NDC Has Deceived Us

Northern Youth, Peace and Development, a non-governmental organisation, says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) deceived people in the three northern regions with the idea of the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), in order to win popular votes.

Prince Hardi Adams, Executive Director of NGO, says it is shocking that apart from the GH�20million that was lodged in the accounts of the authority in 2007 by the previous administration, the NDC government had only provided a cheque for GH�20million for SADA, till date.

At a news conference in Wa on Tuesday, the NGO renewed its earlier call on Vice President John Dramani Mahama and all ministers of state who hailed from the Upper West, Upper East and Northern regions, to resign en bloc for failing to prompt the government to fulfil its campaign promise to the people.

He said the NGO would organise the youth in the three regions to demonstrate against the government and cabinet ministers who hailed from the area if they failed to resign honourably.

�These people sit in government and seek only their personal interests while Northern Ghana sinks deeper into the quagmire of poverty, under-development, ignorance, sickness and suffering that result in the massive exodus of the youth and even some elderly people to down south on a daily basis for menial jobs,� he said.

Mr. Adams quoted some portions of the revised edition of NDC�s 2007 manifesto, specifically pages 76 and 77, which spoke about the poverty levels of the three northern regions and the subsequent establishment of SADA to address the development gap between the north and the south.

He said the NDC government promised to provide an initial seed capital of GH�200million for SADA within100 days in office, while government would continue to contribute GH�10 million each year for 20 years to replenish SADA�s accounts.

Once SADA was established, the government would lead a donor conference on Northern Ghana, aimed to raise an additional 200 million US dollars from Ghana�s development partners and private organisations to give SADA a solid financial foundation.

Mr. Adams said the NDC got massive votes from people of the northern regions as a result of this promise, but instead the people have been rewarded with a blank cheque placed on SADA�s account by the government after two and half years down the line.

�The hopes and aspirations of the good people of Northern Ghana have been dealt a heavy blow; the promise of the President seems to be just cheap political talks calculated only to deceive the people and win votes for his party,� Mr. Adams pointed out.

He called on well-meaning individuals, non-governmental organisations and youth associations to demand accountability from both the leadership of SADA and government. Mr. Adams said the NGO would not buy the idea that government would be able to provide GH�1billion for SADA next year as being promised by some government officials.

�If a government promises GH�200million within 100 days and 700 days pass without delivering on the promise and later that same government comes promising GH�1billion next year, would the people take it?� Mr. Adams asked.

Source: daily guide