Northern Dev. Fund approved

NOTHERN DEV. FUND APPROVED

THE GHANAIAN TIMES
SATURDAY 8th Nov, 2008
NOTHERN DEV. FUND APPROVED
By: Salifu Abdul-Rahaman
 
Parliament passed the Northern Development Fund Bill to provide a long term strategy for transforming and accelerating the development of the northern Ghana.
 
Dr, Anthony Akoto Osei, Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, moved for the passage of the bill and was seconded by Nii Daku Adu Mante (NPP-Korle Klottey), Chairman of the Finance Committee.
 
The components of the strategy include community-driven development actions, focusing on small-holder agriculture and off-farm investments to create opportunities for the poor.
 
The fund will also be used to implement strategic infrastructure in roads, energy and water resources, flood initiation, environmental renewal investments, as well as food, livelihood, security and peace initiatives.
 
The Finance’s Committee’s report on the bill noted that the slow growth in the northern sector had delayed and reduced Ghana’s attainment of the Millennium Development Goals and middle-income status.
 
He said it was necessary to create a “growth pole” linking northern Ghana and the neighboring Sahelian countries to contribute to overall national development.
 
It is recalled that the government’s budget and economic policy statement for this year had a provision for seed money of GH₵25 million for the establishment of a Northern Development Fund to address the development gap and help alleviate the chronic poverty in the area.
 
The report predicted that with the global climatic change, the frequency of drought and sporadic flood in the north would increase, adding that such persistent climatic change phenomenon was already affecting the re-charge of Ghana’s water bodies while causing destruction of lives and livelihood in most parts of the area.
 
The committee explained that the fund was not meant to be a substitute for existing and traditional government funding towards the three regions – Northern, Upper-East and Upper West regions.
 
As part of measures to comprehensively develop the area, Parliament approved a loan agreement between the government and a Brazilian bank for 500 million dollars to construct hydroelectric dams at Pwalugu and Juale in the Upper East and the Northern Regions respectively, to ensure sustainable energy supply.
 
The state is enjoined in the Directive Principles of State Policy under Article 36 (2) of the Constitution to take the necessary steps to establish a healthy economy through balanced development of all regions and improvement of conditions of life in the rural areas.
 
The imbalances in the developments between the rural and urban areas should be addressed to ensure balanced development, the report of the committee stressed.
 
It noted that in considering the bill the Minister of state, Dr. Akoto-Osei and Professor Gyan-Baffour, the Deputy Minister, the consultants on the fund project, as well as other stakeholders were consulted to make inputs.
 
Traditional authorities if the north were engage to review of the strategic proposal which aims at reducing poverty in the area to about 20 per cent within 15 years of the Bill, prior to the finalization.
 
In a related development, Parliament approved a loan agreement of 59.5 million dollars between Northern Ghana Groundnuts Limited and Helios Investment partners of United Kingdom, with the government as a guarantor to develop and promotes growing of groundnuts to international standard.
 

Northern Development Forum

NDF Message to Frafra and Dagaaba

A MESSAGE PRESENTED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT FORUM(NDF) DR. HAKEEM WEMAH TO THE GURUNIES AND DAGAABA DURING THEIR FUN GAMES IN ACCRA ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2008
Chairman of BONABOTO, The Chairman of the Dagaaba Association, Executive members of the two Ethnic groups, Invited Guests my dear sisters and brothers:
I wish on behalf of the Northern Development Forum(NDF) and in my own name, to congratulate you for the joint sports and cultural activities that have been promoted over the years by your esteemed associations in Accra and Tema.
Through these activities, I believe, personal differences are resolved and friendly relationships strengthened and comradeship built among the members of your two ethnic groups.
I have observed, with great delight, that through these games there has been an increase of inter-marriages which have further strengthened and maintained the already existing cordial relationship between the Gurunies and the Dagaaba. You must keep this up.
The value and importance of these cultural and social activities cannot be over-emphasised. They reduce hidden prejudices and help maintain the long existing solidarity between your two ethnic groups. May I therefore, suggest that you research into the history of your relation and pass it onto the younger generations .Indeed I would like to take this opportunity to call on historians,writers and playwriters of northern extraction to apply themselves and come up with credible histories of the various ethnic groups in northern Ghana.Our rich oral history and folklore can also provide ample material for fantastic plays and films to hit the electronic media.
On behalf of ,NDF I humbly call on the leaderships of the Kassenas, Gonjas and Sissalas as well as Moshies and Dagombas and indeed all other ethnic groups in the north who have this truly unique relationship to emulate the Gurunies and Dagaabas and initiate and or revive these games and other solidarity building activities which help to promote lasting peace and unity among our people.
My, Sisters and brothers, I do not need to tell you that ,developmentally , the three Northern Regions are in a very sorry state.It is therefore incumbent on all of us that we combine our efforts for our own development through peace and unity. We have to avoid acts that generate violence and disunity and rather unite to hasten the pace of integral development in our three regions- Unity in diversity.
I wish to commend BONABOTO and other ethnic groups and individuals who are putting their knowledge,skills and other resources at the disposal of our less fortunate brothers and sisters in order to improve their lot.
At this juncture ,kindly allow me to say a word about NDF. As you are all aware, the Northern Development Forum (NDF) was established on September 30 last year at the aftermath of the floods that devastated our part of the country. This heightened the need for us to advocate for the bridging of the development gap between the North and the South of Ghana.
I hasten to emphasis that the NDF is non-partisan, non religious and non-ethnic .It comprises of, and seeks to provide, a united advocacy platform for the people and friends of Northern Ghana.
NDF has the endorsement of the various leaderships of the North including, the Vice President of Ghana, His Excellency Alhaji Aliu Mahama; members of the Council of State and Members of Parliament from the three northern regions; and the traditional rulers through the various Regional Houses of Chiefs among others.
NDF is inviting and encouraging the various Associations, ethnic groups, youth groups, etc from the three northern regions not only to become active members but more importantly to support the work of the Forum. The main objective of the Forum is to play an advocacy role in order to change the sordid conditions under which the people of the three northern regions find themselves. We are of the conviction that no one can get people of Northern Ghana out of poverty without the commitment of the people themselves.
Time and again when the names of ethnic groups are mentioned in Ghana, one of the terms used is northerners. It is an identity that conveys positive feelings and pride for those of us being so defined, but for some of those who do not hail from any of the three northern regions, it invariably attracts negative comments. The marginalization, and the deplorable conditions of people from the northern part of Ghana is the legacy of the past socio-political arrangement. Part of all this has also persisted due to our own omission or commission.
Dear Sisters and brothers, we need to unite as a people with a common objective. If we do not know where we are going we will never get there. In the same vein if we do not know what we want we will never get it. We have to find a lasting solution to the developmental challenges that confront our three regions.We have no choice in the matter.
The NDF meeting of September 30, 2007, most probably encourgaed the Government to see the need to bridge the socio-economic and development gap between the north and the south. In the light of this the government in its 2008 Budget announced the establishment of a Northern Development Fund. A Bill on the establishment and operation of the Fund has therefore been presented to Parliament.
We have to do all within our means to lobby and sustain our advocacy efforts for parliament to pass the Northern Development Fund Bill before it goes on recess. The NDF will therefore like to take this opportunity to kindly appeal to all Parliamentarians to pass the Bill on the principle of equity and social justice without partisan considerations. What matters to us is the development of the three northern regions.
May the Almighty grant us all what it takes to achieve this goal. Once more, I congratulate you and best of wishes in your games and other endeavours and may the best team win.
Thank you.
——————————————————————————————————–
Announcement: the next NDF meeting will take place on Sunday, November 23, 2008 at Christ the King Parish Hall, Accra.