Sekyere Afram Plains Communities Get Boost Through Water Dams

Three communities in the Sekyere Afram Plains constituency in the Ashanti region have received a boost in their domestic and farming activities following a construction of dams by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sekyere Afram Plains constituency in the Ashanti region Hon. Alex Adomako Mensah.

The construction, according to the NDC MP, was in response to the residents’ cry for portable water in dry seasons during which they find it difficult to have access to, following the failure of constructed boreholes to produce the water.

The three communities that benefited are Akoma, Offe and Fumsua, which according to the MP are the strongholds of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“During the dry seasons, the people have to travel far to other communities to fetch water for their domestic chores which are very worrying and sometimes they have to drive their motorcycles. Those without motorcycles find themselves in a very difficult position, drinking unhygienic water which has adverse effects on their health,” he said.

During the inspection and handing over the dams to the communities, Hon. Adomako Mensah said several efforts were made in providing them with boreholes but they are not resistance to the dry seasons, hence the construction of the dams, which to him are strong enough to stand any weather.

“There are many boreholes provided by the World Vision International, an NGO, but these boreholes become non-functional during the dry seasons, I personally have constructed one but the same story. Initially, the people demanded a dam but I objected due to its low hygienic level. But I realized that the dams will be more sustainable during the dry seasons that’s why I have constructed these boreholes,” he noted.

The Sekyere Afram Plains lawmaker indicated that the three dams for the three villages are not part of the government’s flagship programme ‘one dam one village’ but from his own MP’s Common Fund because that programme is yet to take off, as the bill is yet to be presented to Parliament.

“President Nana Addo said the One-Village-One-Dam is for the three regions in the north and the bill itself have not been brought to parliament for its passage into a law so you should not allow anybody to deceive you that the constructions of these dams are from the government. President Nana Addo said the One-Village-One-Dam is for the three regions of the northern regions. Sekyere Afram Plains is not part so the GHC 80,000 I used is from my common fund,” he stated.

Hon. Adomako Mensah appealed to them to make good use of the dams to last for longer and also urged them not to politicize the use of the dams.

“I will appeal to all of you to make good use of the dams, do not play politics with it, ‘saying it was constructed my NDC MP’, no, it’s for all of you here because you are all my people,” he appealed.

He assured them of providing solar energy panels to produce electricity power temporally, while efforts are been made to connect them to the national grid to improve their standard of living.

The Assembly Member for Fumsua Electoral Area in the Afram Plains district, Hon Abubakari Ali, on behalf of his people thanked the MP for solving their perennial problem and promised to make good use of the dams to achieve their purposes.