The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) has sealed a 120-million dollar deal with Solargiga, a Chinese Company, to invest in a 40 megawatts solar PV plant in Tamale.
Under the deal, Solargiga and SADA will own 90 per cent and 10 per cent equity interest respectively in the joint venture.
Mr Charles Abugre Akelyira, Acting Chief Executive Officer of SADA, announced this on Friday at a press conference in Accra to interact with the media and also made public his vision for the SADA project.
He said under the agreement SADA would acquire the land and the appropriate license to operate and Solargiga on its part will source for funds from International Finance Corporation (IFC) and other private sources for the project.
He said the project would generate about 500 jobs and contribute to technical competencies of the country.
“A programme like this it is not the ten per cent shares SADA holds but it should ensure that communities within and around the Northern Ecological Zones are engaged in the project,” he added.
Mr Akelyira also announced that SADA was sourcing funds to develop a mini hydro dam in the Upper West Region and appealed to the people living in the savannah ecological zones to be patient to enable the Authority achieve its mandate.
“The process has already begun, it only needs fine tuning,” he said.
The Acting CEO said critical issues raised by the media concerning the Authority showed that the media was doing a good job and urged them to continue to do that dispassionately.
He said it was the responsibility of public institutions to account for their stewardship.
Mr Akelyira said the problem that had arisen in SADA should be a lesson for all that “we do not walk before we crawl”.
“We need to build systems to enable us do what we have been set up to do,” he added and urged the public to exercise restraint for feasible results.
Mr Akelyira said SADA was set up to solve geographical problems and not ethnic problems and called on all to have a clear mind about the activities of SADA and contribute their quota to ensure the success of the project.
“SADA was set up with the tax payers’ money and so every Ghanaian everywhere has the right to contribute to its development,” he added.
Source: GNA