Alhaji Gilbert Iddi, Chief Executive of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) has appealed to stakeholders to embrace the SADA initiative as a national intervention rather than a project of a political party.

He said the perception that SADA was a project of one political party did not encourage some stakeholders to associate themselves with it (SADA) in its quest to facilitate strategies to bridge the development gap between the northern savannah ecological zone and the southern sector of the country.

Alhaji Iddi said this at a two-day regional conference on SADA organized by Community Life Improvement Programme (CLIP) in collaboration with Northern Ghana Network for Development, both social–oriented non-governmental organizations based in Tamale.

The conference, which opened in Tamale on Wednesday, brought together about 120 participants from Civil Society Organizations (CSO), SADA secretariat, academia, research institutions, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Farmer Based Organizations, district assemblies and other relevant stakeholders in the northern savannah ecological zone.

Topics to be treated include: “Three Years of SADA – Expectations, Achievements, Challenges and the Way-forward”, “The Rate of Implementation of SADA – the CSO Perspective.”

Alhaji Iddi said the prevailing perception that the project belonged to a political party did not augur well for the overall development of the SADA catchment areas because all hands needed to be on deck for success.

The current government conceptualized and developed the SADA initiative, which formally began operations in 2011 to facilitate, coordinate and catalyse regional interventions with its statutory authority and political influence to bridge the development gap between the north and south.

Alhaji Iddi said the politicization of SADA initiative must cease because no matter which party was in power, there would always be some intervention for the north since most governments after independence recognized the need to institute measures to address the development gap between the north and the southern sector.

He said instead of sitting on the fence, stakeholders and other interest groups should come on-board and offer constructive criticisms and alternatives to improve the lot of the SADA catchment areas.

Alhaji Iddi gave the assurance that SADA will “make monitoring mandatory in all processes and with all stakeholders” to ensure efficiency.

Mr Mohammed Adam Nashiru, President of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, who made the presentation on the topic: “The Status-quo of SADA and the Future Expectations of the small holder farmer,” appealed for irrigation facilities to ensure an all-season farming in the three northern regions.

Mr Nashiru appealed for the supply of certified and improved seeds, to ensure good yields.

Mr Illiasu Adam, Programme Coordinator of CLIP, said the conference became necessary to update stakeholders on the implementation status of SADA initiative.