Forum commends president for pro-poor policies

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.