described as a dam.

“Before the election, I asked them, are you talking of dugouts or irrigation dams, but they refused to answer. Apparently, they were thinking of dugouts,” he said.

But reacting to this comment on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Hon. Hawa Koomson averred there are at least some few communities with completed dam constructions in the Northern Region.

She added these dams cannot be described as dugouts as the construction meet the requirements for a dam; thus, the construction on the land ranges between 2 to 3 acres with the maximum depth of 5 meters of water.

" . . that is 2.5 below and 2.5 up above ground level. The length of the embankment range 150 to 250 meters and all these depend on the topography of the location, and water capacity holding is about 30,000 cubic meters and how can you call this man-hole?”, she quizzed.

She reiterated that President Akufo-Addo never promised to construct big dams but rather every village will get one dam as no village can contain a big dam as former President Mahama is anticipating.

“Former President Mahama is coming from the Northern Region and I believe he knows; maybe he does not know where the dams are. Whenever he goes to the north and he calls on me, I will gladly show him all the dams we have done,” she replied.

She however listed some constituencies in the three northern regions which have benefitted from the one village one dam; she mentioned Upper East, Bongo, Bimbila, Salaga South, Gushegu, Kpandai, Yendi, Kumbungu and many areas which are witnesses to the dam constructions.

Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson advised former President John Mahama to focus on his campaign to win the trust of the delegates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and pray he becomes the Flagbearer of his party again.