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Propaganda Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Richard Quashigah, has waded into the storm of controversy generated by the NPP Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa�s recent remarks on PeaceFM regarding Northerners saying the MPs comments sought to cast a slur on people from the North. According to him, for indirectly pigeon-holing people of Northern extraction and describing them as having a �poverty mentality�, and also for insinuating that Northerners are lazy, the NPP MP is not fit to be in the august House which serves as the law making institution of the country and is an apology of a parliamentarian. Richard Quashigah was commenting on the hullabaloo arising out of statements made by the Fanteakwa MP who was contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM�s flagship programme �Kokrokoo� on Monday, May 30th. The Fanteakwa MP was speaking to the issue of President Mills� authorization to the Ministry of Finance to release $25 million to the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to roll out its development plans. According to him, government needs not used the amount quoted above to set up offices in Accra and create white-collar jobs in the process, but should ensure that peasants in the area are the real beneficiaries of the initiative. Among other things, the NPP MP said there are some cultural practices that inhibit wealth creation in the Northern part of the country; as such people hailing from that area should be made to understand that they can make it be encouraged in same, adding that the whole country can even depend on the North, if indigenes are able to make good use of the resources at their disposal. However, his comments seemed to have attracted the ire of NDC MP for Tamale Central, Hon Inusah Fuseini, who raised the issue on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, June 1st. A transcript of the alleged comments said to have been made by Mr. Asiamah and presented in Parliament by the Tamale Central NDC MP read: [Northerners] have a psychological position that Northerners cannot be any better in life and that poverty is their portion�.They lack the culture of property owning which makes them very lazy; they always have to be spoon fed� All the companies built in the Northern Region have collapsed. Why? Because of their attitude�.Look they go to school free, they do everything free yet they are still poor�If they don�t change their attitude, the SADA project will fail. What is the main purpose of the SADA in the North? If it is for mechanization why are they taking it to the North? We here in the South, don�t we also need mechanization?...One other problem is the land issues, they are always fighting over land meanwhile they use it for nothing�All they do is to cut down trees and burn them into charcoal. Whenever you see a vehicle carrying charcoal, it is from the north. Why? They are always involved in tribal and community wars so the place is not stable; they are always on the move. Vandalism has also become a culture there; always they are in the news for violence�They have some culture which is inhibiting development in the area.