By Caesar Abagali, GNA
Wa, Feb. 16, GNA – The Northern Development
Forum (NDF) has commended President Nana Akufo-Addo for the policy initiatives
that have the potential to change lives, radically reduce poverty and transform
the country.
The Forum also lauded the president for the
invaluable role played in bringing about an amicable settlement of the Dagbon
chieftaincy dispute and the efforts being made to get the Pwalugu Multipurpose
Dam (PMD) constructed.
The commendation was contained in a press
release issued and signed by Mr Ben B. Asorrow, Secretary to the NDF and copied
to the GNA.
The statement was issued after a Nine-member
delegation of Forum led by its chairman, Major Albert Don-Chebe (Rtd) paid a
courtesy call on the President at the Jubilee House in Accra.
The discussion with the President centred on
issues pertaining to the development of the northern part of Ghana and the
urgent need for the bridging of the north-south development gap in the
country.
The Forum said there was the urgent need for
the NPP Government to give Special Developmental attention to the North to
bridge the development gap between the North and the South by delineating
dedicated source of funds similar to the defunct Savannah Accelerated
Development Authority (SADA).
The statement said it was also important for
the government to introduce an equalisation formula into the allocation of
funds to the Development Authorities based on levels of under-development in
order to correct the inequalities.
“For the implementation of the 10-point
recommendations of Northern Ghana Development Conference, that took place in
Tamale in May 2019, to provide a broader development agenda for the North of
Ghana, which is closely connected to the National Development agenda especially
in the context of the principle of ENSURE NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND of the
Sustainable Development Goals”, it said.
“Whatever pricing mechanism government
has implemented to ensure that beer and petroleum products are sold at the
same price respectively throughout Ghana, the same be extended to the pricing
mechanism of cement and other building materials in all parts of Ghana”,
the statement advised.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
stressed that inclusive growth was needed for a comprehensive and equitable
development of Ghana.
This, he said, also calls for extra measures
to be taken for affirmative action for the poorest part of the country.
According to him there are critical
geopolitical reasons that make it imperative for any government, particularly
in West Africa, “to address the inequalities that exist in some areas”.
“There is an urgent need for us to
confront the challenges militating against us by having an equitable
distribution of resources throughout the country.” he added.
He explained that to have discriminating
allocation of resources to bridge the poverty levels between the North and
South of Ghana required political mobilization.
“You have raised pertinent issues that have
to be addressed by all Ghanaians” he said and thanked the Forum for coming
together to find ways of developing their areas.
The Northern Development Forum, the
President said, has to do a lot of persuasion and awareness-raising for a
special dispensation for the development of the five regions of the north of
Ghana saying, “For this to happen you need to get the people of Ghana behind
you”.
Regarding the issue of having a uniform
pricing mechanism for cement throughout the country, President Akufo-Addo
promised to look into the matter.
GNA