Do not go in for luxurious vehicles and forums for SADA project-Prince Mba
Mr Prince Bagnaba Mba, President of Forum for Equity, a non-governmental organization, on Tuesday called on government to come out with a comprehensive programme covering the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) project.
He has also appealed to government to stay away from acquiring luxurious cars and the organization of numerous workshops that had characterized similar projects in the past.
Mr Mba who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on his outfit’s take on the implementation of the SADA project, mentioned the Northern Rural Integrated Project (NORRIP) and the erstwhile Upper Region Agricultural Development Programme (URADEP) as some of the projects that failed due to ostentatious spending.
“I want the government to spell out the criteria on how much will be injected into the project for the next 10 years and how that could harness positive development for the whole country.”
The Social worker noted that the unison in which all Members of Parliament passed the bill was an admission that a development gap between the northern and southern sector of the country was real and needed governmental commitment.
He said the implementation of the SADA project should be able to bring economic emancipation, enhance democracy and equity in the distribution of the national cake throughout the country.
Mr Mba called on Northern intellectuals to sacrifice for the growth and development of the project by accepting to serve in the area and make it attractive for other people to be attracted there.
He further called for the creation of another regional capital in Kintampo in the Brong-Ahafo not only to serve as the linkage capital between the North and South, but to help decongest heavy population in the major cities of Accra and Kumasi in the southern sector.
The Social worker also called on government to come out with a trade and investment code that would attract businesses and competent professionals from all over the country and beyond.
“If the government will have to succeed with the SADA projects, maximum attention should also be given to the reclaiming of land that is on daily basis giving way to heavy land degradation and forest depletion.
“It is a shame that Burkina Faso that is nearer to the destruction of desertification is taking up redemption measures, while Ghana is yet to develop useful mechanisms to address the situation,” he said.
Source: GNA