Mahama announces new water project to end Tamale’s long-standing shortages

President John Dramani Mahama says construction of a new water treatment system for Tamale and surrounding communities will begin next year to permanently resolve the region’s persistent water shortages.

Speaking in Tamale on Saturday during the 65th anniversary of Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO), the President said the government had secured a new water source on the White Volta to support the project.

“I want to assure you that next year, work is going to start on the Damango-Tamale water station. We are getting a new source point for water on the White Volta,” he said.

“So we are going to pump water from Yapei to bring additional millions of gallons of water into Tamale, and once that project is finished, (Tamale’s) water problem will be a thing of the past,” he added.

The President, an alumnus of the school, noted that GHANASCO had long struggled with water access, similar to many parts of the Tamale metropolis.

He said the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission was preparing to construct four mechanised boreholes for the school as a temporary measure until the major water project is completed.

Touching on the state of infrastructure, he said student population growth had outpaced available facilities for decades.

“At the time we were students here, we were just about 400. Today, you are 10 times that number, 4,500, but the facilities have not expanded too much beyond what they were when we were here,” he said.

To address this, President Mahama broke ground for three major projects: a two-storey 12-unit classroom block, a two-storey boys’ dormitory, and a 5,000-seater multi-purpose assembly hall.

He also noted the ongoing construction of a 1,000-seater AstroTurf sports complex being championed by the First Lady, Mrs. Lordina Mahama, also an old student.

The President added that the government was working to improve secondary education nationwide by elevating lower-ranked schools and revising the school selection process to broaden student options.

He said a dedicated funding arrangement for the Free SHS programme had stabilised food supply, eliminating shortages experienced in previous years.

He announced plans to introduce a poultry and livestock farming policy for schools to supplement food deliveries and encouraged GHANASCO to consider adopting it.

Headmaster Douglas Haruna Yakubu praised the President’s return to the school, saying his journey from GHANASCO to the presidency demonstrated the institution’s strong academic and moral foundation.

He expressed confidence that improved infrastructure and increased staff strength would further enhance the school’s performance, which currently includes a 90 per cent pass rate at WASSCE.