We didn't rush to buy guinea fowl - SADA boss

The Chief Executive Officer of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), Alhaji Gilbert Seidu Iddi, has expressed worry about false figures and information been churned around in the media regarding the guinea fowl project embarked on by SADA and Asongtaba cottage industries.

He also denied publications that his outfit has been buying fresh guinea fowls to cover up for monies that cannot be accounted for.

Alhaji Gilbert Iddi made statement in an interaction with the media shortly after a pre-season meeting with guinea fowl farmers in Wa.

According to him, some individuals are deliberately concocting stories to denigrate the partnership between his outfit and Asongtaba cottage industry.

Alhaji Iddi cited a case of recent publication were officials of SADA were reported to be on the market buying fresh guinea fowls to cover up for monies spent.

"SADA hasn’t gotten an implementation capacity. SADA does not implement projects and the law that establishes SADA has not mandated it to engage in implementation of projects. So why would we be going round to buy guinea fowls to come and create an impression that we are implementing any project? It is palpably false. there is no truth in it,” he insisted.

He expressed worry about the figures been churned out in the media.

“If I meet technical people, who are concerned about those figures, then we can debate the issues dispassionately and I will be comfortable with that. But what happened is that people churned this kind of information and throws it in to the media and allows gullible people to just pick the figure.

"You realise that somebody instead of quoting GHS15 million Ghana cedis chooses to call it one hundred and fifty billion old Ghana cedis. Why would you want to go to that extent if not because of mischief," he asked.

Alhaji Iddi posited that the 15 million(7.5million dollars) Ghana cedis SADA kept in the guinea fowl project is meant for 62 districts in the SADA ZONE and that when the money is been spread across the districts it will even be meagre.

He however conceded that the project, like any other new project starts with teething problems but with time, the project will yield its desired purpose and posterity will judge them.

"I don’t know whether it is SADA they are targeting, or it is me personally or it is the whole intervention people think must be shot down. I refuse to take my eyes off the ball. We will continue to work despite the name calling because it is the results that will justify what we are doing," he added.

The Chief Executive Officer of Asongtaba Cottage industries, Henry Kangah, stated that they have acquired about three acres of land at Guli in the outskirts of the Wa municipality for the guinea fowl project to kick start in the region.