Naa Seidu Braimah, Member of the Council of State, has called on Northerners to put their house in order and allow peace to prevail in their localities to benefit from the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA). He observed that although SADA was a laudable intervention that could promote development in the North, without peace and stability the authority would not rake in the expected progress. Naa Braimah therefore pleaded with Northerners to avoid ethnicity and work as a team to liberate themselves from hatred, nepotism and corruption. He was speaking at a SADA forum in Wa, organised by SEND-Ghana, a non-governmental organisation for traditional rulers, civil society organisations, development experts, students and public workers to deepen their awareness and ownership of the authority. They were taken through policy implementation processes, policy intention and plans, as well as roles of key actors and potential opportunities for citizens. Naa Braimah called on Parliament to make the SADA Bill public for some inputs from the beneficiary communities before passing it into law. Mr. William Nambie, a retired Agriculturalist expressed worry about the sustainability of SADA, saying the importation of agricultural machinery and equipment alone could not modernise agriculture. He said there was the need for farmers to be trained on modern farming techniques and practices to boost production and protect the environment. Mr. Eugene Yirbuor, Senior Project Officer of SEND-Ghana in Wa said for SADA to be meaningful and beneficial, there should free flow of information to the people to prepare them to take up opportunities. He said people would not be able to play their roles effectively if they were not taken onboard at the implementation period. "Consultations with the ordinary people for their inputs should have come before approval of the SADA Bill," he noted. Mr. Yirbuor however commended government for the goodwill and urged stakeholders in the implementation process to play their roles appropriately for SADA to stimulate growth in the North. Naa Bob Loggah, an environmentalist who chaired the forum, noted that the development of the North was no more an option but an obligation and called on the people to unite in purpose to make SADA a success. Source: GNA