(Barakese Dam project, Govt to pay GH¢4.3 million compensation

Page 16 (Pol), November 16, 2007

Story: Kweku Tsen & Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah.
THE Government is to pay ¢43 billion as compensation to communities which have been affected by the construction of the Barekese dam in the Ashanti Region, the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Saddique told Parliament yesterday.
According to him, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning had given an indication to settle the debt within the shortest possible time.
The minister said this in answer to a question by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima-Nwabiagya, Mr Benito Owusu-Bio who had inquired from him when the ministry would pay outstanding compensation to the communities affected by the construction of the Barekese dam.
Alhaji Saddique informed the House that no compensation had been paid to the stools whose lands had been affected by the project.
The minister mentioned the stools as Anwoma, Nkonsuotuano, Sosamo, Asokore, Atene Akotene, Nkwantakese, Maban, Tonto Kokoben, Amisare, Anyinase and Offinso.
He explained that by Executive Instrument 23, which was passed in 2001 and the Ghana Water Company Limited Instrument enacted the same year, the government acquired the lands for the Barekese Water project.
“ Mr Speaker, Land Valuation Board assessed the full compensation as ¢86 billion. In March, 2007 through negotiations, the stools agreed to accept 50 per cent of the amount as full compensation ,” he said.
Alhaji Saddique further explained that based on the arrangement, the ministry had been collaborating with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning for the release of ¢43 billion to be paid to the affected stools.
In another development, the MP for Amenfi Central, Mr George Kofi Arthur asked the minister what the ministry was doing to save a number of communities in the constituency whose water sources had been polluted by the activities of Akoti Mines.
Replying, Alhaji Saddique said with the exception of Kyeikrom, which had two boreholes, Ahyiam, Ohenekrom, Samfifere and Tuntum had none.
He said to salvage the situation, the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) had budgeted under the 2008 financial estimates to provide each of the communities with a borehole with a handpump at a total cost of ¢60 million each.
“ These projects would be started in February , 2008 for completion in six months,” the minister gave the assurance.
The MP for Techiman South, Mr Simon Addai, asked the minister what the ministry was doing to extend pipe-borne water to newly developed areas within the Techiman municipality.
Responding, the Minister said the water supply scheme for Techiman was based on surface water from the Tano River and supplemented by groundwater.
He added that the treatment plant on the Tano River had a capacity of 990,000 gallons a day and was supplemented with water from three boreholes with a total capacity of 66,000 gallons per day.
“ Mr Speaker, because of the size of the municipality, pipe borne water does not reach most of the newly developed areas,” the minister said.
Alhaji Saddique said as a short term measure to have water extended to such areas, four additional boreholes had been drilled at Takofiano, Oforikrom, Kuntunso and Ketan North, all in the Techiman municipality to produce about 26,400 gallons per day .
The minister said pipelines would be extended to those areas in 2008 at the cost of ¢1 billion and that the project would take off in February 2008.
“ Mr Speaker, in the long term, it is planned to construct an additional treatment plant of 2.3 million gallons per day capacity to meet year 2020 water demand, which will take care of the growing municipality” and stressed that the estimated investment in the plant was about $53.5 million.
He said an American firm, Khafrah Engineering and Consultants (KEC) had expressed interest in the execution of the project which involved the conduction of feasibility studies on the project to enable them to firm up the funding agreement and the technical proposal for GWCL’s review.
The Minister added that another firm, the Kowi Consultant of Korea had also expressed interest in the execution of the project and were yet to firm up their financial proposal.