Tamale, Nov. 12, GNA - Citizens from the three northern regions have appealed to the government to ensure that funds were released for the implementation of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA). They said this at a forum on SADA on Wednesday organised by SEND Ghana with support from Oxfam and Christian Aid UK under the theme "Making SADA work for All."

It was aimed at increasing the awareness of citizens about SADA and how they could contribute to make the programme to succeed. Whilst commending the government for the passage of the SADA bill, they stressed the need for the government to complete the process by ensuring that funds were released to implement the project on time.

"The passage of the bill and the President's assent clearly demonstrated that the present government is committed to the process and therefore must complete the fulfillment of its campaign promise." Making inputs into SADA, the participants stressed the need for agriculture mechanization and provision of more irrigation dams and dugouts for farming especially during the dry season.

Road should also be given serious attention in the implementation of SADA so as to link farm produce to marketing centres. They stressed the need for civil societies and NGOS to be supported to provide capacity building for communities in the catchments of SADA to make the implementation process effective.

Dr Hekeem Wemah, Chairman of the Northern Development Forum, appealed to citizens of the area to own SADA since they were the very people to benefit.

He said they should not read politics into the implementation process since this could undermine the programme. Dr Sule Gariba, a Policy Advisor who took the participants through SADA Act, implementation procedure and how far it had reached said the process had begun and recruitment would be done soon for the Secretariat. policy.