Ghana, Burkina Faso to look at effects of spillage of Bagre Dam

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced the commencement of talks between Ghana and Burkina Faso regarding the annual spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso that causes severe havoc to peasant farmers and residents in the northern part of the country.

He said he had commenced preliminary discussions with President Christian Kabore of Burkina Faso over the control of the Volta Basin Authority

The next level of the discussions, he said, was an official meeting with the Burkinabe government over the control of the authority.

The President said this when the outgoing Burkina Faso Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Clemence Traore, paid a farewell visit to him at the Flagstaff House yesterday.

Need to work together

He underscored the need for both countries to work together to manage the river, especially the spillage of the dam.

He said President Kabore had promised to get a group together to look at strengthening the measures needed to make that possible.

"It is extremely important for us here in Ghana. I am looking forward to that meeting, I am looking forward to the measures that we need to take together to make sure that the spillage of the dam is done in the most constructive manner," he said.

Pursue the issue with your government

The President, therefore, urged the outgoing ambassador to take up the issue and follow it up when he returned to his country.

Commenting on the relations between the two countries, President Akufo-Addo said Ghana and Burkina Faso did not only share geographic relations but centuries of interaction between their peoples.

He extended his personal good wishes to the Burkinabe President and prosperity to the people of Burkina Faso, while he commended the ambassador for a distinguished service during her tour of duty in Ghana.

For her part, Ms Traore also recounted that Burkina Faso had benefitted immensely from the relations between the two countries over the years.

She said her country had learnt a lot in mining and craft from Ghana and stressed the need for both countries to strengthen their relationship towards more mutually beneficial ends.