Four-time presidential candidate of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Dr. Edward Mahama, has jumped to the defense of northerners in the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) administration who are being blamed for the continuous suffering of people in the three regions of the north.
The Former Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Professor Kwame Karikari, last week accused northerners in influential positions in the current government of failing their people.
He said they have failed in ensuring the success of various developmental projects for the regions, including that of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA).
The programme was introduced to bridge the development gap between the northern and southern sectors of Ghana, but the Authority has been saddled with a series of challenges and allegations of massive corruption.
It is presently undergoing restructuring to ensure the effective undertaking of its mandate.
But speaking to Citi News, Dr. Edward Mahama stated that the corruption leveled against the officials of SADA is just a fraction of corruption cases in Ghana.
“Let’s not isolate SADA and blame northerners for what is going on there. It’s a collective difficulty in this country. Corruption is eating us up and people should stop trying to isolate and divide people,” he advised.
Dr. Mahama suggests that if Ghanaians are able to reduce corruption by 20 percent and increase efficiency by 25 per cent, “Ghana will be a different place.”
According to him, northerners are equally Ghanaians “and those who have been there and are corrupt, they are corrupt. There are Ghanaians who are not corrupt and at the same time, there are northerners who are not corrupt”.
The PNC stalwart however accepted that the mismanagement in the affairs of SADA is affecting the people in the three northern regions, but called for a collective effort in fighting corruption, which in effect, will positively impact on government projects like SADA.