The Government of Ghana acting through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and its Agency Ghana Irrigation Development Authority, have constructed 32 houses for affected persons within the reservoir area of the Tamne Irrigation Dam in the Upper East Region.

The houses are to resettle the affected person to higher grounds to pave way for the completion of the irrigation project meant to ensure all-year farming as well as check the perennial flooding experienced by neigbouring communities.

Ing Wilson K. Darkwah who led the Ministry’s team on behalf of the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, jointly with Hon. Stephen Yakubu the Upper East Regional Minister, presented the keys of the ten (10) buildings to the beneficiaries, at a ceremony in Tamne on Tuesdays, September 7, 2021. Tuesday’s presentation brings to a total of 32 buildings MoFA/GIDA have given to persons previously living in the reservoir area. Two more buildings are to be completed and handed over.

Houses to resettle the affected person

Appreciation
The Regional Minister expressed appreciation to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the MoFA for the irrigation project, which he said was intended to transform the lives of the people in the district and its catchment areas.
He said the project would afford people opportunity to develop the vast arable land for all-year agricultural activities, especially farming and fishing activities, in the area.
Hon. Yakubu urged the community members to protect the asset for the economic transformation of the district and the region at large.

Economic benefits
Ing. Darkwah noted that the project would be of great economic benefit to the residents and the area at large.
He called on the residents to treasure the project and utilise it well to their personal and communal benefit.
“Those who lost their crops and farmlands to the reservoir should let go. If you do not sacrifice something, you can never get anything good,” he said. He further commended the residents for their patience during the project execution period. He assured them that GIDA as part of its mandate will collaborate with Fisheries Commission to stock the reservoir created with fingerlins. He further indicated that crop compensation was ready for tree crops in the reservoir

The project even though partially completed has started yielding results as the residents have started fishing from the reservoir. This has brought a sigh of relief to the residents as they would no longer worry whenever it threatens to rain; the issue of perineal flooding is now a thing of the past. Now that the reservoir has filled to capacity and spilling no more additional inundation is expected.

Although there were few challenges during the construction of the buildings, it has finally seen the light of day and GIDA is grateful for the long patience that the affected persons had to bear in order to finally move into their new houses.

Project History
The General Manager of Munisco Limited, Ing. Jawal Abdul-Rakeeb, who led the execution of the dam and housing project, said that MoFA engaged the company to construct the works

He explained that owing to relocation challenges, they could not work continuously on the dam, noting that the challenges delayed the progress of work.

The objective of the Tamne Irrigation Project is to provide water for all-year-round agriculture in order to transform lives of the people through poverty reduction. It is also aimed to mitigate the perennial flooding of the region. Thirteen (13) communities within the project catchment area are expected to benefit from the project when completed.

He thanked all stakeholders in the district and the communities for their support and immerse cooperation during the construction work.