MOFA/GTZ hand over rehabilitated dam to three communities

Tamale, Oct. 21, GNA - The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and the German Technical Co-operation Agency (GTZ) have handed over a rehabilitated dam to three communities in the Tamale Metropolis. The two development partners also presented 300 bags of maize to the people under a "Food for Work" programme.

The beneficiary communities are: Foshegu, Mangat and Duunyin. Under the programme, GTZ provided 8,000 Euros funding while MOFA purchased 890 tonnes of maize worth GHc 445,000 for distribution to communities in the three Northern Regions, which provided labour for the reconstruction of 29 dams destroyed by floods in 2007. In a speech, Mr. Sylvester Adongo, the Northern Regional Director of Agriculture, said the programme started in March, 2008, and covered nine communities in five districts of the region. These are: Foshegu, Mangati and Duunyin in the Tamale Metropolis; Imgurugbaani in West Mamprusi District; Karaga and Sung in Karaga District; Lingbinsi in East Mamprusi District and Tolon and Golinga in Tolon/Kumbungu District.

Mr Adongo described the participation of the people in the programme as "excellent and overwhelming", adding that a total of 10,350 people made up of 4,193 men and 6,157 women, provided labour for the rehabilitation of the dams.

He urged the people to maintain the facility to ensure its sustainability now that they had acquired the skills to rehabilitate a dam. Naa Alhaji Von Salifu, chief of Duunyin, on behalf of the chiefs and people of the three communities, commended the MOFA/GTZ partnership, which he said had produced the dam.

He gave the assurance that the facility would be put to very good use, adding: "We will use it to promote agriculture, especially dry season farming, in our communities". 21 Oct. 09