Open letter to PRUM

OPEN LETTER TO PRUM ( PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT OF THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE

Subsequent to the Feature article of Wednesday, 22 March 2006 published on Ghana web : http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomepage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=101368&comment=18922885

It is now time to expect a progress report on the "Tamale Water Project"

Senior Civil Servant-in-Charge

The Public Relations Office
Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning
P. O. Box M40
Accra. GHANA
Fax +233 21 66 51 32
Email: promofep@pufmarp.gov.gh

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: INTERIM PROGRESS REPORT ON TAMALE WATER PROJECT.
Six months ago ( March 2, 2006) the Public Relations Office published the good news that a loan agreement of more than 21million Euros ( 26,967,150 US Dollars ) had been signed to start the Tamale Water Project.

A Feature Article was published on the Ghanaweb on Wednesday March 22, 2006. It was indicated that it would be appropriate for the Public Relations Office NOT only to inform the public about the start of the project but to give the public a progress report at least every six months until the completion.

This first open letter is meant to CONGRATULATE the government for taking the first major step in implementing the project.

On Friday August 18, 2006, Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyeman , Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing cut the sod for the Commencement of the Tamale Expansion Project. CONGRATULATIONS to Mr. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, Sector Minister, who signed the Loan Agreement on behalf of the Ghana Government in March 2006.

The ONLY question I have for PRUM now is:

Has the Ministry been able to determine a TENTATIVE completion date ?

Establishing the tentative completion date gives the contractors and their workers the incentive to work according to the schedule.

Hoping to see the answer to the above question published in the same manner as the start of the project and the cutting of the sod were announced. The second open letter will be published on March 2, 2007.

Sincerely,

Leo R. Sam.

Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA

lsam@compusmart.ab.ca

NOTE: This article is written not to favour or discredit any political party. I am writing this as a concerned Ghanaian and a member of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace. I strongly believe that if all the stakeholders in the project play their respective roles honestly, the Millennium Development Goal of providing at least 75% of the population with safe clean water will be attained.

For those who love to write comments on Ghanaweb, I strongly suggest that you CAREFULLY read the original article published on Wednesday, 22 March 2006 before you write your comments. Let us NOT politicize this issue. Water is a SACRED GIFT. All Ghanaians deserve to have access to safe clean water in the near future.

Hopefully, when this project is successfully completed, the experience gained may be used to provide portable water supply services to other villages, towns and cities in all the ten regions of Ghana, our dear Motherland.