VRA to promote productive electricity usage

Kaira, (V/R), Dec. 8, GNA - The Volta River Authority (VRA), Resettlement Trust Fund is to draw a programme to promote productive electricity usage in some 52 communities in the Volta region, whose people were displaced during the construction of the Volta hydro-electricity dam at Akosombo.

Chief Musa Adam, Chairman of the Fund, announced this at a durbar of Chiefs and people of the Kpalime Traditional Area to climax this year's "Kpalikpakpa" festival at Kaira on Saturday.

The festival, which is hosted on rotational basis among seven communities; Kaira, Kpale, Tsatee, Duga, Todome, Toh and Wegbe was to perpetuate their common identity and unity and to raise funds in support of development projects in the host community.

Chief Adam said the use of electricity solely for domestic purposes and the inability of the people to settle their electricity bills negated the objective of using power to generate income in economically depressed communities.

He said the Fund was also reviewing the formula for the distribution of 75 percent of the income from the Fund among the affected communities while the remaining 25 percent would go to finance general projects like electrification.

Chief Adam said studies were being undertaken to tackle drainage problems in the communities while moves were underway to address complaints regarding electrification projects.

He said the Fund had financial problems and was, therefore, seeking other sources of funding to augment its traditional source of income.

Chief Adam, however, said the persistent conflict between the Kaira and Tongor-Ahor resettlement communities was undermining the efforts of the Board of Trustees to address problems in the area.

He lamented at the refusal of the people of Tongor-Ahor to send their children to school at Kaira because of their differences.

Chief Adam urged the two communities to direct their energies towards development because "we are one nation, one people with a common destiny". Dr Kwame Ampofo, Member of Parliament for South-Dayi, who expressed his frustration at the unwillingness of both communities to settle their differences and work towards the development of the area.

Mr Pius Adanuti, Kpando District Chief Executive (DCE), urged farmers in the area to go into commercial farming instead of concentrating on subsistence farming adding that the vocation has a lot of potentials.

He advised landowners in the area to make land available to people wishing to go into commercial farming instead of frustrating them with land litigations anytime they wanted to undertake large-scale farming.

The DCE appealed to the people to initiate measures to prevent bushfires in order to preserve the environment.

Togbe Agbi Yawo VII, Fiaga of the Kpalime Traditional Area acknowledged the efforts being made by the assembly to solve their developmental problems. He called on the authorities to provide the people of Kaira and Tongor areas with potable water, rehabilitate the roads and requested for compensation for lands submerged by the Volta Lake.

Present at the festival included Mr Dwamena Bekoe, and Alhaji Amadu Seidu, Members of Parliament for Asuogyaman and Yapei-Kusawgu respectively. An amount of 13.6 million cedis was realised during an appeal for funds.