PRESS CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY THE NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT FORUM (NDF) AT CHRIST THE KING PARISH HALL, ACCRA ON SUNDAY NOVEMBER 29, 2009.
PRESENTED BY DR. HAKEEM WEMAH, CHAIRMAN OF NDF.
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media,
Invited Guests,
Friends of the North and members of the NDF, Good afternoon!
First of all let me thank you very much for honouring our invitation to this Press Conference.
Introduction
This Press Conference is a result of pressure that is being put on NDF from our brothers and sisters from the North and friends of the North. They are demanding an explanation to issues concerning the Northern Development Fund and Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) with particular reference to the promise made in the National Democratic Congress manifesto and the obvious disparity with the 2010 National Budget.
Since the floods that devastated thousands of homes and farms and caused many deaths in 2007 the Northern Development Forum (NDF) has led several groups and citizens of the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions to advocate for decisive government effort to bridge the gap between the north and the south. As a result of this the previous Government in 2008 proposed the establishment of a Northern Development Fund with a seed capital of GHC 25 million. Thereupon, Government commissioned the preparation of a Northern Development Initiative. The document was discussed widely across the country. The NDF sponsored consultations here in Accra and elsewhere. Chiefs, NGOs and other civic groups made their contributions to this initiative. In November 2008, the Parliament of Ghana approved the Northern Development Fund Act 768 giving legal effect to the Northern Development Fund and its implementing strategy for the development of the three northern regions.
Where is the Northern Development Fund or SADA?
The Minister of Finance delivered the Budget for 2010 to Parliament two weeks ago. Among the many issues he touched upon is the proposed expansion of the plan to bridge the yawning development gap between North and South through the establishment of SADA to undertake accelerated development in the three Northern Regions and “ the northern parts of Brong Ahafo and the northern parts of Volta Regions”.
Ladies and gentlemen of the Media, we, the people of the three northern regions of Ghana, are disappointed that the Minister of Finance presented the budget without addressing the serious issue of the huge development gap between the North and the South. Ghanaians have been waiting anxiously for a budget that will transform this country into a new nation, which cares for all of its citizens. Again when the Minister presented the 2009 budget, we raised our concern that there was nothing in it to address the development inequalities between the North and the South. He again presented a supplementary budget in August 2009. Once again there was nothing for SADA. Almost a year has passed, and the same Minister of Finance is again promising what has already been promised a good two years earlier.
We of the Northern Development Forum are concerned that no reference has been made of the GHC 25 million in the Northern Development Fund of the 2009 budget of the previous government, instead, GHC 25 million has been mentioned in the 2010 budget of this Government. Is this the same amount that was promised two years ago? We want to know why more than 200 million Ghana Cedis per year was promised as seed money for the development of the north, by the NDC yet this was not reflected in the 2010 budget?
We would like to remind Government that:
1. The three Northern Regions of Ghana deserve urgent attention.
2. The conditions of poverty are fueling the problems of conflict and crises.
3. The Northern Development Fund/SADA remains a valid and urgent response which needs to be expanded, supported and implemented by Government with the assistance of Development Partners.
Ccitizens of the three Northern Regions are therefore making a strong appeal to His Excellency, President John Evans Atta-Mills to re-examine the Government’s 2010 budget proposals critically.
The issue of accelerated development in the North is a national concern. Ghanaians in all the political parties are interested in this issue. At this juncture, we wish to congratulate Parliamentarians and others who have raised their voices on this matter.
There can be no true national development if we continue to marginalize some parts of this country. The wealth of this nation must go with equity, and citizens of Northern Ghana are urging the President to live up to the promises made to Ghanaians that the development gap between the north and the south would be bridged under his administration. The time to make a difference is now!
Dear media persons, in conclusion, we would like to see the positioning of SADA as the organ of choice for advancing the development agenda for the north. We feel that the original vision of SADA will diminish in scope, scale and ambition with the allocation of only GHC25 millions. The NDF believes that SADA at this level of support can play no more than a bureaucratic coordinating role with little capacity for proactive assistance to the start ups of the key strategic interventions needed in the north of Ghana. This is not what the stakeholders envisioned!
NDF therefore strongly recommends that Government institutes a special Committee with broad participation across party lines to oversee the establishment of SADA. This will ensure that successive governments can work with SADA without significant alterations between successions.
We wish to take this opportunity to put on record the cordial relations that exist between the government and NDF which have manifested in the high level fruitful discussions that both parties have enjoyed so far.
Thank you very much for your attendance and patience and may the Almighty give us all that it takes in finding sustainable solutions to the development of our dear country-Ghana.
Signed:
Dr. Hakeem Wemah
Chairman: NDF
