GRi in Parliament 12-02-99

Accra (Greater Accra), 12 Feb

Mr Isaac Kwadwo Adjei-Mensah, Minister of Works and Housing, said today government has no intentions of

privatising water supply.

He said the private sector will only be invited to inject capital into the country's water delivery system,

adding that part of tariffs on water supply will be used to carry out the expansion works on existing projects.

Mr Adjei-Mensah was responding to a supplementary question by Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, NPP-Afigya

Sekyere West, as to whether government has plans to privatise water supply.

The Minister was answering specific questions on the Kpeve-Ho and the Apowa-Agona Nkwanta water

projects and the ministry's plans to check sea erosion at Dixcove in the Western Region.

On the Kpeve-Ho project, Mr Adjei-Mensah said as soon as funds are available, work on the second phase

of the Kpeve-Ho water project will begin.

Lack of funds had led to the abandoning of the Ho water supply scheme, which was started in the seventies but has

since been completed following the re-awarding of the contract to Biwater International Limited in 1992.

Mr Adjei-Mensah said the second phase of the project, which involves the extension of distribution pipelines

began in 1997 with funding from the Public Investment Programme (PIP).

He pointed out that to meet the water requirements for Agona-Nkwanta, it would be more feasible to

provide a mechanised ground water system utilising the existing reinforced concrete high level tank and explained

that this is because the already existing pipelines which were laid in 1977, would not need complete remedial

works.

Mr Adjei-Mensah assured communities between Apowa and Agona-Nkwanta that they will benefit from the

Community Water and Sanitation Agency programme.

The Minister said the ministry is aware of the serious beach erosion at Dixcove, the district capital of Ahanta

West which has existed for the past 40 to 50 years adding that the current rate of coastline recession is posing a

threat to infrastructure and housing facilities.

On measures to address the problem, Mr Adjei-Mensah stated that site investigations have been carried out

to study the situation and that a sea defence wall will be constructed to protect the township as soon as funds are

available.

The Minister told Mr Francis Kwame Nyarko, NPP-Kade, that between 60 and 70 per cent of the urban areas

are enjoying good drinking water while about 50 to 60 per cent of the rural area is also covered.

Accra (Greater Accra), 12 Feb

A Member of Parliament yesterday called on the Ashanti Regional Security Council to set up an independent

committee of enquiry into the recent shooting incident at Juaso in Ashanti.

Mr Alex Korankye, MP for Asante Akim South, who made the call in a statement in Parliament, said

following a clash between the Police "Buffalo Unit" from Kumasi and a section of citizens of Juaso, a 34-year-old

carpenter, Kwame Morvey, was allegedly shot dead.

Eleven Policemen, including the Commander of the Unit, Assistant Superintendent of Police H. A. Yakubu,

were injured in the incident, he added.

He told the House that the almost decomposed body of Morvey was buried last week.

Mr Korankye said he had waited for one month now before coming out with his "urgent" statement in the

hope that the Police would investigate the incident.

"But Mr Speaker, so far, the Police have not initiated any investigation into the death of Morvey.

"Popular gossip in Juaso is that it was the Police, who killed Morvey", the MP told the House.

Mr Korankye described the day as a "black Sunday" for the people of Juaso, saying it was a day when the

whole town was thrown into a state of mourning as hundreds of citizens, both old and young, fled the township.

He said "in the eyes of the citizens, the Police cannot be said to be neutral in the conflict.

"It is against this background that I wish to call on the Ashanti Regional Security Council to immediately set

up an independent committee of enquiry into the shooting incident ", he added.