Mahama Has No Agric Legacy In Northern Enclave � Karbo

President John Dramani Mahama has disappointed Northerners for failing to establish a coordinated agric intervention programme that will alleviate the plight of the locals up-north, Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party, Anthony Abayefa has said.

Karbo insists he can not fathom why Mahama who was once nurtured in Agric because his father – E.A Mahama was a typical Rice farmer would do nothing substantial in the agric sector that will leave a legacy for locals up-north who are engaged in agric business and Ghanaians at large.

“Agric is failing under his watch and it is surprising to note that, even in his own “backyard” he has done nothing to improve Agric,” he added.

The share of Ghana’s agricultural sector towards the country’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP), is declining woefully.

The contribution of Agriculture to the overall GDP declined from 39 per cent in 2008 to 19 per cent in 2015. The Agric sector has also seen a fluctuating growth in the last seven years. The sector grew at 0.4% in 2015.

Critics have found this trend rather worrying, especially because agriculture still remains the highest employer in Ghana’s economy.

Karbo said he’s surprised Mahama after managing the country for four years has not instituted any Agric programme that will bring positive social impact on the lives of northerners and boost Northern Development to mitigate the problem of Rural-Urban drift.

“Agric is the lifeline to our economy and about 80% of the people in Ghana are farmers. If you go the the Northern region there are some existing major dams that needed urgent rehabilitation to boost dry season Agric in the north. We were expecting that through SADA the Mahama-led administration would have invested in boosting irrigation facilities in the area and open up dry season agriculture. Notable among them is the Vea, Tono, Bontanga irrigation scheme, Ligba irrigation, Fumbisi valley, Karaga irrigation which have all been left to rot in the Savannah zone.”