Regional News of Thursday, 5 January 2023
Source: ghanaiantimes.com.gh
A Philanthropist and lawyer, Lamtiig Apanga, has constructed mechanised boreholes to three communities in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region.
The beneficiary communities include; Pelungu, Zanlerigu, and Gani-Asonge.
The fully-furnished mechanised water system was constructed at about GH¢75,000 and also came with overhead water tanks, which would enable the communities to draw pipes into their homes.
The project which had funding support from friends within and outside Ghana, would improve the supply of safe water to the over 11,000 populated beneficiary communities.
Speaking at the hand-over ceremony at Pelungu over the weekend, Mr Apanga said the acute water crisis confronted by the folk informed his decision to provide water infrastructure to the communities.
He pledged to use the coming months to make more financial commitments toward the water infrastructure base in the district, as scores of individuals in most marginalised communities competed with reptiles to draw water from the stream and wells.
According to Mr Apanga, he would continue to put smiles in the faces of the people in the district as part of his corporate social responsibility.
He indicated that plans were far advanced to complement the government’s efforts to undertake many other projects, targeted at reducing the economic woes of the people.
“This is phase one of the water and sanitation project. The capacity we are doing allows communities to draw pipes into their homes, so that they can have the water flowing into their homes,” he indicated.
The lawyer and a well-known activist of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), also disclosed he birthed the idea of assisting the communities with the project after he led a team to embark on a thorough need assessment.
He charged members of the beneficiary communities to do well to own the project which had domestic taps, and would relieve them from the burden of carrying water on their heads.
To ensure good maintenance culture, Mr Apanga told Ghanaian Times on the sidelines that, “in our bid to make the project a self-owning project, we have set up committees and they are responsible for the management and day-to-day running of the project”.
The Divisional Chief for the Pelungu Traditional Area, Naab Sierig Sore Sobil IV, lauded the lawyer for the kind gesture, describing it as a dream come true at long last, especially for the women.
He called on non-for-profit making institutions, philanthropic individuals and government to also see the urgent need in contributing their quota by helping to alleviate the water challenge, as dozens of community folks were clamouring for potable drinking water.