My comments on building 'meaningful dams' misinterpreted due to language - Hawa Koomson

In July 2016, GhanaWeb carried an exclusive story on a statement the former Minister for Special Development Initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson, made in an interview, with regards the amount of monies that had been earmarked for the construction of dams in line with the government's policy on 1 District 1 Dam.

According to the former minister, Ghanaians should not expect a meaningful dam with an amount of GHC 250,000 allocated to her ministry, as the said amount cannot construct the Akosombo-like dams they want.

She stressed that the pond-like dams constructed is exactly what the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led government promised Ghanaians during the 2016 electioneering period and not Akosombo-like dams.

This matter came up again during her vetting at Parliament's Appointments Committee for the position of Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development.

Asking the nominee a question of clarity on the subject, Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, wanted to know what she meant when she said the government is not constructing 'meaningful dams.'

In her response, she explained that her comments had been taken out of context and that she had clearly been misinterpreted.

"Mr. Chairman, I have also read about it but I must say that I was taken out of context," she said.

Okudzeto: "So, what is the context because GhanaWeb attached a video and we heard you saying that?"

Hawa: "There was a question on whether the dams we are constructing are that of the Akosombo Dam and I said no, we are constructing community and those that are constructed within the communities and surely, we did not expect big dams. And Mr. Chairman, as we all know, English is not our mother tongue so maybe the way I wanted to put it, what I really meant was not the word I used."