Editorial
Find Lasting Solution to Problems Associated with Bagre Dam Spillage
In last week’s issue of The Spectator, we carried a story headlined, “Annual Bagre Dam Spillage, a Blessing or a Curse?”
The story revealed that the spillage of the dam by the management of Burkina Faso has become a perennial challenge for many farming communities along the White and Black Volta basins in the northern part of Ghana.
While thousands of people are displaced, farmers count their losses yearly as entire fields of maize, groundnuts, and rice vanish beneath raging waters. We are also told that mud-walled houses crumble under the force of the floods, roads connecting villages disappear, schools close, and classrooms are turned into makeshift shelters for displaced families.
Although the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) rushes in with relief items such as mattresses, blankets, and bags of rice to mitigate the impact of the flooding, these items — though vital — are often insufficient compared to the magnitude of devastation.
The situation is worrying, but the problem has not been fully addressed, as it has for years caused destruction downstream in many communities, especially among farmers.
It is a pity that, though NADMO continues to urge residents in flood-prone areas across the Upper East, North East, Savannah, and Northern Regions to relocate to safer grounds, for many, relocation is not an option. Their livelihoods are tied to fertile riverbanks, and abandoning their farms would mean giving up the only source of income they know.
Ironically, amidst the destruction, the same flood that wreaks havoc also deposits nutrient-rich silt on farmlands, making them more fertile for dry-season farming.
It is therefore time for the government to construct proper irrigation systems so that these communities can turn disaster into opportunity — using the water to grow crops in the dry season to sustain themselves.
It is also time for the long-promised construction of the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam in the Upper East Region to come to fruition. This project would serve as a buffer for excess water from the Bagre Dam and generate electricity.
There is also the need to control the spillage by starting it gradually each month instead of waiting until the dam is full before releasing the water at once.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) should enforce strict measures to prevent construction in flood-prone areas.
Before each spillage begins, ample time should be given to residents through public announcements to enable them to move to safer places ahead of time. Besides traditional media such as radio and television, The Spectator urges authorities to also engage traditional and religious leaders in spreading such messages to ensure residents receive the information early.
We are told the spillage of the dam is necessary to prevent it from collapsing when water levels exceed safe limits. However, it continues to create havoc and has become a yearly cycle of loss and recovery.
The spillage of the Bagre Dam is a recurring disaster that demands an urgent and lasting solution to make life better for residents and farmers.
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Dear Editor,
I am writing to draw your attention to a matter of grave concern affecting residents of Dansoman Mpoasei area.
Recently, contractors have been digging to fix some pipes but the infrastructure has been badly managed and creating inconvenience for residents.
The exercise has left several pipes broken and these damages have been left unattended, forcing households to endure disrupted water supply.
Such negligence does not only inconveniences residents but also raises serious questions about accountability and oversight in public works.
Contractors entrusted with projects of this nature must be held responsible.
It is unacceptable for them to abandon damaged utilities without repair.
Authorities should ensure that such contractors were compelled to restore any services they disrupt.
I urge the relevant agencies to take swift action to address this issue by compelling such contractors to repair the damage they cause.
Princess Wonovi
Dansoman
Shisha smoking is on the rise among young people who should be making significant life investments for a better future.
Shisha is a smoking apparatus designed to smoke heated tobacco to deliver a smooth and flavourful experience.
Although under the Ghanaian law, shisha smoking is prohibited for minors the law is violated as more and more minors have resorted to smoking the substance at the peril of their future.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
As a result, concerns have been raised in Damongo in the Savannah Region following reports that some young people believed to be under the age of 18 have allegedly been found smoking shisha in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
According to eyewitnesses these minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, particularly during late evening hours, where shisha smoking was openly taking place. The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing entertainment centres in the municipality.
It is sad that the situation is becoming increasingly common and what is more dangerous is that residents fear to openly report or speak about it as they claim their lives will be at risk if they do so.
But the warning is that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious threat to the future of the youth in general.
The situation is worrying and some residents believe that the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations.
The youth are the future leaders of Ghana therefore we cannot sit aloof and expect them to waste their lives.
The Spectator therefore urges all hands to be on deck to find a lasting solution to this menace. We support the call by residents on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
We applaud the Savannah Regional Minister, Mr. Salisu Be-Awurbi, who has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions aimed at addressing the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Again, we commend the Chief of Damongo, Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, who has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse.
His caution to individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, is laudable.
If strict and swift measures are taken to arrest and prosecute offenders in accordance with the law, it will deter others from engaging in it and minors will be free.
The Spectator urges the appropriate authorities to enforce child protection laws and regulations at entertainment centres to protect the youth.
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