$165m water project for Akyem Oda

The Turkish Ambassador to Ghana, Her Excellency Nesrin Bayazit, has stressed that her government would continue to extend financial support to Ghana in her efforts to raise the standard of living of her people.

She said her country’s support for Ghana had become more compelling due to the Turkish government’s estimation of seeing  Ghana as a beacon of democracy on the African continent and her friendly disposition towards  foreigners.

Ambassador Bayazit made the statements at Akyem Oda last Wednesday when she inspected ongoing works on a $165-million water project financed by the Exim Bank of Turkey. In addition to Akyem Oda, 82 other communities in two municipalities, the Birim Central Municipality in the Eastern Region, and the Efutu Municipality in the Central Region and the  Denkyembour District in the Eastern Region, are to benefit from similar projects.

The Exim Bank of Turkey is providing 85 per cent of the cost of the project while the government is supporting it  with the remaining 15 per cent cost. A Turkish construction firm, ARDA Grup, is undertaking the project.

The Turkish Ambassador urged people in the beneficiary communities to lend the project their support and ensure it was successful as that would encourage the Turkish government to bring more of such projects into the country. 

Among the entourage that toured the facility were the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Birim Central, Mr Kwabena Nkansah-Asare; the Deputy General Manager of the Exim Bank of Turkey, Mr Alaaddin Metin; the General Manager of the ARDA Grup in Turkey, Mr Bulert Ozuru; and the Akyem Anyinasehene, who is also a former Member of the Council of State, Nana Owusu Gyamadu.

Others were Messrs Moses Chris Brobby, Anthony Toampomah and Joseph Mfransi-Essien, who are the Board Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director respectively of Joees and Partners, the Ghana representative for the ARDA Grup.

Mr Alaaddin Metin announced that the project, originally scheduled to be completed in December 2016, would now be completed earlier in April, 2016 considering the fast speed with which work was progressing. 

Mr Bulert Ozuru disclosed that the company had a workforce of 174 Ghanaians and 70 Turks.

He urged the workers to not only work hard but also co-operate with the management to ensure smooth execution of the project.

The MCE for Birim Central expressed his appreciation to the Exim Bank for its commitment to bring solution to the perennial water shortage that affected beneficiary communities.

Mr Nkansah-Asare gave the assurance that the Birim Central Municipal Assembly and traditional rulers in the area would offer the project the needed support in order to have it completed on schedule.