Franklin Cudjoe Questions Dr Bawumia on Effectiveness of One Village One Dam Initiative Amid Drought Concerns
IMANI President Franklin Cudjoe has questioned Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on the current status of the One Village One Dam Initiative (1V1D) meant to support and ensure all-year-round farming activities in the northern parts of the country as Ghana faces a potential drought-induced-food shortage.
Given the possibility of having a shortage of food in the country, the Government has banned the export of some grains including rice, corn, and soy.
Drought and near-drought conditions over the past two months have increased the risk of crop failure in a part of the country responsible for about 62% of Ghana’s grain production, Agriculture Minister Bryan Acheampong told the press on Monday.
The six affected regions are mostly in the north.
As much as 1.8 million hectares of land are at risk and farmers growing food on roughly half that area have already been impacted, he said.
Mr Cudjoe in a post sighted by norvanreports, averred the Vice President had aggressively championed the 1V1D policy for which Government billions of cedis worth of investments.
“Good morning, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia there are reports of looming food shortages up north due to poor rains. May we be spared the harshest effect of the looming food crisis as the rains have failed up north. The agriculture, finance, and defense ministers are doing well to contain the situation.
“However, we should work harder not to depend on the rains and build adequate storage for times like this. The economy and its inhabitants are too frail to take on another avoidable phenomenon,” he quipped.
“Anyway, Dr. Bawumia, l recall you aggressively led the campaign for 1 village -1 dam as the best strategy to augment existing irrigation systems. Billions of money was poured into these dams. May I know the status of these dams? When are we expecting them to kick in and help?” he added.
The Government under the One Village One Dam Initiative constructed a total of ten Small Earth Dams in each constituency in the Northern Regions at an average cost of GHS 250,000.00 each to provide all-year-round irrigation of crops for those communities.
Then Minister for Special Development Initiatives and Member of Parliament for Awutu-Senya-East Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson, in 2021 noted that some 426 dams had been constructed under the One Village, One Dam initiative.
