Bolgatanga: Dr Emmanuel Abeere-Inga, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority (NDA), has underscored the urgent need for a well-structured and efficient development coordination framework for Northern Ghana.
According to Ghana News Agency, such a unified and enhanced system would ensure the five regions worked closely together and pushed for development projects and funding meant for their regions. Dr Abeere-Inga, who was speaking during a courtesy call on Mr Donatus Atanga Akamugri, the Upper East Regional Minister, in Bolgatanga, said such a move was significant to driving meaningful and sustainable development across Northern Ghana.
The Acting CEO lamented the bureaucratic bottlenecks within ministries and agencies in Accra, which were significantly hampering effective project delivery in the north despite the numerous investment potentials. He revealed that consultations had already commenced with technocrats across the five northern regions to develop an enhanced system to drive accelerated development and create jobs for people.
He said a unified development pathway that empowered local stakeholders and ensured resources meant for the north reached the ground would significantly address the development challenges facing the regions and improve livelihoods. ‘One of the major challenges is that people say Northern Ghana has many NGOs and funding support, but there is no visible change. The truth is, the money rarely gets here. It is hijacked by bureaucrats in Accra. What reaches our people is mere tokenism,’ he stated.
Citing a past example, Dr Abeere-Inga referenced the Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project, which was to be financed with a $60 million World Bank loan and a $50 million grant from the U.S. government did not achieve its objectives. He lamented that the project was derailed because key decisions and fund control were held in Accra. ‘Eventually, the U.S. pulled out their $50 million grant because the funds were not used for Northern Ghana as intended,’ he explained.
He stressed that the NDA is working to ensure that future donor funds and government investments came directly to the north and were managed by northern-based institutions for better transparency and results. The visit also served as an opportunity to congratulate Mr Akamugri on his appointment as Upper East Regional Minister and to strengthen partnerships for regional transformation.
On his part, the Regional Minister acknowledged the past shortcomings of the Authority, which he said affected its credibility and operations. He, however, expressed confidence in the vision and commitment of the acting CEO to transform the Authority and deliver the needed development to the people of Northern Ghana. He urged the NDA to engage the Northern Caucus in Parliament to gain consensus and national-level support for the proposed coordination framework to ensure it was inclusive and robust. ‘We need to change the narrative,’ the Minister added, ‘and this new approach could be our turning point.’