Kpeve: Stallion BSK Ghana Limited, an Estate Developer, has defied a directive by Mr. James Gunu, the Volta Regional Minister, to suspend construction works near the Kpeve Water Headworks. This has raised concern over threats to the region's major potable water source.
According to Ghana News Agency, the company has allegedly continued construction activities late into the night despite the Minister's clear order to halt all development at Kpeve Tornu in the Afadzato South District. The project is feared to be compromising the water quality and safety of water consumers across the value-chain, including Ho and its environs.
The Minister's directive followed a high-level stakeholder meeting convened at the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) after reports emerged that ongoing works by Stallion BSK Ghana Limited were causing siltation and contamination risks to the Kpeve Water Headworks, a critical facility that serves Ho, Afadzato South, and adjoining districts. The meeting brought together representatives of the Ghana Water Limited (GWL), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water Resources Commission, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), National Security, National Investigations Bureau (NIB), Fisheries Commission, and traditional authorities.
Sources allege that some officials from these institutions may have compromised, allowing the project to proceed despite environmental and public safety concerns. A Technical Sub-Committee of the Afadzato South Assembly is also reported to have upheld the development, granting the company permission to operate-a decision that has drawn criticism from civil society actors and residents, who fear long-term pollution of their water supply.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Gunu emphasized that public health and environmental safety must take precedence over private business interests. "This matter is about life-people's lives," he stressed, saying, "No project, no matter how important, should threaten the very water our people depend on."
Residents of Ho, Kpeve, and surrounding communities have expressed outrage at the company's supposed disregard for the suspension order, calling on the government and security agencies to take firm action. Some residents claim construction activities have intensified at night "to avoid detection," describing it as a blatant act of impunity. Officials from the Ghana Water Limited have also warned that continued encroachment and illegal construction near the water headworks could lead to serious contamination and reduced water quality, affecting domestic supply to thousands of households in the Volta Region.
