Water project inaugurated at Alavanyo Wudidi

Alavanyo-Wudidi, April 20, GNA- Mr. Kofi Dzamesi, Volta Regional Minister on Thursday announced that the government has awarded the 16-kilometre Gbi Wegbe- Alavanyo -Nkonya road, which is in deplorable state on contract

He said the 36 billion cedis road project was government's gesture of appreciation to commemorate the end of hostilities and antagonism, which had heralded the land dispute between the Alavanyos and Nkonyas for over 80 years.

Mr. Dzamesi was speaking at the inauguration of a 600 million-water project for the Alavanyo-Wudidi community, which was single-handedly funded by Dr Evans Z. Fiakpui, a native and a medical practitioner domiciled in the United States (US).

He commended the chiefs of the two traditional areas for maintaining the laudable discernment of agreeing to live in peace, which is a prerequisite for development to strive.

The Regional Minister was grateful to the Peace Mediation and the Consultative Committees for brokering the peace deal and urged the two sides to uphold this initiative to the later.

On the energy crisis, he appealed to chiefs, corporate bodies, metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to evolve strategies to protect water bodies adding that the crisis was a national issue with all Ghanaians as stakeholders. Mr. Dzamesi said the wanton destruction of the vegetation cover leading to high rate of evaporation and farming along water bodies, according to the experts, were the causes of the low level of water in the Akosombo Dam.

"Let us all be circumspect in the consumption of electrical power...," he admonished, while government stabilizes the situation. The Minister said Dr. Fiakpui and Dr Vincent Anku, also a medical practitioner, were the first natives of the region, who have extended such a colossal largesse to their communities, since he assumed duty, urging the people to emulate them.

Mr William Kpendey, a spokesman for the community in an address said Dr Fiakpui and Dr Anku in the US have jointly sponsored many development projects in the community, including their assistance School infrastructure, the completion of a chapel and the provision of electricity poles.

He however urged the government to complement the efforts of these two illustrious sons the area, by upgrading the community clinic to a health centre due to population explosion and to provide a concrete reservoir for redistribution of water to a larger population. Dr Fiakpui said his gesture was paying back his due to the community, which nurtured him into stardom and commended the community for their self-help and communal spirit, which had translated into the success of the project. He urged the government to solve the sanitation and drainage problems in the area and extend the water facility to the remaining six Alavanyo communities. Mr. Emmanuel F. Boateng, Volta Region Director of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) said human and financial resources should be given meaning by maintaining the facilities and stressed that the water was not for free. Togbega Atakora Tsedze, Paramount Chief of Alavanyo Traditional area, presiding said the benefits of embracing peace initiatives were beginning to yield dividend and pledged his fullest support towards its sustenance.