The Working CEO and Board of SADA.

The political will and acceptance of the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) by both government and opposition parties offer a broad-spectrum brainwave of Ghanaians about this development agenda. SADA covers both northern part of Brong-Ahafo and Volta regions with the main focal point of operation as the three regions at the North, thus, Northern, Upper- East and the Upper- West regions of Ghana. The CEO, Alhaji Seidu Iddi Gilbert and the board, spearheaded by the Chairman, Mr. Alhassan Andani are working assiduously to making sure the Authority succeeds in its development projects.

First and foremost, the boss of the Authority with the approval of the Board saw the need in this technological world to establish an ultra modern ICT center for the staff of SADA with internet facility for study and other enquiries. This will not only make research at the Authority easier but will also help in bringing modern technological and innovational advancement into the implementation of their projects and policy direction.

Again, it will also make Ghanaians and the world abreast with the activities of SADA, for donor organizations and countries to come in to assist since most of the projects under SADA are funded by donor organizations through government. With the ICT facility, SADA will be able to disseminate information on its progress and directions to attract other benevolent organizations and investors to join in bridging the gap between the catchment areas of the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority and the widening part of the country. Citizens of the areas will be educated to acquire various skills, jobs will be created, there will be other social interventions to improve the lives of the people and eradicate the mass exodus of the youth to seek greener pastures in the southern part of Ghana.

Alhaji Seidu Iddi Gilbert, the CEO also found it incumbent upon the Authority to publicize certain documents of SADA to the teeming Ghanaians who hold certain observations about the veracity of the scheme of SADA to clear the minds of the citizenry. This will phantom the idea of voraciousness perceived by the populace about the leadership and pave the way for transparency and accountability to curb the mysterious vortex that endanger the smooth running of this very development and growth plan for the Savanna regions.

Be adequate herein are the physical drilling and configuration of mechanized boreholes, which are necessary for the realization of SADA objectives. A hundred and over boreholes are dug and mechanized for irrigation and other usage to facilitate speedy execution of projects across SADA touched areas. It will be easier to locate these boreholes even when one sits/lies at the capital of Ghana with GOGGLE MAP without moving an inch from the comfort of your place of abode. All these indicate how effective the CEO with the support of the board is working round the clock to make sure Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) is grounded on it base.

As an Agriculturalist, Alhaji Iddi harness his experience and technical know-how towards the Agric sector, by purchasing more than 250 tractors in the name of SADA to be supplied to farmers and other service providers to work robustly. Work in this sector is progressively mounting at a geometric rate. The board members unanimously approved the securing of those quality tractors for work to swiftly steps forward. As it stands, donor countries, investors and organizations are planning a familiarization tour at the SADA areas to see its activities in other to inject more capital into their projects in a form of investment. All these are allusions to how viable and sustainable SADA is in the hands of the CEO and the current board members.

Perfectly in contemporary businesses all over the world, the former northern and Volta regional minister in Rawlings’ administration, and now CEO of SADA is partnering with Public Private Businesses to undertake other projects under SADA to squash butternut for exports. This will not only put SADA on the international market but will also bring about improvement on the lives of the people and Ghana as a whole. SADA is on the high gear with the current board and the able bodied CEO on the steering wheel. Nothing can stop it from succeeding to better the lives of the people and bridge the gap between North and South.

It is clear the Savanna regions are gradually drying up by the wind and heat of the Sahara desert. The Northern Savannah Ecological Zone (NSEZ) is fast deteriorating by the action of man who cut down trees for charcoal burning. SADA has embraced the need to replant trees (re-forestation project) to cater for the lost ones. Several areas in the SADA ecology are completely greened all under the auspices of the head of the Authority. As the saying goes, “when the last tree dies, the last man too dies” These projects are evident and can be seen physically or better still are displayed on sign posts and billboards all around areas where these projects took place.

The SADA Boss was reported to have hinted that, plans are far advanced to invest into solar energy farms to add about 40 megawatts of electricity to the national grid. According to Alhaji Seidu Iddi, “feasibility studies of various catchment areas in the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone (NSEZ) are complete to give way to foreign investors to begin work” He added, this year alone, SADA harvested several hundreds of tonnes of butternut squash with majority of the produce exported to the United Kingdom. He however envisaged that 2014 may record bumper harvest of the produce to meet the ever-increasing demands in the European Union.

Alhaji Iddi outlined a number of projects including, Sisili-Kulpawn Water Management project, massive agricultural input support services to farmers and grafted mango seedling projects as economic activities that are bound to impact positively in the lives of the people and eventually eradicate poverty in the SADA zone. The Authority is doing everything possible to step up the socio-economic standards of the people to whip out poverty which leads to diseases and ignorance. (See,“SADA steps up more projects to improve lives in Northern Ghana” ghanaweb.com14 July, 2013).

For SADA to achieve its set targets, it needs to maintain the competent CEO and committed Board members who are willing and ready to offer their all to project the Authority to attract investors for smooth operation and not lackluster leaders. SADA is on cause and the government and the people of Ghana, more especially those from SADA catchment regions need to support it to put smile and life at the face of the people.

Kashaa Nuhu babnuh11@yahoo.com