Member of Parliament for Kumbungu in the Northern Region, Ras Mubarak, has described as a waste of resources the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) plan to restructure the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), into the Northern Development Authority (NDA).
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had early on reaffirmed his commitment to restructure the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA).
He said the Northern Development Authority (NDA), will serve as a catalyst to eradicate poverty in the three regions of the north.
But Ras Mubarak believes the restructuring is unnecessary and will only increase the cost of budget.
Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Mubarak said the NPP is only making such a move to score political points and not to re-establish SADA.
“I think it is completely unnecessary because it is going to come with some cost to the taxpayer as well. That money I’m sure could have gone into solving one problem or another. It is an attempt to score more political points.”
About SADA
The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), is a Government agency responsible for coordinating a comprehensive development agenda for the savanna ecological zones comprising the three northernmost regions and stretches of Brong Ahafo and Volta, that are contiguous to the Northern region of Ghana.
Its mandate is to assist in the development of agriculture and industry in the region to help lessen the disparity between its development and that found elsewhere in the country.
Savannah Accelerated Development Authority was established by an Act of Parliament; SADA Act 805 on 17 September 2010 with its first Chief Executive Officer appointed in October 2011.
SADA will institute projects, programs and policies aimed at stimulating growth and addressing the human and social development needs of the target area.
SADA wasted funds
With a 5-year business plan which begun in 2012, and will end in 2016, SADA cannot boast of any significant achievement after some 32 million cedis allocated to it, failed to produce the desired results due to mismanagement and corruption.
This forced former President John Dramani Mahama to replace its chief executive as well as the board, to steer the affairs of the agency.
The agency is expected to retrieve monies wasted and unaccounted for by the previous management, and possibly prosecute officials who caused the losses, but that is yet to happen.
–
By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah