A civil society organization, has expressed concern about the lack of knowledge on the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), by majority of the people in the three Northern Regions.
The President of Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA), Mr Bismark Ayorogo Adongo expressed the concern when members
of the SADA Board met the organization in Bolgatanga, to discuss the implementation of SADA.
He said that advocacy programmes organised by the NORPRA on the SADA had indicated that majority of people in the Upper West, Upper
East and Northern Region did not know anything about the programme.
Mr Adongo said “it will be difficult for the people to assess SADA since majority of them are unaware of its existence and called for sensitization of the people on the scheme”.
The Board Chairman of SADA, Alhaji Alhassan Andani, asked NORPRA to intensify its advocacy on the programme to ensure it’s successfully implemented.
Dr. Charles Jebuni, Head of the Technical Team of SADA Implementation Committee, explained that the SADA initiative has six unique pillars.
These included development of a comprehensive regional and ecological strategy, a model for the modernization of agriculture,
development of strategic infrastructure, and strong linkage between Northern Savannah and Sahalian countries.
Others were a vigorous private sector initiative to strengthen existing private operators and support for civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations.
Dr Jebuni said SADA was an important policy not only for the people of Northern Ghana but the entire country.
“The intensity of poverty and deprivation in the Savannah zone had historical antecedents and it is not easy to address the issues within a very short space of time”.
He urged NORPA members to consider themselves as a strategic development partners to the board and government, to ensure that SADA activities reflected the needs, aspirations and development priorities of the people.