The Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II, has stated that Ghanaians are fond of talking too much on every national issue but do not have the moral courage to back such talk with action. "We Talk! Talk is okay but we need to put it into action. We've become a country of theories of ideas and we have refused to apply our knowledge to our development," he bemoaned. The Okyehene made the observation when he chaired the 2nd Ghana Dams Forum and Workshop on the impact of climate change on the Bui Hydropower project held in Accra. It was organised by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and sponsored by the German Agency for Technical Cooperation, (GTZ). The two-day workshop, which was on the theme: "Bringing Research Findings on Dams Closer to the People" brought together opinion leaders, chiefs, queen-mothers, policymakers, media personnel and all stakeholders who are directly or indirectly affected by the construction of dams in Ghana, particularly Akosombo, Kpong and lately the Bui dams. The Okyenhene, who has carved a niche for himself as an advocate and protector of the environment, was so passionate about the subject that he showed his displeasure about Ghanaians attitude towards issues of national concern. According to him, during most fora organized by stakeholders to address matters affecting some communities, particularly those in farming and mining areas, the organizers concentrated their discussions in the cities and left out the beneficiaries in their deliberations. According to the Okyenhene, leaving out such beneficiaries, who live directly in the communities and know what the real problems are, has been the bane of development in the communities. The Okyenhene therefore urged Ghanaians to change their attitude towards the development of the nation, and stop behaving like the country had been turned into a nation of lawlessness and disorder. Osagyefo Ofori-Panin called on the participants to judiciously use the time spent discussing national issues and reach a consensus that was implementable. The Guest of Honour, Mrs. Gladys Asmah, Minister of Fisheries who represented Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, stated that Ghana was not new to the benefits and problems of dams. "If we have nothing to guide us at all, the Akosombo and Kpong dams are enough to make Ghanaians masters in this field. The issues of dams must never be taken lightly due to their multifaceted and mixed effects," she said. Mrs. Asmah reminded the participants that the government was aware of some of the problems associated with the previous dams, adding that "His Excellency has given us good news. It is left for us as engineers, scientists and stakeholders to make sure that the experiences learnt in the Akosombo and Kpong dams guide us very critically." She appealed to the members of the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) to come out with issues that would reduce drastically the negative environmental, social and ecological impact that the new dam would bring. "Indeed, while we think on how to abate the negative impacts, we must also come up with issues on how to maintain, improve and upgrade our existing dams for better and efficient yields." The Minister called on engineers to make sure that the Bui project did not wipe out colonies of important and rare species such as the over 140 black hippopotami whose habitat, the BUI National Park, is expected to be submerged in water. Other speakers at the function were Hon. Rita Idi and Professor George Gyan-Baffour, deputy Ministers of Lands, Forestry and Mines, and Finance and Economic Planning respectively. Also present was Hon. Kofi Jumah, deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment (MLGRDE). Source: Daily Guide