The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said it will part itself on the back if the party is able to provide even half of the total number of villages in the three regions up North with dams, as part of its one-village one-dam policy when it assumes power.
The presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has made yet another promise with about four months to the polls in December, promising to establish one dam in every village in the northern part of the country to enhance agriculture through a well thought out irrigation policy.
Addressing traditional rulers at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, Nana Addo said a strong irrigation policy “One Village One Dam” will make Ghana crop all year round and eventually become a net exporter of most foodstuff.
He noted that, out of 14 million hectares of land only 30,000 of them is put to use.
Nana Akufo Addo said his administration would provide functioning irrigation infrastructure through the One Village One Dam policy to create jobs and improve food security in Ghana. assuring to improve the defunct Zuarungu Meat Factory and the Pwalugu Tomato Factory, as part of his agricultural transformation agenda.
While some members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) have pooh-poohed this policy, others have described it as impracticable with some averring that it may even be unnecessary as it is not every single village in the North that is into farming.
But speaking on Joy FM Monday, the Chairman of the Agriculture Sector Committee of the NPP, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto who has indicated he has no idea the number of villages in the Northern sector to benefit from this policy, maintains that providing half of the villages up north will be considered a success.
“So if there are about 3,000 villages and at the end of the four years we are able to do 1,500 that will be a huge success. Because you target something and you are able to get at least half of it done who can say it’s a failure, it is a process. The moment you are able to monitor and show that every year you are able to accomplish so much then more resources if required will be put into it in order to complete the whole process.”
He added: So if we promise that all villages will have one dam and we provide half of the villages with dams then we have succeeded. Do you know the impact of what half of the villages with dams in the Northern Savannah will have on their agriculture, when you promise something it doesn’t mean you have to accomplish it hundred percent.”
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