Water and Energy Minister Habtamu Itefa said the national reform has made the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam successful by bringing it out of the complex construction process.
In an exclusive interview with ENA, the minister said the dam had almost stalled before the national reform.
In particular, he elaborated that the funds raised by Ethiopians for the dam had been managed by incompetent contractor and the funds embezzled, he revealed.
The minister pointed out that the improper project management and deliberate malpractice had negative impact on the overall construction process and that was a sad moment.
Following the reform, special attention was given to determine the next process of the dam and that is considered the biggest success factor in getting the dam out of the problem.
Habtamu explained that the first visit to the GERD by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was the beginning of the utmost journey of success with his wise leadership and guidance to determine the fate of the project.
Accordingly, t
he first step taken was changing the contract management and contractors as well as suppliers, which were the major impediments of the project.
The work of assigning qualified experts in the field had also been done, the minister said.
Thus the national mega project was saved from the danger that it was in through those efforts Habtamu said, adding that since the reform the works done on the GERD have recorded victory to restart the dam.
According to him, the project existed only in name and there was no real work before the reform.
After the national reform, however, concrete results have been registered year after year. For instance, two turbines have begun generating electricity, he added.
Moreover, Habtamu elaborated that the GERD has not only at present increased its height but also record successive triumphs by filling water in different rounds.
Not only that, the dam has now reached an irreversible stage and is built at a level of standard that could give lesson to Africa and beyond.
The ministe
r underscored that GERD is a major national project that has taught Ethiopians they can do miracles when they stand together.
The construction of the dam has reached 95 percent, it was learned.
He stated between in June and July of this Ethiopian year, the dam will reach its final level of water capacity.
The GERD project was one of the five institutions/projects awarded the Ethiopian Institutional Success Award yesterday.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency