Government assures Damanko of transparency in award of contract

Kpassa, March 28, GNA - Mr Paul Levin Gyato, Nkwanta North District (NND) Chief Executive, has assured the chiefs and people of Damanko that government was committed to upholding the tenets of transparency in the award of contracts. He said the award for a proposed hydro-electric project over the River Oti at Damanko, which could assume a national character, could not have been undertaken in secrecy.

Mr Gyato gave the assurance when he met Ubor (Nana) Sampson Mboribe III, Chief of Damanko and his subjects to address the grievances of the people on alleged non-involvement in the Dam project. Earlier petition by the traditional authorities alleged that a Brazilian company was to build a hydro-electric dam on the River Oti with feasibility studies and markings currently underway. Ubor Mboribe said their investigation attested that the dam, to be named after Joli, an up-stream community in the Nanumba South District in the Northern Region, could threaten their livelihood and impugn on their human rights.

"All our checks have proved futile virtually lack of information about the cost-benefit analysis to the community, compensation regimes, possible hazards, loss of property and jobs are our collective worry", he added. Ubor Mboribe said there were difficulties regarding the newly constructed Damanko-Kpassa Water project having its source from River Oti. Mr Gyato urged the chiefs and people of the area to exercise maximum restraint and wait for verifications at the Ministry of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the Dam. He said the Assembly had no correspondence to that effect and wonders how a project of that magnitude could commence without stakeholder consultations. Mr Gyato pleaded with the youth not to usurp the law and pledged to engage more with government and major stakeholder on the matter. Mr Gershon Gadzekpo, NND Coordinator assured that government would not encourage injustice and was hopeful that an amicable resolution would be reached. He said Damanko would not be at disadvantage or else posterity would not forgive them. 28 March 10