Most of them are just dug-outs – Zebilla MP slams One Village One Dam project as ineffective
Member of Parliament for Zebilla, Ebenezer Alumire Ndebilla, has taken a strong swipe at the One Village One Dam (1V1D) initiative, describing the majority of the dams constructed under the programme as nothing more than shallow dug-outs that fail to deliver on their promise of water security for rural communities.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Channel One Newsroom, the MP expressed disappointment over what he sees as a poorly executed and underfunded intervention by the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
“I have not actually seen any meaningful dam,” he began, referencing the failed expectations surrounding the initiative.
Mr. Ndebilla further noted that his critique aligns with admissions made by the former Minister for Special Development Initiatives, who once lamented the insufficiency of funds allocated for the project.
“I am just trying to paraphrase the words of the former Special Initiatives Minister, who said that the money they gave her is not enough to construct any meaningful dam — the GHS 250,000 is not enough,” he recalled.
The 1V1D programme was launched under the Akufo-Addo-led government as part of efforts to provide sustainable water sources for irrigation and livestock in rural farming communities. However, according to Ndebilla, most of the dams are substandard and unreliable.
“Most of the dams under the One Village One Dam programme were like dug-outs, which easily dry out. In fact, when the rain stops, in less than a month the whole place is dried out,” he revealed.
