"WE WILL CHANGE SADA TO NDA" - NPP

Location: Bolgatanga, Upper East

 A lead member of the NPP Presidential Campaign Team, Prince Imoro Andani who represented Nana Akufo-Addo at a National Forum on Transformation of the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone of Ghana, has stated that his party when voted into power will restructure and change the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) into Northern Development Authority(NDA).

The former Northern Regional Minister, Prince Imoro Andani emphatically stated SADA under the NDC government has not chalked any success but a total failure and needs to be restructured and rebranded.

The move by the NPP to change SADA to NDA was generally not accepted by a large member of constituents at the forum and that sparked series of questions and contributions asking the NPP to maintain the SADA and current progress of the new administration of SADA led by Dr. Charles Abugri.

Speaking on behalf of the NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, he mentioned the over 200 million cedis seed money released to SADA was wasted because the NDC government did not provide officials of SADA an enabling environment to work.

In his interaction with constituents in the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone, Prince Imoro Andani further explained the restructuring and rebranding of SADA is critical because the current NDC government has only projected developmental works that covers the entire northern landscape of this country and that makes the vision unrealistic.

He explained the NPP’s “Northern Development Authority” that will take over from SADA is structured to concentrate only on the three regions of the north and so the upper parts of the BrongAhafo and Volta Regions currently covered by SADA will be taken out.

However, there will be a “Middle Belt Authority” that will concentrate on developmental projects in the Brong Ahafo, Volta Ashanti and other regions in the middle belt.

Again, Prince Imoro Andani assured the NPP if voted into power will establish a “Coastal Belt Authority” that would have developmental demands of the southern parts of the country at heart by implementing projects that suit the area.

He was of the view, the NPP government has recognised the disparity in developmental project between the Northern and Southern belts of the country, and they will collaborate with the CSOs in order to undertake a baseline survey that will outline the most pressing needs in the zone.

Report by Listowell Acquaye

“ONE VILLAGE, ONE DAM” MAY NOT VIABLE- SADA CEO

Location: Bolgatanga, Upper East

CEO of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority, Dr Charles Abugrehas stated that the NPP’s “One Village, One Dam” initiative though laudable, may not work in all villages.

He was responding to a questioned from a constituent at the National Forum on Transformation of the SADA Zone where the NPP was invited to outline their vision and development agenda on transforming the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone into a place of opportunities for all, free from poverty and inequality.

Basing his claims on findings from research work conducted in the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone in the past two years, he mentioned the initiative by the New Patriotic Party may holistically not be feasible in the SADA ZONE despite its laudable potential to transform agriculture and the energy sector.

The NPP representatives in the person of Prince Imoro Andani and the MP for Nabdam, Boniface Agambila at the 2016 National Forum on the Transformation of the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone re-emphasized the “One Village, One Dam” initiative that will augment the ailing irrigation issues in the region and explained the project will be viable in the Zone but will vary from village to village.

He suggested the NPP should resort to bore holes which will be feasible in most villages instead of damsdue to the nature of the SADA Zone.

However, Dr. Charles Abugre reiterated the politicisation of SADA related projects would not be in the best interest of his administration and the citizenry in the area but a political will to holistically reduce poverty in the zone is the way forward.

He then asked politicians not to depend on the sound bites (“One Village, One Dam”) but rather focus on the development of the Northern Ecological Savannah Zone and the revenue generation potential it holds if implemented. 

In a sharp rebuttal, the MP for Nabdam, Boniface Gambila echoed the NPP’s commitment to its manifesto and stressed his disagreement with Dr. Charles Abugre’s claim that the “One Village, one Dam” initiative may not be feasible.

“As far as I am concerned and the word dam is concerned, the “one village, one dam” project is feasible, possible and can only be done by the NPP if you vote the NPP into power” Boniface Gambila rebutted.

Lead Campaign Member of the NPP’s Dr. Mahamudu Bawumiah, Prince Imoro Andani who represented the flagbearer Nana Akufo Addo explained the NPP manifesto has lots of projects that are in tandem with the developmental master plan of the SADA Zone and would be implemented if the NPP gets the nod in 2017.,

The forum aimed at engaging Presidential candidates of various political parties contesting in the 2016 polls to outline their vision and development agenda on transforming the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone into a place of opportunities for all, free from poverty and inequality was organised by the Coalition of SADA Zone CSOs on Tuesday, October 26, 201 in Bolgatanga.

THE BOCOTT

xThe Coalition of SADA Zone Civil Society Organizations is holding a national forum on the transformation of Northern Savannah of Ghana in Bolgatanga.

The organizers had scheduled the Presidential candidates of the NPP, NDC and CPP to feature at the forum on October 25, 26 and 27 respectively.

 However, Nana Addo who was first to speak about his vision to transform the Northern Ecological Zone, did not show up even though the organizers have said the candidate and his party had confirmed their participation.