Veep is lying...Show proof of payment!!! - Young Patriots

The Young Patriots, a youth wing of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is questioning the genuineness of reports that an amount of GHC100m has been paid into the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) account.

The group insists figures bandied about by the Vice-President John Dramani Mahama and his subsequent handing over a cheque are merely symbolic and a hoax.

In a statement issued by the Young Patriots, the group is demanding a full publication of the statement of accounts of SADA to resolve what it claims to be "deceit of the people of the three Northern Regions”. 

The group is also demanding that the full amount of GHC 500m is put into SADA account before the end of the month of April; otherwise they will continue with their street agitations "to press home the need for government to address this gargantuan failure and deceit of the masses”.

“In several interviews with the media since we started our protest, Mr Gilbert Iddi granted interviews to the effect that SADA has some GHC 130m in its account and that the Vice President had handed over the said GHC100m as promised. In one such interview, he went to the extent of explaining what the money was being used for...It is therefore mindboggling that a couple of weeks after these interviews, the Vice President is presenting the said cheque that has already been paid,” the group said.

Below is the statement issued by the Young Patriots.

GHC 100m SADA PAYMENT A HOAX
We the Young Patriots are pleased to note that the government and the Vice President in particular have paid heed to our street protest on SADA in both Tamale and Bolgatanga by inaugurating the SADA Stakeholder Coordinating committee in Tamale on the 28th March, 2012. We are however not enthused with the bandying of figures by the Vice President to the effect some GHC100m has been paid into the SADA account.

First and foremost, we are challenging the position that any monies where paid into SADA account. The handing over of a cheque was only symbolic and not real. It is our position that the money was never paid. In several interviews with the media since we started our protest, Mr Gilbert Iddi granted interviews to the effect that SADA has some GHC 130m in its account and that the Vice President had handed over the said GHC100m as promised. In one such interview, he went to the extent of explaining what the money was being used for (Refer to City Eye witness News of 12th March, 2012, Joy fm Super Morning show 14th March, 2012)

It is therefore mindboggling that a couple of weeks after these interviews, the Vice President is presenting the said cheque that has already been paid. The Vice President's spokesperson in similar circumstance had in June, 2011 (Daily Graphic 21 June) indicated the Vice President had secured $340m. We are therefore not obliged to believe the Vice President when he says such amounts have been paid into SADA. Be that as it may, per their own calculations, the SADA account is supposed to be credited with GHC 500m as we speak and not a GHC 100m. 

It is worthy of note that Mr. Gilbert Iddi, the CEO of SADA indicated in an interview with GBC Radio on our about 23rd March, 2012 indicated that SADA needs GHC 1.5 billion as seed money to get it to take off effectively within the five year development plan. This is either a tacit acceptance that SADA is underfunded or it will fail or both.

DEMANDS
The Young Patriots are demanding with immediate effect:

1. A full publication of the statement of accounts of SADA to resolve this deceit of the people of the three Northern Regions that any amount of money is being put into SADA.

2. We also demand that the full amount of GHC 500m is put into SADA account before the end of the month of April; else we shall continue our street agitations and the use of other necessary means to address this gargantuan failure and deceit of the masses.

SIGNED
Richard Nyamah
Hopson Adorye
John Kumah