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Mr Salisu Be-Awuribe Issifu, the Savannah Regional Minister, has assured the people of the region that the government is taking concrete steps to address the persistent water crisis in Damongo to ensure reliable access to potable water.
He described the poor water access situation in Damongo as alarming, noting that previous efforts to resolve the challenge did not yield the desired results.
Mr Issifu, however, expressed optimism about the high level of commitment of President John Dramani Mahama’s administration in finding a lasting solution to the situation.
He gave the assurance in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa on the sideline of an orientation workshop for Regional Ministers, District Chief Executives and Coordinating Directors on the Gulf of Guinea Social Cohesion (SOCO) project.
“There was some promise in the past of the Damango water problem. There was even sod cutting by the former President, unfortunately, nothing is there to show.
Currently, as we speak, there is a $300 million facility that President Mahama is working at, and that will take care of the Damango water problem, and that of the Tamale water system, and of course, Yendi”, Mr Issifu explained.
He said engagements had already been held with the consultant of the water project and expressed hope that all challenges would be surmounted to ensure its execution.
The Minister observed that although the Savannah Region was endowed with many rivers and streams, it remained the lowest in the country in terms of water quality and availability.
According to the 2021 Population and Housing Census by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), only 55.1 per cent of the population in the Savannah Region had access to basic drinking water compared to the national average of 87.7 per cent.
The census also revealed that residents of the region spent an average of 33 minutes accessing basic drinking water – the longest in the country.
He said, “Per the instructions given to me and per what we have started, the president will definitely deliver to ensure that over 70 to 80 per cent of the Savannah Region have potable water coming from very reliable sources.”
Mr Issifu also noted that the Savannah Region was ranked the poorest in the country under the multi-dimensional poverty index, which he described as unfortunate.
He added that the Regional Coordinating Council and the government were focused on tackling the challenges and reversing the trend.
“Ours is to make sure that we put in the needed structures, put in the needed investment, so that the next assessment we shall be better off than where we were,” the Minister stressed.
