By Philip Tengzu
Busa, (UW/R), April 11, GNA – Naa Ali Seidu Pelpuo Yelmaana, the Paramount Chief of the Busa Traditional Area in the Wa Municipality has expressed hope that the rehabilitation of the Busa irrigation dam will improve the livelihoods of the people in the area.
He explained that the traditional area was agrarian, and the people had been engaging in vegetable production during the dry season as a source of livelihood.
Naa Yelmaana said this in a message on his behalf by Naa Jaafar Natasung Pelpuo, the Chief of Biihe, during a visit of the French Ambassador and the Minister of Food and Agriculture to the community to ascertain the status of the dam for rehabilitation.
The Busa dam is part of some dams earmarked to be rehabilitated under the joint French government and European Union (EU) Agricultural Water Management Project (AWMP) under the EU Ghana Agriculture Programme (EU-GAP).
The 47 million Euros AWMP project is targeted to construct eight new dams, rehabilitate some existing dams and drill about 45 boreholes in 18 districts in three regions-Upper West, North East and Savannah Regions for irrigation purposes.
It would also develop at least 1,000 hectares of irrigable land, which would directly benefit at least 6,000 smallholder families.
Naa Yelmaana indicated that the rehabilitation of the dam would mean “More jobs, created for the youth and the women.”
“In every community, when women have jobs to do, it eases the pressure on the men.
There will not be a need for the youth to go out seeking places to do galamsey (illegal mining) that destroys the land, the environment and causes so many other hazards,” the revered chief added.
Mr Jules-Armand Aniambossou, the French Ambassador to Ghana, commended the farmers for utilising the dam in its current state to improve their economic status and assured them of the French government’s support to enhance their vegetable production.
For his part, Mr Eric Opoku, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, encouraged all stakeholders involved in the project implementation including the government agencies and departments to avoid “needless bureaucracies” that would delay its implementation.
He said that would help fast-track the project execution for the beneficiaries to reap its expected outcome to enhance their livelihoods.
Mr Charles Lwanga Puozuing, the Upper West Regional Minister, appealed to the chief and people of the Busa community to support the project implementation for the benefit of the people in the area.
Some of the farmers, who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), expressed joy about the interventions and said it would enable them to increase their dry season farming, especially vegetable production to improve their incomes.
GNA
CAE /KOA