NDC Supports Bui Dam Project

Space FM, Sunyani, August 24 - NDC Asutifi South Parliamentarian, Hon. Collins Dauda, says his party fully supports the Bui Dam Project, Ghana's second biggest hydroelectric dam after Akosombo, because of the magnitude of its importance to the nation.

He added that the NDC is not like the UP which opposed Dr Kwame Nkrumah when he initiated work on the Akosombo dam.

He explained that though the NDC has been opposing the ruling NPP on several projects, the party knows the benefits the dam would bring to the nation and would do every thing to ensure its completion.

Hon. Dauda was speaking to Space FM at Banda Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo region, shortly after president J.A. Kufour cut the sod to commence work on the 622 million dollar hydro electricity project at Bui on Friday. The Dam, which will be constructed on the Black Volta over the next five years, is expected to generate 400 megawatts on completion and would create direct employment for 2,900 Ghanaians.

He pointed out that before the NPP took over the reigns of government, the NDC had actually started the Bui project by signing a memorandum of understanding with Brown and Roads Company.

The MP said in 1998, the NDC was advised by energy experts to suspend the Bui project, because it was also hydro, and rather concentrate on the then energy crises the nation was facing.

“Energy experts advised that we suspend the Bui project because of the then energy crises and rather construct a thermal plant instead of a second hydro plant”, he said.

He continued that based on that advise, the NDC went ahead to construct the Aboadze thermal plant hoping that if NDC won the 2000 elections, the Bui dam would have been revisited to further improve the country’s energy capacity. But the NDC lost the 2000 elections. Hon. Dauda said the NDC would support any good projects of the government but would oppose projects such as the construction of the presidential palace which is intended to provide comfort for only the president.