Dr. Clifford Braimah, the Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), the Republic of Togo has made attempts to lay claim to the Volta Lake. This issue arose during negotiations over the Sogakofe-Lome Transboundary Water Supply Project between Ghana and Togo.

0

Dr. Braimah disclosed this information while appearing before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee in Accra. He mentioned that negotiations between the two countries have been slow, with both parties trying to find common ground before proceeding with the project.

1

One of the contentious points is that the Togolese authorities want Ghana to bear the majority of the risk associated with the project, while they would receive 85% of the water to be produced. Additionally, they wish to take raw water and treat it themselves, while Ghana wants to treat the water at Sogakofe and distribute it to communities along the route.

2

Furthermore, Togo has attempted to lay claim to the resource itself, arguing that both countries jointly own the Volta, and thus, Ghana cannot impose charges on them. However, Ghana contends that the water for the project originates from Burkina Faso.

3

The GWCL is engaged in negotiations to secure the best deal for Ghana, both financially and in terms of the project's implementation. Dr. Braimah emphasized that Ghanaian authorities cannot afford to let Togo take advantage of the situation without getting a fair agreement.

4

The Sogakofe-Lome Transboundary Water Supply Project aims to transfer treated water from Sogakofe in the Volta Region to the Togolese capital, Lome, with an estimated cost of US$110 million in 2005.

5

In a separate matter, the Ghanaian government is actively working to increase water production to the Northern and Savannah regional capitals, Tamale and Damango, respectively, and their surrounding areas. The Damango water project has been delayed due to financial constraints, but necessary agreements for the release of the US$49 million project cost have been signed and are currently with Deutsche Bank.

6

To address the immediate water needs of Damango, the GWCL has developed an artesian well drilled in 2015 to treat water for the local community. The long-term plan is to build a larger treatment plant at Yapei on the White Volta and distribute water to Tamale and Damango.

7