[ 2012-04-25 ]

Northerners asked to demand from politicians clear-cut policies and programmes on their development agenda for the north.

Northerners have not benefitted from NPP, NDC - Amin-Anta
The former Deputy Northern Regional Minister in
the erstwhile New Patriotic Party’s
administration, Mohammed Adam Amin-Anta says the
2012 elections presents yet another opportunity
for the chiefs and people in the Northern Region
to compel politicians to demonstrate their
commitment towards development course of the
north.

He said this when he addressed students of Tamale
Polytechnic at the launch of the 11th week
celebration of Tamale Students Representative
Council.

Mr. Amin-Anta, who was also once a Metropolitan
Chief Executive of Tamale in the Kufuor’s
administration, indicated that election years are
the most strategic times to attract the attention
of politicians and policy makers.

Mr. Amin-Anta consequently enjoined northerners to
demand from politicians clear-cut policies and
programmes on their development agenda for the
north.

He revealed it was such awakening call by
northerners during last general elections that
forced the two major political parties NPP and NDC
to make conscious efforts to address the
development plight of the north.

Whilst the NPP proposed Northern Development Fund
the NDC brought on board Savanna Accelerated
Development Authority (SADA) to serve the same
purpose.

Uncharacteristic of politicians, the former MCE
lauded the ruling NDC government for making good
its word to establish SADA mandated to drive
development in the savanna zone.
He, however, wished SADA plays supportive role
rather than driving the development wheels by
itself.

“SADA should be supporting development initiatives
driven by the people,” he said, suggesting SADA
should use its money as a guarantee to raise
capital from the capital market for the regions to
harness their own development.

Mr. Amin- Anta lamented the efforts of northerners
in the two main political parties, the ruling NDC
and main opposition NPP, are not adequately
rewarded.

“With all the elections we have participated in,
with all the political parties we have been
committed and loyal to, what have they delivered
to us, have we gotten the true meaning of
democracy, have we gotten the true meaning of
elections,” he quizzed, adding, “what we have
gotten is poverty, what we have gotten is poverty,
what we have gotten is hunger, chieftaincy
conflicts, illiteracy and ignorance.”

He observed, “Majority of northerners are
followers and not beneficiaries of the two main
political parties…We are been used. When there are
conflicts, we are there, even the most vocal
people in the political parties are northerners
yet when it comes to resource allocation we are
marginalized. When it comes to the positions, the
positions they give us does not empower us to
bring development to our people directly,” decried
the former Tamale MCE.

According to him, election is a process to select
leadership to provide socio-economic conditions
through resource allocation to effect accelerated
development. Elections, he noted, must not
therefore undermine peace.

“Rather than fighting for voter registration and
elections, lets fight for development,” Mr.
Amin-Anta advised.

On his part, Mr. Paul Osei-Kuffour, the Programmes
Manager of CDD-Ghana in Tamale called on SRCs in
various tertiary institutions as well as NUGS to
come out with a code of conduct to regulate
political activities on campuses.

His call is necessitated by several attempts by
some political analysts to push the agenda of
banning active partisan politics in tertiary
institutions in the country.

The SRC President of Tamale Polytechnic, Kelvin
Rashid Yahaya called on Electoral Commission,
political parties, the media and civil society
organizations and other stakeholders to ensure
that the integrity of the country’s electoral
process is not subverted.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “The Need
to Uphold Integrity in Election 2012, The Role of
the Polytechnic Student.”

Source - Joy News

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