NEW BOARD FOR ICOUR SWORN INTO OFFICE 12th NOVEMBER, 2021

 A newly constituted board of directors for the Irrigation Company of Upper Region [ICUOR], has been sworn into office at a ceremony held in Accra, at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture this Friday afternoon.

Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto who administered both the Official Oath and the Oath of Secrecy to formalise the mandate of the eight-member board, charged the board to exercise an effective oversight over the management of the irrigation company which he described as “a very significant investment” so that, the Ghanaian tax payer can derive maximum benefits from it.

Hon. Akoto [Centre] Administering the Oaths

 

Dr. Akoto reminisced that, the Tono Irrigation Scheme located in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region and operated by ICOUR, started in the 1970s and also included the Vea Irrigation Scheme in the Bongo District of the region. He noted that, the Tono Scheme was doing well until along the line, “bad management and lack of vision led to a run-down of this major infrastructure to the extent that, the Government of Ghana had to borrow money for its renovation”.

The Minister stated however that, the said renovation works valued at a little over 30 Million US Dollars, were almost complete as briefing he received indicates that, close to 98 percent of the major works had been completed. Some components of the works include the development of solar pumping stations and drip irrigation at Zones ‘O’ and ‘B’, canal automation and instrumentation, improvement of restricted drainage areas, the repair of project roads and major repairs of the spillway among others.

Dr. Akoto disclosed that, Government was still trying to secure additional finances for similar  renovation works at the Vea Scheme and expressed hope that, it happens sooner than later. It is worthy to note that, the Tono Irrigation Scheme alone has a gross area of 3,860 hectares of which 2,490 hectares have been developed for irrigation with a total of approximately 4,000 small holder farmers. Meanwhile, the Minister said under the new dispensation, private sector investors are welcomed to inject capital into some aspects of the schemes which will further create jobs for people interested in the agriculture sector.

Minister in a group photo with the Board

He described the new board as a key body that will spearehead innovative happenings in collaboration with the Scheme’s Management in order to make it a self-financing institution that will produce better prospects in the years ahead. He also revealed that, since the withdrawal of the US-AID from the financing of the Tono project, it meant that ICOUR could not be fully funded by the Government of Ghana alone and so, efforts have been set in motion to find a strategic partner to come on board for the speedy completion of the remaining rehabilitation works.

Hon. Afiryie Akoto told participants at the swearing in ceremony that aside the Tono and Vea Irrigation Schemes, some two others on the banks of the Volta River and Kpong, were also simultaneously being rehabilitated.

The Upper East Regional Minster, Hon. Stephen Yakubu is the chairman of the new ICOUR board. He acknowledged in his remarks, the employment opportunities his region’s people have at their disposal as a result of the Tono Scheme and pledged that, the board will give off its best to ensure that ICOUR relived its past glory days. He said together with Management, ICOUR will strive and utilise every potential to ensure that, no Ghanaian crossed borders out of the country to buy tomatoes and other farm produce.

Other members of the board include the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority – Mr. Wilson Darkwah, the Managing Director of ICOUR - Dr. Benedict Aligebam, the Upper East Regional Director of Agriculture – Mr. Francis Ennor and a representative from the Ministry of Finance among others.