The Chief Executive Officer of the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), Charles Abugri, has urged all political parties to make irrigation farming their topmost priority to create jobs for the teeming youth within the SADA zone, and to also tackle the threat of food insecurity.
Speaking to Citi News at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, Mr. Abugri said the restructured SADA will prioritize agriculture and work assiduously to attract foreign investors to the SADA zone to contribute significantly to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
“SADA has two other major priorities, the first priority is agriculture which can never be successful in the SADA zone if we do not bring water to the land thus irrigation. We will bring water from the under well through tube wells or we will damp the water in small, medium size or large dams. This is the main ingredient for making agriculture successful in the Northern part of the country to keep our young people employed, keep young girls working and not migrating in distress from this area and irrigation is the key issue,” he said.
Mr. Abugri confirmed that, the Tono and Vea dams in Navrongo and Bongo respectively, will be rehabilitated soon to provide farmers sustainable water for irrigation farming to boost production.
He said the construction of the Pwalugu dam which has been a concern to the people of the Upper East Region when constructed, will make Fumisi Valley the food basket of the region throughout the year, hence providing a buffer for food security.
“There is the Tandde dam in the Bawku area, there are dam possibilities along the red Volta and we need your voice and support to make these dams irrigation the priority of any government or party that comes to you, please lets pull together the energy to make irrigation work and to make irrigation the topmost priority for all political parties that come to campaign in our areas including the ruling party.”
Mr. Abugri reiterated SADA’s commitment to working assiduously to attract foreign investors who will propel the development of the SADA zone.
“I am happy to say that the government of China has indicated an interest to prioritize the Northern zone as their investment area, the government of Brazil has done same, the government of the United States of America is already doing so and we are having discussions with the government of Germany to bring them into this place to emphasize especially technical education across Northern Ghana and the SADA zone broadly.”
He appealed to traditional leaders within the SADA zone not to deter investors through land and chieftaincy disputes.
Source: citifmonline.com
