A youth group in Damongo, Savannah Region, calling itself the Concerned Citizens of Damongo (CCoD), has appealed to the Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Mr Adam Mutawakilu, to put aside partisan interests and commission the Damongo Alternative Water Supply System at Broto for public use.

Addressing a press conference in Damongo, the group, led by the Damongo Constituency Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Kadiri Abdul Rahman, expressed frustration over what they described as the deliberate refusal to operationalise the completed facility, despite the persistent water challenges in the area.

“We urge the Ghana Water Company Limited, under the leadership of Adam Mutawakilu, to put partisan politics aside and act in the interest of the people of Damongo. Leadership is not about pride and ego. It's about service. To continue holding the people of Damongo hostage over political differences is not only unacceptable but inhumane,” Mr Rahman declared.

The group noted that the water supply system, funded through a GHS17 million loan facility from Exim Bank and initiated in June 2024 by the Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, was aimed at resolving the longstanding water crisis in the municipality.

“We express our profound disappointment and growing concern over the deliberate refusal by the Ghana Water Company Limited, under the leadership of Adam Mutawakilu and the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, to commission and operationalise the Damongo Alternative Water Supply System, otherwise known as the 'Broto Water',” Mr Rahman added.

The CCoD said allowing a public utility infrastructure of such significance to remain idle was both wasteful and harmful to the well-being of residents.

“It is disappointing that a historic edifice that cost the taxpayer GHS17,074,113.58 and is designed to address water challenges in our constituency is being left unutilised. The failure to commission this facility not only undermines its purpose but also represents a grave disservice to the people of Damongo,” Mr Rahman lamented.

Attempts to reach Mr Mutawakilu for a response were unsuccessful. However, Joy News spoke with Mr Ankrah Daniel Anobaah, Managing Director of Danank Engineering, the company executing the project.

According to Mr Anobaah, the project is not yet complete due to delayed payments.

“The only reason why I’m not releasing water is because they have not paid me. The project is 90 to 95 per cent complete. I raised an interim certificate for payment since November last year, but there has been no response. That is the only obstacle holding up the project from completion,” he explained.

He disclosed that water had already been pumped into an overhead reservoir in town and was ready for distribution once the necessary funds were released.
Mr Anobaah also decried acts of vandalism by some residents who had damaged components of the facility.

“Residents of Damongo went and vandalised many of the items, including the solar panels. I’m under the mercy of God with all these costs on me without payment,” he said.

The CCoD insists that politics must not stand in the way of access to clean and safe drinking water and has vowed to resist any further delays in activating the facility.