One village, one dam key to decongestion - Buru-Kazigu Chief

The Chief of Buru-Kazigu in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region, Kazigo Pe Parekuri Thomas Aluah, has observed that Government’s policy of one village, one dam was the surest way to decongesting the cities, particularly Accra and Kumasi.

The Chief who is also a Civil Engineer made the observation during a stakeholders meeting organised by the traditional council and the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to examine the impact the interventions of the CRS had made on the community.

The Chief, who stated that the one village, one dam policy was very feasible, was of the view that the construction of such dams in the rural settings particularly in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions where people there were predominantly farmers and were mostly engaged in irrigation farming was very apt.

He encouraged the ruling government to ensure that it set its priority right by making sure that it implemented the policy to help kerb rural-urban migration, which he noted was the panacea for decongesting the cities.

“As a Civil Engineer, I have the belief and conviction that the policy of government on “one village, one dam” when implemented will not only help reduce poverty in the rural areas but will also help create jobs for the youth”.

Pe Aluah stated that it was a very disturbing phenomenon that successive governments had turned to focus much in the development of the cities to the neglect of the rural settings and advocated for change in that direction.

The Chief enumerated some projects the community had achieved under his leadership, including the establishment of the basic school and the construction of a dam and said what was needed most in the community was electricity to help augment the economic activities of the people.

“Through the formation of my NGO, Dezendani Integrated Development Organization (DIDO) I have empowered the community to initiate a Climate Change Project and also formed the Village Loans and Saving Scheme with support from other development partners which has helped the community members to stop degrading the environment to ensuring food security,” he said.

He also commended CRS for introducing the Village Savings and Loans Scheme and the construction of Public place of Convenience as well as introducing nutritional programme in the areas which, he indicated, had helped to improve the living conditions of the people.