The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Northern Region has expressed doubts about the ability of President John Dramani Mahama and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration to execute the numerous projects it had cut sods for.

The NPP indicated that its doubts were borne out of similar events in the region which had not seen any meaningful progress, and indicated that it was clear the president was only trying to deceive the people in the area with the sod cutting exercises.

In a press release signed by the Northern Regional Secretary of the NPP, Sule Salifu, he questioned the state of work at the supposed Buipe Shea Nut Factory which the president at its commissioning assured Ghanaians that the factory was going to export large quantities of processed shea butter.

“Till date the plant is yet to produce a bucket of shea butter,” he observed.

The NPP scribe also mentioned the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and the subsequent appointment of a CEO which the government claimed were interventions to bridge the gap between the north and the south and to create jobs for the people in the northern sectors of the country.

According to Mr. Sule Salifu, the so-called interventions eventually became a “conduit for government and its allies to siphon state funds.” He therefore indicated that government could not be trusted for promises made to the people of the north as all of the seemed to have fallen through.

He noted that the commissioned Avnash Rice Industry by President John Mahama to mill rice in the north had also not seen the light of day.

He therefore urged the people not to take seriously promises by the president which he made during his working visit to the region last week – when several sod cutting ceremonies were held.

Mr. Salifu Sule said it would be a fantastic idea to upgrade the Tamale airport into an international one, but the fact that similar promises had not yet materialized was enough ground to suggest that the sod cutting was just an event to throw dust into the eyes of the people.

“The promise to northerners that his government, if re-elected, would reduce the cost of agricultural inputs to increase yield and to encourage young people to go into agriculture has failed, especially with this year’s prices of fertilizer,” he remarked.