The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Joseph Kofi Adda, says claims that the Wa Water Project was started under the erstwhile Mahama administration should be disregarded.
Mr. Adda says the project was the brainchild of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration under President Kufour.
“This project started in 2008; a delegation including myself and current President Akufo went to the Far East and China to look for funds for this project.”
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper West Region has chided President Akufo-Addo for failing to give former President Mahama credit for the project which was commissioned on Monday.
President Akufo-Addo at the commissioning of the project on Monday, said, “it was in his (President Kufuor’s) time that the financing for this project was secured, as far back as 2008. But, unfortunately, after he left [office in 2008], it took five years under the NDC successor governments before the construction of the project began.”
President Akufo-Addo added that “God has his own way of doing things. A project that was started by Kufuor is going to be commissioned by Akufo-Addo. That is the way the Almighty works” he said.
But the NDC says the project was started by them under President Mahama. The party in a statement signed by the Upper West Regional Director of Communications, Issaku Issa Jerry, said “President Akufo Addo is deceiving Ghanaians to score cheap political points.”
He added that “President Akufo Addo and the NPP must provide evidence that the project started under Kufour.”
But speaking to Citi News, Joseph Kofi Adda said the NDC has no hand in the project.
“It’s surprising NDC wants to lay claim over this project. Where were they when we conceived the idea to provide the people of Wa with water.”
The $55.50 million water project at Jambusie, which was constructed with a facility from the Korean Exim Bank, will supply 3.3 million gallons of water per day to the 100,705 residents of Wa.
President Akufo-Addo urged residents of Wa to “look after the project and make sure you use the water with care. Turn off the taps [when not in use], continue to conserve water, and settle the little bills that would come, so that the project would continue to run and provide you with the service.”
The President commissioned the project on Monday as part of two-day tour of the region.
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