Government would develop economic infrastructure in the north - Veep

Tamale, May 2, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama has given the assurance that government would do everything within its means to develop economic infrastructure in the north, to attract the private sector to relocate there to help bridge the widened north-south gap. "There is the urgent need to develop the road network in the north, ensure continues and reliable supply of electricity, as well as building schools, hospitals and develop the transport sector to attract investors to the place to change the fortunes of the people," he emphasized. Vice President Mahama gave the assurance in Tamale on Friday at a two-day "Savanna Private Sector Roundtable" aimed at brainstorming to see the critical incentives necessary to stimulate the private sector investments in the Northern Savanna, so that the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) could come to stay.

Some 40 international and Ghanaian business leaders are attending the two-day brainstorming programme, which also aimed at soliciting the support of the private sector to help accelerate the development of the north.

Specific ideas that would emerge from the discussion would be used to feed into the SADA strategy, and also to prepare a policy brief to government on "Boosting private investments in the Northern Savanna." Vice President Mahama said the north has a comparative advantage in the areas of its land mass, sunshine, and a number of water bodies that could be tapped for agricultural purposes saying, "The time has come for the nation to tap the potentials of the north to build its economy." He said it was the duty of the country to create equitable conditions for Ghanaians to feel comfortable anywhere they live, so that they would not continue relocating to crowd the cities in search of nonexistent jobs.

He called on all Ghanaians irrespective of political and ethnic affiliation to support the SADA to succeed.

Vice President Mahama condemned the practice where people's businesses were destroyed because of their political lineage saying, "People's businesses should not be destroyed because of their political commitment to other parties."

"Political power is like a vicious cycle. It rotates at anytime and if we continue to let people suffer because they are not sympathetic to your party the nation would always lag behind in development. If business persons are allowed to operate in a free atmosphere, they may even change their minds and support not your party, but the course of the government," he explained.

He said cabinet had passed the SADA Bill and was now waiting for parliamentary approval, and expressed the hope that parliament would give it the necessary attention.

He said pledges from donor and development partners to support SADA were amounting to about 80 million dollars. Mr. Moses Bukari Mabengbe, Northern Regional Minister said people of the North should be bold enough to tell their story and adopt pragmatic ways of liberating the north to ensure that it received the needed support.

He said the private sector should also be educated on SADA so that it would give the necessary support. He gave the assurance that the three northern regions would give the maximum cooperation to businesses in the area for the improvement of the northern economy.

Alhaji Asumah Banda, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Antrak Group of Companies, advised government to set up industrial villages in the country to make it easier for investment. He said the SADA programme should not be a nine-day wonder, saying, "The problem of the country is that nice programmes can be put on paper but implementation becomes difficult. Naa Professor John Nabila, President of the National House of Chiefs said the time to develop the north was now and called on the country's development partners to help alleviate the north from poverty by supporting the SADA initiative.