SADA to develop Pwalugu and Sissili basins -President Mills

The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) would soon partner a Dutch consortium to undertake detailed feasibility for the design of major infrastructure in the Pwalugu and Sissili River basins, President John Atta Mills announced in Tumu on Saturday

By that socio-economic intervention, the people, especially the rural poor would be empowered economically to narrow the gap between the south and the north in terms of development

President Mills was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of the Tumu Traditional Area at this year’s “Paari Gbielle” Festival in a speech read for him by Mr. Alexander Asum-Ahensah, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture.

He admitted that the Government alone could not shoulder all the developmental responsibilities of the country and called for meaningful partnership from the private sector and civil society to pursue its developmental objectives.

On the forthcoming general elections, President Mills assured Ghanaians that government was committed to ensuring peaceful, transparent, free and fair elections come December 7 this year.

The Electoral Commission would be resourced to effectively and efficiently conduct the polls that would be free, fair and transparent.

According to President Mills, government would ensure that proper and adequate security was maintained to enable every eligible Ghanaian to exercise his or her franchise without fear.

“As a government, we are committed to building upon the democratic credentials we have achieved as a nation since 1992”, he said, and called for the cooperation of all Ghanaians and other persons residing in Ghana in that regard”

President Mills cautioned Ghanaians to be guarded against politics of insults, character assassination and fabrications and rather harness their differences in ideologies, values, beliefs and culture to build and strengthen the country.

He also appealed to Ghanaians to play their roles appropriately in ensuring free, fair, and credible elections, pointing out that it was a shared and collective responsibility and all must play his or her part.

”We should use all available fora, the media, social gatherings, churches and mosques to educate one another about peace, unity and tolerance.

Indeed, we should be mindful and appreciate that our political opponents are not our enemies and therefore we should shy away from acts and utterances that will breed acrimony”, President Mills cautioned.

“Paari Gbielle”, literary means farmers play. It is an agricultural festival bequeathed to the people by their forefathers and it is being celebrated annually to give thanks to God and the ancestors for good harvests.

This year’s version was on the theme: “Promoting a peaceful 2012 general election for national development - A collective responsibility”