Additionally, 11 households, with 52 residents drawn from three communities in the weir that would be physically affected as a result of the project, would also be resettled.

The Settlement Manager of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Emmanuel Nartey, made this known at a meeting in Bolgatanga to update stakeholders from the North-East and Upper East regions on the progress of work towards the actual construction of the dam.

The stakeholders were informed that the Lands Commission and the Site Advisory Committee had finalised land acquisition issues in both regions to pave the way for the commencement of work on the project.

Households

He noted that 335 households, making up 2,616 people that would be economically displaced due to the execution of the project, would be provided with agriculture development support, marketing schemes and technology improvement facilities to sustain their livelihoods.

He also noted that 10 community centres and five chiefs’ palaces would be constructed at convenient locations, as well as five churches and mosques each in some communities as part of the project.

He said: “Football parks would also be provided in all the four resettlement towns, which would further be connected to the national electricity grid”, and added that “the settlement communities would be provided with Community Health and Services (CHPS) compounds to improve health delivery.”

He further indicated that two health facilities in Wulugu and Samni would be upgraded and equipped with the needed equipment to deliver quality health services to the people within the area.

“Four kindergarten, four primary and three junior high schools would be built in the resettlement towns, including boreholes and water points, as well as constructions of 80 kilometres feeder roads within the communities,” he said.

Resettlement

He said the resettlement of the communities to be affected was critical and that the needed strategies to ensure that the various activities were carried out had been put in place to ensure a smooth take-off of the project.

He said it was their expectation that actual construction would not delay as the communities were anxious and concerned about the commencement of the project.

For his part, the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam Project Manager, Daniel Onny, said the World Bank had given an assurance to the government that it would soon release funds to kick-start the execution of the project.

Commitment

The Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, reiterated the government’s commitment towards the construction of the much talked about project to achieve the intended purposes.

He noted that when executed, the project would be a game-changer and immediately address the exodus of energetic youth from the north to the south ostensibly in search of non-existent greener pastures.