Akufo-Addo inspects One-village One-dam project site in Bongo

As part of his two-day tour of the Upper East Region, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was in Bongo yesterday and visited the site where a One-village One-dam project is being constructed.

The President indicated that 10 of the dams will be sited in the Bongo Constituency and will ensure all-year-round agriculture in the district.

A total of 570 dams are to be constructed in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions.

Addressing a durbar of the chiefs and people at Bongo, as part of his tour of the constituency, President Akufo-Addo said the performance of his administration over the last 18 months was an indication that the promises he made to Ghanaians in the run-up to the 2016 elections were not meant to deceive them.

“Today, free Senior High School is a reality for the people of Ghana. Last year, it meant that 90,000 more students entered secondary school than the year before. This year, the number is doubling.

“There will be 180,000 more students coming into the secondary school system than in 2017. So, we are fulfilling our promise and making it clear that senior high school education is free and is here to stay in Ghana forever and ever,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo also gave an assurance that his administration was going to find innovative ways of making sure that “this big population of students is catered for”.

Additionally, he said 8,000 more teachers, would be recruited, “so they can look after our children and give them a decent education.”

He indicated further that his government had restored the nursing and teacher training allowances, and had also begun the One-village One-dam initiative. “You here in Bongo can see for yourselves that we have begun the initiative. It is our intention that Bongo alone will get 10 dams this year.”

President Akufo-Addo had earlier in the day cut sod for the construction of the Bongo-Balungu-Namoo road which is expected to be completed in one year.

“This is not election-year gimmick, where machines are brought to the spot to come and deceive people. That is not what I am doing. We are building the road,” he said

For his part, the Bongo Naba, Baba Salifu Alemyarum, said in the history of constitutional rule, this was the first time a sitting President had visited Bongo.

“In the past, Presidents come here only during campaign seasons. I must commend you for visiting us during your first two years in office.

The chiefs and people of Bongo salute you for demonstrating the spirit of “father for all”, by ensuring that the Bongo-Bolga road, that was left uncompleted is made complete,” he said.

Continuing, he said, “we express our greatest appreciation to you for the swift attention you have paid to the Bongo-Balungu-Namoo road, that inhibited our people from travelling in or out. A total of 78.9km of feeder roads are currently under construction in different parts of the district.”

He lauded the President for the implementation of the One-village One-dam project in Bongo, and for the Free SHS policy, which, he said, had ensured that many youth in Bongo were now going to be guaranteed a minimum of senior high school education.

“As the saying goes, Rome was not built in a day. I am hopeful therefore that more development projects will take place, since you have the right regional minister and hardworking DCE for Bongo,” he added.