Northerners tasked to look within for development

Accra, Feb. 4, GNA - Mr Mustapha Sanah, Executive Chairman of Northern Ghana Aid (NOGAID), an international non governmental organisation, has urged northerners not to play the blame game about the under-development of the North.

He said citizens from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions should rather encourage the spirit of self-help to tackle their development needs before soliciting support.

Mr Sanah was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview in reaction to a press statement issued by a group calling itself, the Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA), in Accra. He said northerners were hardworking people who could turn their fortunes around by unlocking their development potentials. Mr Sanah said although NORPRA unearthed historical facts that explained the under-development of the North, 93the legacy the present generation can leave for posterity should be the measures they put in place to reverse the gloomy situation".

"There are Northerners serving Ghana in every capacity - be it the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary or the Media. We have the brains and the energy to look within to see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

Mr Sanah said instead of the group calling on Britain to compensate northerners for the deliberate neglect of the North, 93What our parliamentarians, civil society groups and other stakeholders of development in the North can do is to access the huge development aid, which is out there to bring hope to the millions of people locked up in the web of poverty".

"Let us confine to history the notion that northerners are backward people and only fit to be hewers of wood and drawers of water. After all Dr Hilla Limann of blessed memory was a northerner and ex-President of Ghana."

Mr Sanah said bridging the education gap between the North and the South was a collective responsibility of central government, the local government machinery, civil society groups and northerners. He said the educational policy started by the first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah

to open up the North should be accorded the rightful place in history. Mr Sanah said it was wrong for anybody to argue that it was wrong for Dr Nkrumah to demand immediate independence for Ghana at the expense of 30 million pounds meant for development in the North.

"Although the development of the North is very vital, every Ghanaian should appreciate the importance of political emancipation from colonialism and the national pride Ghana still enjoys globally for deepening Pan Africanism.

Mr Sanah said the sinking image of the North could be redeemed, "if those of us in responsible positions create the conducive atmosphere for wealth generation at home to save our brothers and sisters from the menial jobs they are doing far from home. "This would be the best compensation a northerner can give to his or her fellow northerner in the 21 century." 04 Feb. 07