Bui hydro-electric dam near completion

Bui (B/A) Dec. 3, GNA – Mr Jabesh Amissah-Arthur, Chief Executive Officer of the Bui Power Authority (BPA), has announced that the first power production of the dam will be in October 2012.

BPA is expected to manage 400 megawatts of the Bui hydro-electric power dam in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo Region.

He said construction works on the dam is 90 per cent complete.

Mr Amissah-Arthur made the announcement when the Chinese Ambassador, Mr Jianzhong Gong and his wife Mrs Wang Xiuyu Gong visited the dam site at Bui on Thursday.

He observed that works on the project had experienced a funding shortfall arising primarily from unanticipated effects of global upheavals as well as unforeseen essential works.

“These global events resulted in the inadequacy of the total budget provided for the project,” he said, adding that an additional funding of $168 million is needed for the completion of the dam.

Mr Amissah-Arthur said almost all the residents along the Black Volta which were directly affected by the dam project have been resettled except some few of them at Dokokyina community, who had refused to vacate the area.

“We have so far resettled eight communities with a total population of 1,216 residents,” he stated.

Mr Jianzhong said the Bui dam had become a reality as a result of the effective collaboration between Ghana and his country.

He said China which is now the second largest economy in the globe with 1.4 billion people would continue to provide Ghana with loans and grants to propel the country into the middle income bracket.

The Chinese Ambassador presented some items to be distributed to people who were directly affected by the construction of the dam, which included 20 bicycles, 20 sewing machines, 10 footballs, 50 mosquito nets, two printers and 20 bags of rice.

Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, Regional Minister commended China for its numerous assistance to Ghana and expressed the hope that the bilateral relations would be enhanced.

He warned residents who still live along the Black Volta to vacate the place since they would be cut-off, after the completion of the dam.

Management of the BPA took opportunity of the visit of the Ambassador to inaugurate an ultra-modern Information centre at Banda Ahenkro.

The facility furnished with telephones and other modern office equipment will serve as a platform for stakeholders of the project, to obtain up-to-date information and also make their concerns and opinions known to the Authority for appropriate actions to be taking.