Speech By His Excellency The President of Ghana on the Occasion of The River Diversion at the Bui Dam Site

on 2ND December 2008   [CONTINUATION from Page One]

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bui Hydroelectric Project has generated a lot of debate among environmental scientists and social thinkers. I would like to take this opportunity to assure everyone that the Authority under my chairmanship would continue to work in an orderly fashion to protect our environment. To this end, The Authority, The Forestry Commission and Games and Wildlife are all cooperating to protect wildlife and promote ecological balance.

Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bui Hydroelectric Project, the new Bui City with its irrigation systems would stand as one of the legacies of my eight years of stewardship. This project is destined to transform lives in the neighbouring communities as well as the whole country.

By this project, we would be building up our energy capacity as a country; we would also build the most livable city in this pert of the planet and make it a world class tourist centre. The planned irrigation system would ensure food security through aquaculture, agro industries and allied investments which would spring up in this enclave. All these should give us all great pleasure and motivate us to move our country forward.

Accordingly, I wish to declare that today 2^nd December 2008 is the day the Black Volta is diverted to make way for the Dam Construction to commence.

I therefore invite you to join me to scoop the last earth away to divert the Great Black Volta.