Alhaji Amidu Sulemana, Upper West Regional Minister has stated that the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) is a national programme established by an Act of Parliament and not a political organ.

He has therefore advised all those engaged in the politicization of the programme to stop doing so and rather support its sustainability for it to achieve its set objective of bridging the development gap between the North and the South.

Alhaji Sulemana stated this during the launch of the SADA Inputs and Tractor Services Programme in Wa on Monday.

He said the commissioning of the 20 tractors and implements under the programme in the Region put to rest the argument by some people that SADA was yet to be born.

He said SADA, apart from being an independent Agency that would coordinate a comprehensive development agenda for the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone of Ghana, was also expected to be the country’s antidote to the menace of climate change that came in the form of perennial droughts in the arid north.

According to Alhaji Sulemana, the Authority’s main concern was to promote sustainable development based on the concept of a forested and green north that would ensure climate change and improve livelihoods of the most vulnerable among the population.

The Regional Minister said the 20 tractors and implements would be distributed to service providers who would provide tractor services, technical and extension services, seed, fertilizer and supervisory services, as well as marketing services to about 3,300 beneficiaries in the region.

Alhaji Gilbert Iddi, Chief Executive Officer of SADA noted that the programme's interventions did not seek to replace or duplicate the efforts of other existing interventions.

SADA rather sought to add to what already existed to bring about a holistic development of the north, he said.

He said SADA intended to make the seven months of dry season in the Upper West Region even more productive than the wet season through irrigation.

The SADA CEO said a survey team had been put in place to identify all irrigable lands in the region for them to be put to use.

Alhaji Iddi said SADA would soon introduce an agricultural component that would enable schools to produce food to feed themselves.

Alhaji Yakubu Duogu, the Wa Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) appealed to officials of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to guide the farmers to use the tractors efficiently to maximize production and improve on their lot.

Mr. Joseph Faalong, Upper West Regional Director of Agriculture pledged a good supervisory role by his outfit to ensure that farmers derived maximum benefits from the services of the tractors.**