Mahama has impoverished northerners - Akufo-Addo

Northerners have been impoverished and made poorer by President John Mahama and his governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), flag bearer of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo has said.

Addressing party supporters at Akim Oda on Saturday, November 19, 2016, on the last day of his tour of the Eastern Region, Mr Akufo-Addo said the track record of Mr Mahama as far as developing the northern part of Ghana is concerned has not been impressive for him to be asking northerners to retain him in office in this year’s elections.

Mr Akufo-Addo, for instance, described the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) scandal as one of the saddest developments in the 59-year history of Ghana, especially in the time of a leader of northern extraction.

“You (President Mahama) say you are from the north, and are asking people to vote for you on that basis, however, it is under your tenure of office that the people of the north have been further impoverished. The levels of poverty in the north are truly unprecedented. Monies from SADA have been squandered, monies which were to be used to develop the north have vanished,” he said.

According to Nana Akufo-Addo, “when asked to account for the SADA monies, we are told that it was used for the rearing of Guinea Fowls. And when asked where the Guinea Fowls are, we have been told that they have flown to Burkina Faso. Is this your track record as a President from the Northern Region? It is under your tenure of office that Northerners have been robbed.”

The NPP flag bearer added that if the people of the Northern Region were truly dear to the heart of President Mahama, he would have ensured that SADA’s resources were used for their true objectives and not as a conduit for corruption and the theft of public funds.