Keta Sea project come to a halt

Even though many people may not have noticed it, there has been a set back in progress of work on the Keta Sea Defence Project of late. This reporter can assured Ghanaians that the project will come to a halt within the next six months if President Kufuor's administration fails to pay or remit the project its local component fee.

Since coming to power 19 months ago, the NPP administration is making no serious effort in settling the remaining US $2.3 million to the project, but instead playing politics with it. As at press time all outstanding US$ 2.3 million has not been paid to the project and if the KSDP is to achieve its avowed aim then the NPP administration must make available immediately the amounts in good time for work to be completed on schedule.

Painstaking investigations conducted at the project site by the Ghanaian Voice revealed that the government is also feet dragging in making available US$ 5 million needed to settle about 10,000 people of Vodza, Adzido and Kedzi. The Keta Sea Defence Project (KSDP) is to protect both the existing and planned development between Keta and Horvie from erosion to stabilize the shoreline, prevent inundation of inhabited area from the ocean, reclaim land from the lagoon for habilitation and prevent flooding from the lagoon may soon be a white elephant it the NPP fails to fulfil their promise of continuing all viable projects started by the NDC government.

The Project components the "Voice" learnt are seven defence works, construction of seven (7) groynes sea wall at Keta, beach fill and flood protection beam along the coast from Keta to Kedzi, construction of an 8.3 kilometers bituminous surface road between Keta and Havedzi, flooding centri structure comprising 20 number of gates of total length 80.5m designed to monitor the lagoon below 1m (NLD) and creation of 272-5 hectares of land out of which 213 hectares constitutes land for habitation and industry and the creation of nine bird habitats as breeding grounds for rare bird species and also for promotion of eco-tourism.

Contract for commencement of work was signed between the government the Government of Ghana and Messrs Great Laekes Dredge and Docks Company of U.S.A in association with M/s W.F. Baird & Associates with EXIM Bank of USA as the main financier. Work commenced on December 14, 1999 whiles NDC was in power and is expected to complete in February 13, 2004 (50 months).

The contract price is US$ 84, 018, 785.00 with EXIM Bank providing US$ 72,018,784and the Government of Ghana to provide the remaining US$ 12 million as its local component fee which they are dragging on even though the NDC have paid bigger part of it. Our investigation further indicated that 50 percent of the work is completed and on schedule. It would be recalled that President Kufuor in his maiden visit to the region in January this year, was more than impressed when he visited the project site and assured the chiefs and people of the area of his government's commitment to see the project completed on schedule.

But soon after his return to the Castle, he appears to have forgotten his promise to the people of Keta on champagne. Further investigations revealed notwithstanding the government's feet dragging on the project, Hydraulic fill on the link road up to 8.3 km as envisaged is completed and the whole link road is about 70 percent complete. Two groynes are also completed and two others more are complete except placement of two amour layers at the groyne head.

Furthermore, land reclamation which started in October 2000 is now 50 per cent complete and reclaimed land for resettlement of Vodza and Adzido in habitants has been taken over by the government. The Sea wall (Revetment) which also started in the first week of February this year is 50 percent complete. The NPP government's attention is therefore drawn to its harsh decisions towards the region and asked to release the necessary funding for the project on good time to reflect their positive change slogan.