Interrogating SADA Without Benchmarks Is Wrong –CSOs Told

Exec. Dir. NGND

The Executive Director of Northern Ghana Network for Development [NGND] Theophilus Ibrahima Dokurugu has indicated that, any perception among Civil Society Organisations [CSOs] that the rate of implementation of SADA needs deeper interrogation would be a call too early to make.                  

In expressing their opinion on the rate of SADA’s implementation, he said CSOs ought to be mindful that this had to be measured against benchmarks that SADA had set itself in terms of programmes, projects, activities and results over a specific time frame.

Unfortunately, he said CSOs did not have such benchmarks, through no fault of theirs. “It is worthy to note that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) was officially employed in September 2011. The Directors of various Departments under the CEO came on board between February and April 2013. Against this background, one can surmise that effectively, SADA only started working this year, even though it has undertaken snapshot projects until now.” he pointed out.

Delivering a paper titled “The Rate of Implementation of SADA –The CSO Perspective” at a conference on SADA organized by the Community Life Improvement Programme [CLIP] in Tamale, Mr. Dokurugu also noted that in the absence of the full compliment of staff, the perception of slow pace of implementation of SADA among CSOs was hardly surprising.

He disclosed that, SADA was currently in the process of rolling out a five-year operational plan. According to his estimation, when this plan was completed and approved by the Board of Directors and made public, CSOs would be in the right position to assess and determine the rate of implementation of programmes initiated by SADA.

Under the theme: “Towards the Successful implementation of SADA –The Role of CSOs” the conference was intended to bring together various CSOs, Non-Government Organisations, Farmer Based Organisations, government departments and agencies among others, to perhaps brainstorm and come out with strategies that would help the management of SADA to effectively implement their programmes.

Background on SADA

The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority [SADA] was established by an Act of Parliament [Act 805, 2010] as an independent and autonomous statutory corporate body to: provide a framework for the comprehensive and long-term development of the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone and to provide for related matters. 

SADA covers the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions, and areas contiguous to these regions as may be determined by the Authority. The contiguous areas are the Northern parts of Volta and Brong-Ahafo Regions.

Since its inception in 2010, there had been concerns raised by various sections of the public in the operational area of SADA with respect to its activities and the rate at which implementation was progressing. The general perception among CSOs was that the rate of implementation of SADA programmes was slow. This is hardly surprising, considering the huge expectations beneficiaries had of SADA and the fact that many perceived SADA and its programmes as a panacea to the development challenges of the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone. 

Suggestions/way forward

Mr. Dokurugu called on CSOs to view what was happening in SADA now as an opportunity for advocacy through constructive engagement with the Authority. “This may be through rigorous monitoring of various aspects of its programmes, funding regimen in terms of quantum, timeliness of release and purpose, achievement of expected results and joint planning and review sessions”, he suggested.

He urged that CSOs should be at the forefront of calling for routine meetings of the Stakeholder Coordinating Committee which is the body responsible for reviewing the plans of SADA. Adding that, regular interface meetings between SADA and CSOs should also be institutionalized, because such meetings would provide a forum for filling in gaps in information that was needed at the grassroots and suggestions for alternative programme/policy direction of SADA.

Prez, PFAG

In another presentation by the National Chairman of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana [PFAG] Mohammed Adam Nashiru, titled “The status quo of SADA and the expectations of the smallholder farmer”, he said farmers were expecting improved agricultural input delivery from SADA; improved market access; enhanced agricultural value chain; improved housing for farm families and improved and sustainable measures of climate change adaptation management.

He also mentioned that, farmers wanted SADA to supply them with certified and improved seeds (high yielding and drought resistant); storage facilities and guaranteed prices for produce before production; construction and rehabilitation of road network and rehabilitation and construction of smallholder irrigation facilities across the SADA zone.

Mr. Adam called on SADA to collaborate with all relevant organizations including PFAG for speedy implementation of SADA activities across the project area. He equally suggested that, SADA should include farmers in all the Regional Steering Committees and also as a matter of necessity, adopt a radio station that would educate the general public on the activities of SADA.

He urged SADA to work to revamp all defunct agro industries in the SADA zone in order to create job opportunities for the people as well as train farmers on standards that would meet both local and international production requirements.