The Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed has dissociated himself from ‘Sav-Link Company Limited’, a firm that was contracted under erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration to provide tricycles to the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA).

Residents including New Patriotic Party (NPP) youth in the region have tried to link the Minister to the company but he revealed in a statement issued on Tuesday that he has no dealings with it [ Sav-Link Company Limited] past and present and wonders even if such a company exists.

“I wish to state unequivocally that, I have no direct or indirect dealings with the said company and for that matter, have no responsibility to guarantee their activities. SADA should desist from playing mischief to charge the youth against me or the Regional Coordinating Council. I am prepared to call for a full investigation on this matter if they continue the deceit that, I am halting the process”

According to him, attempts to link him to the said company is just a deliberate ploy to dent his hard won reputation .

Read full text of his reaction below;

Northern Regional Minister’s statement on the recent disturbances between SADA and some Youth groups

As the father and the government representative of the region, I am calling on the Directors and Management of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to as a matter of urgency disassociate me from their engagements with members of a company called ‘Sav-Link Company Limited’.

It is sad to note that, management of SADA is not relenting on their efforts to relate me with the company, when I have no dealings with it. In actual fact, I am aware that, the company, ‘Sav-Link Company Limited’ bided for a contract from SADA to manage the sales of some tricycles at SADA.

Let it be known that, June this year, SADA advertised on the dailies, the outsourcing of the project for interested private companies to bid for it. It is expected that, they will go through the procurement process to win the contract.

I wish to state unequivocally that, I have no direct or indirect dealings with the said company and for that matter, have no responsibility to guarantee their activities. SADA should desist from playing mischief to charge the youth against me or the Regional Coordinating Council. I am prepared to call for a full investigation on this matter if they continue the deceit that, I am halting the process.

Typical of their mischievous attempts to dent my reputation was on Thursday, August 24, 2017 when the Transport Officer and one Mr. Baba at SADA peddled an untruth to the youth that, my colleague ministers in the Upper East and Upper West regions wrote letters to them requesting the release of their tricycles to their respective regions and that I refused to write to them for the items to be released. This deceit provoked the youth and they invaded my office on the said date at the RCC.

Meanwhile, the items are not supposed to go to the ministers or the RCC but the private company(s) that bided for the sales of the tricycles. But when I contacted my colleague Upper East Regional Minister on phone, he denied emphatically of ever writing any letter to SADA in the presence of some youth, the Regional Security Coordinator, the Chief Director and SADA

I also want to seize this opportunity to urge the youth to avoid the violent confrontations with SADA and ensure they follow due process in their quest to protect their interest. We have enjoyed some relative peace thus far and the President; Nana Addo Dankwah Akuffo Addo will be not be happy if the region in turmoil.

There are a lot of monumental projects and government policies that are expected to be rolled out soon and all of the youth across the country will benefit. Therefore everybody must seize fire.

Thank You