Deputy Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Amidu Issahaku Chinnia, has called for accountability regarding the funds allocated for the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam project in the Upper East Region. 

The Sissala East Member of Parliament is concerned that although New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration made provision for the project in the Talensi District, no significant development has taken place as the government's tenure nears its end.

Chinnia highlighted the urgent need for an investigation into the approximately $12 million already invested in the project.

• Read also: You’ll account for $12m pumped into non-existent Pwalugu dam – Minority to government

Speaking on Metro TV on Tuesday, May 28, he emphasised that a thorough probe is essential to uncover the circumstances surrounding the expenditure.

He stressed that, given the issues surrounding the project that surfaced about a month ago, the government should have proactively responded through the relevant ministries or agencies. 

Mr Chinnia insisted that such a response is crucial to maintaining transparency and accountability for the Ghanaian people.

I would also agree that so much money has been spent on the Pwalugu Dam, and we haven't made any headway. I would also agree that there is the need for a thorough investigation to establish what has actually happened with these expenditures because we need to know because the possibilities are many, and I don’t want to throw a guess as to what might have happened with the money."

"So for now, we all have to be patient and entreat the government to get the contractors, and the consultants to explain why those monies were paid,"he stated.

• Read also: Atta Akyea backs Jinapor’s call for probe into stalled Pwalugu Dam project

The Minority in Parliament has vowed to take all necessary steps to demand accountability for the funds allocated for the planned construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam in the Upper East Region. 

The Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, John Jinapor, has insisted that they will ensure that anyone responsible for any wrongdoing in this matter will be held accountable.

"We will activate all the parliamentary processes to retrieve that amount of money, almost 200 million cedis, that has been dashed to this contractor. Somebody must be held accountable. $12 million can do a lot in this country."

"So we'll use every legitimate means, every legal means to retrieve the money and punish those who have caused this financial crime and financial loss to the state," he said.

The project, initiated in 2019, was expected to feature a hydro-solar hybrid system with 60 MW of hydropower and 50 MW of solar power, and to be completed in the second half of 2024. 

President Akufo-Addo officially launched the construction of the $993 million Pwalugu multipurpose dam project in the Talensi District in November 2019.

Earlier this month, the Bank of Ghana (BoG) addressed inquiries regarding the $12 million payment made to MS Power China International Group Limited for the project.