The Northern Development Forum (NDF) has presented a policy paper to the Peoples’ National Convention Party (PNC) at a brief ceremony held at the headquarters of the National Democratic Congress in Accra on Wednesday 18th March 2020. The policy paper described as the `Transformation Agenda` is a culmination of priority initiatives of the people of Northern Ghana. The document is for the consideration of the PNC in its manifesto ahead of the December 2020 general elections in Ghana.
The document titled: `The Northern Ghana Transformation Agenda` seeks to provide a guide to the various political parties in Ghana to help them draw a manifesto that will bring accelerated development to the five regions of northern Ghana. It highlights six key areas of development in the five regions of the north that needs attention. The areas are Agriculture and Climate Change, Education, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security and Tourism.
The proposal was received by the Chairman of the NDC manifesto committee, Professor Kwaku Danso Boafo in the presence of the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia. Also in attendance was the Executive Director of STAR Ghana Foundation, Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu.
Presenting the document to Prof. Boafo, the Chairman of the NDF, Major Albert Don-Chebe (retd), said the document was a product of grassroots consultations with a cross-section of people in the northern sector of the country. He stated:
“We went up North to do consultations across the five regions of northern Ghana. We held a big Northern Ghana Development Conference in May last year with support from Star-Ghana and was able to host 400 people.”
Receiving the proposal on behalf of the manifesto committee, Prof. Boafo said the gesture was in line with the objectives of the NDC to develop a grassroots type of manifesto. He indicated that the NDC will consider the document in its manifesto development.
“It is something we have been looking forward to. We want to assure you that we will seriously consider your proposal.”
The Northern Development Forum backed by the chiefs and people of the five northern regions, by the policy paper, is seeking the endorsement of Political Parties in Ghana to include several strategic and game-changing initiatives from the northern part of the country in their Manifestos which will be beneficial to all Ghanaians. The Forum is scheduled to meet and present the policy document to all the other political parties in Ghana.
In 2018, the STAR Ghana Foundation in collaboration with TAMA Foundation Universal and ISODEC convened a high-level forum on Ghana beyond Aid in Bolgatanga. The aim of the event was to provide a platform for dialogue on the implication of the Ghana Beyond Aid Strategy especially as it pertains to the Northern Regions. These discussions were then expected to be submitted to the Osafo Marfo Committee to inform the final Ghana Beyond Aid Strategy document.
Following the successful implementation of a Northern Ghana Development Conference held in May 2019, and subsequent meetings between partners and Stakeholders of the Northern Development Agenda, the Northern Development Forum and its partners, with support from STAR Ghana Foundation, employed participatory and bottom-up approaches in building consensus on the prioritized initiatives that should be included in the Manifestos of the Political Parties for the 2020 General Elections.
