Speaker of Parliament, Prof Mike Oquaye has adjourned discussions on a $993 million hydro, solar and irrigation dam in Pwalugu to Tuesday, February 11, 2020, stopping government's efforts to push it through. 

Addressing the House on Thursday, the Speaker explained that the move is to give Parliamentarians more time to study the report presented by the Finance Committee recommending approval.

“There have been references to the fact that some have not got the report. I will therefore, adjourn this matter to Tuesday, for any members who want to do any research, any analysis or presentation whatsoever [to do so],” he said.

Despite approval of the facility by the Finance Committee of Parliament, the Minority on Wednesday, accused government of bloating the cost of the 60MW Pwalugu Dam power project it plans to construct.

The NDC MPs threatened to boycott deliberations in the House should it go ahead to decide on the issue.

Commenting on this, Prof Oquaye indicated that both Majority and Minority have, at certain times, boycotted debates presented to the House and this he said, ‘arrests’ the business of the nation and government.

“The Minority Leader [Harruna Iddrisu] says something about not being able to participate even as I am addressing the House, but I will say I trust that will not happen because that will be another boycott approach which I will not recommend for any side in this honourable House,” he advised.

He further cautioned that deliberations will still go on should any Member of Parliament exclude themselves from the discussions on the scheduled date.

“No group, no matter what it belongs to, can arrest the business of the nation because they chose not to take part in a particular business at a particular point in time,”

President Nana Akufo-Addo, in November 2019, cut sod for the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam and Irrigation Project.

The project was in fulfillment of the President’s pledge to “avert the perennial flooding caused by the spillage of the Bagre Dam”, as the construction of the dam will be the permanent solution to the problem of spillage from the Bagre Dam located neighbouring in Burkina Faso.