NORTHERN REGION CPP/PNC CALL FOR ALLIANCE BEFORE DECEMBER 2010
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
Regional and Constituency Executives of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and People National Convention (PNC) in the Northern Region want immediate pragmatic steps to be taken to inject life into the party that the nation’s first President stood for.
They are saying that the CPP has lost its past glory, citing disunity as the major challenge bedeviling the party’s rank and file and making it impossible to win elections.
They have therefore given the National Executives of the two parties up till December 2010 to speed up preparations towards a solid coalition or merger as one political party.
Speaking at press conference last Saturday May, 29 in Tamale, Alhassan Basharu Dabali, Chairman of CPP/PNC Merger Planning Committee stated that if the National Executives of the two Nkrumaists parties failed to do so by the end of this year, Constituency and Regional Executives would advise themselves.
According to him, the existence of several splinter parties under the fold of the Nkrumah Tradition was a clear testimony to the CPP and PNC continual defeat during Presidential elections. Adding, “It is an open secrete that the entrenched positions taken by the leadership of the various splinter groups continue to weaken the front of the Nkrumaists, and to create the impression that the Nkrumaists cannot stand on their own without joining forces with another political party”.
Mr. Dabali declared that for the interest of Nkrumaism and future development of Nkrumaists front, all forms of mergers and alliances with the largest opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) should be halted with immediate effect.
He urged the membership of the Nkrumaists to close their ranks and work assiduously to inject new breathe into the CPP, bearing in mind that Nkrumaism as an ideology was far bigger and stronger than any group and individual.
According to Mr. Dabali, this decision would afford the CPP and PNC under one ticket to win elections else the attainment of political power by either of the parties on its own remains elusive.
He maintained that it was only when the two parties were brought under one fold can they wrestle power with the ruling NDC in the 2012 general elections. He called on members in other regions across the country to begin the coalition force.
Meanwhile, National Chairman of the PNC Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan told Joy News the decision taken by the Northern Regional Executives of the party was without due consultation and approval from the National Executives.
He noted the decision could potentially undermine the authority of the National Executives of the party. Even though the PNC in principle was not against uniting with the CPP, Alhaji Ramadan said due process and party structures must be followed.
According to him, the National Executives have expressed their desire to unite with the CPP but concrete decision has not been made in that regard and regretted the decision by the Northern Regional Executives to jump the gun.
This Blog Seeks To Highlight The Plight of Communities in Northern Ghana And Hold Leadership At Any Level Accountable To The People They Claim To Represent.
Monday, May 31, 2010
GHANA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CLOSED DOWN
GHANA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL CLOSED DOWN
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
With just few months to celebrate its 50th Golden Jubilee anniversary, Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale, has been momentarily closed down following violent riots by students on Sunday Midnight.
A team of police personnel from the Tamale Metropolitan Command have so far arrested sixteen male students of the school believed to be the first to start the hooliganism.
This followed sporadic warning shots and the shooting of sinister of teargas on campus by the police when the irate students resisted attempts to stop their arson behaviours.
The students according to The Daily Dispatch sources on campus burnt the brand new TVS Motorbike of the Senior House Master, Mr. Zakaria and vandalized several school properties worth thousands of Ghanaian Cedis.
The enraged students of GHANASCO numbering over 500 also blocked all the roads leading to the school, shattered the windscreen of the official vehicle belonging to the Tamale Metropolitan Education Director, Mr. Edward Gayuoni and inflicted wounds on a police officer.
Even though the school has been for the meantime shut down, the students are loitering in the surrounding villages such as Kukuo, Koblimagu and some roaming about in the Tamale Township.
A Science teacher of the school, Mr. Kwao Anyimah told correspondents that the violence started at about 12 midnight on Sunday when he heard the students throwing stones and chanting war-like songs heading towards the females’ dormitory.
According to him, he came out from his bungalow and rushed to the school administration block but only to find the Senior Housemaster’s motorbike set ablaze whiles the students threaten to slay one tutor called Mr. M.Z.
“Minutes later, a battalion of police personnel was called to the scene to prevent the hostility from getting out of hand” he said.
“But for the timely intervention of the police, the students would have set ablaze the Senior Housemistress bungalow” Mr. Anyimah disclosed.
Meanwhile, some of the students who spoke with this reporter narrated that their agitation stemmed from the fact that there had been some upward adjustment in their school fees and other bills that they never expected.
According to them, the school authorities ceased their cell phones and burnt them because the headmistress was against the use of such communication gadgets by students in the school. Adding, “the root cause of the problem was the school authority’s decision to lock up female students in their dormitories on Sunday May 30”.
They explained that the female students screamed for several hours and that forced them to rush to the scene and broke the doors to rescue them.
Madam Mary Dan-Braimah Asobayire, the Headmistress of GHANASCO however declined to comment on the matter, saying she had just returned from a journey and was yet to be briefed on the matter.
Ghanasco was established in 1960 by Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and has a teaching staff of 80 and non-teaching staff of 71, whiles the student population stands at 1, 835. It has a very huge campus size and that has made students to sneak to town during the night, which some people say could be the reason why the female students were locked up. It is unclear when normal academic activities would resume, as teachers were in a meeting as at the time of filing this report.
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
With just few months to celebrate its 50th Golden Jubilee anniversary, Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale, has been momentarily closed down following violent riots by students on Sunday Midnight.
A team of police personnel from the Tamale Metropolitan Command have so far arrested sixteen male students of the school believed to be the first to start the hooliganism.
This followed sporadic warning shots and the shooting of sinister of teargas on campus by the police when the irate students resisted attempts to stop their arson behaviours.
The students according to The Daily Dispatch sources on campus burnt the brand new TVS Motorbike of the Senior House Master, Mr. Zakaria and vandalized several school properties worth thousands of Ghanaian Cedis.
The enraged students of GHANASCO numbering over 500 also blocked all the roads leading to the school, shattered the windscreen of the official vehicle belonging to the Tamale Metropolitan Education Director, Mr. Edward Gayuoni and inflicted wounds on a police officer.
Even though the school has been for the meantime shut down, the students are loitering in the surrounding villages such as Kukuo, Koblimagu and some roaming about in the Tamale Township.
A Science teacher of the school, Mr. Kwao Anyimah told correspondents that the violence started at about 12 midnight on Sunday when he heard the students throwing stones and chanting war-like songs heading towards the females’ dormitory.
According to him, he came out from his bungalow and rushed to the school administration block but only to find the Senior Housemaster’s motorbike set ablaze whiles the students threaten to slay one tutor called Mr. M.Z.
“Minutes later, a battalion of police personnel was called to the scene to prevent the hostility from getting out of hand” he said.
“But for the timely intervention of the police, the students would have set ablaze the Senior Housemistress bungalow” Mr. Anyimah disclosed.
Meanwhile, some of the students who spoke with this reporter narrated that their agitation stemmed from the fact that there had been some upward adjustment in their school fees and other bills that they never expected.
According to them, the school authorities ceased their cell phones and burnt them because the headmistress was against the use of such communication gadgets by students in the school. Adding, “the root cause of the problem was the school authority’s decision to lock up female students in their dormitories on Sunday May 30”.
They explained that the female students screamed for several hours and that forced them to rush to the scene and broke the doors to rescue them.
Madam Mary Dan-Braimah Asobayire, the Headmistress of GHANASCO however declined to comment on the matter, saying she had just returned from a journey and was yet to be briefed on the matter.
Ghanasco was established in 1960 by Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and has a teaching staff of 80 and non-teaching staff of 71, whiles the student population stands at 1, 835. It has a very huge campus size and that has made students to sneak to town during the night, which some people say could be the reason why the female students were locked up. It is unclear when normal academic activities would resume, as teachers were in a meeting as at the time of filing this report.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
SOLDIER ARRESTED FOR SMUGGLING CIGARETTES
SOLDIER ARRESTED FOR SMUGGLING CIGARETTES
By Joseph Ziem/Abdul-Karim Naatogmah
The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has arrested a soldier and his accomplice, a civilian employee mechanic for attempting to smuggle assorted cigarette on Sunday, May 30, 2010.
The two are stationed at the 87 military brigade in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.
The Special Operations Unit of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service accosted Warrant Officer (W.O) Nicholas Adia and Kweku Yeboah in a military cargo truck with registration number 98 GA 27.
They were arrested with the assistance of personnel from the Northern Sector Command of CEPS at the Buipe checkpoint in the Central Gonja District for attempting to smuggle assorted cigarettes labeled Don Seal to Southern Ghana.
The leader of the team from the Special Operations Unit of CEPS, Kobby Ampah, under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning hinted that they were informed of some security personnel using military vehicles to transport contraband or smuggled goods from some parts of the Northern Region to Southern Ghana. T
his according to Mr. Ampah prompted the Special Operations Unit to dispatch some men to lay ambush at some of the unapproved roots in the designated areas along the Cote D’Ivoire border which led to the arrest of W.O Nicholas Adia and Kweku Yeboah.
According to Mr. Ampah, the third occupant of the vehicle is at large.
By Joseph Ziem/Abdul-Karim Naatogmah
The Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) has arrested a soldier and his accomplice, a civilian employee mechanic for attempting to smuggle assorted cigarette on Sunday, May 30, 2010.
The two are stationed at the 87 military brigade in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.
The Special Operations Unit of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service accosted Warrant Officer (W.O) Nicholas Adia and Kweku Yeboah in a military cargo truck with registration number 98 GA 27.
They were arrested with the assistance of personnel from the Northern Sector Command of CEPS at the Buipe checkpoint in the Central Gonja District for attempting to smuggle assorted cigarettes labeled Don Seal to Southern Ghana.
The leader of the team from the Special Operations Unit of CEPS, Kobby Ampah, under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning hinted that they were informed of some security personnel using military vehicles to transport contraband or smuggled goods from some parts of the Northern Region to Southern Ghana. T
his according to Mr. Ampah prompted the Special Operations Unit to dispatch some men to lay ambush at some of the unapproved roots in the designated areas along the Cote D’Ivoire border which led to the arrest of W.O Nicholas Adia and Kweku Yeboah.
According to Mr. Ampah, the third occupant of the vehicle is at large.
Seminar on job seeking techniques organized in Tamale
Seminar on job seeking techniques organized in Tamale
By Joseph Ziem
About 500 graduates and students in the Northern Region have attended a 2 day youth orientation seminar to receive training on how to write attractive Curriculum Vitae to secure jobs.
The innovation among other interventions sought to re-orient the psyche of unemployed graduates to develop the sight of moving into private entrepreneurship in order to reduce Ghana’s unemployment rate.
The seminar dubbed, “Northern Ghana Youth Orientation Initiative Training Seminar” was sponsored by Ajan Social Network in collaboration with the World Bank Ghana Office, Action-Aid Ghana and Alaye Consults last Thursday.
Saani Bashiru, a resource person and also Consultant to Alaye consults said the seminar would be used as a calculated attempt to educate the unemployed graduate on how to make productive use of their talent.
He regretted that the unavailability of job opportunities in the three regions of the North has rendered graduates infertile.
Mr. Bashiru bemoaned that the situation is worrying hence the need to impact knowledge on the unemployed graduates to devise means of making good living.
He disclosed that the second phase of the seminar would be replicated in the Upper East and Upper West Regions.
In a speech read for him, Moses Bukari Mabengba, the Northern Regional Minister lauded the seminar under the theme: “Preparing the young graduate for the entrepreneurship and the job market” and urged the participants to put into practice the knowledge shared with them.
Mr. Mabengba reiterated government’s commitment to create employment opportunities for the youth but appealed to them to take advantage of such seminars to create their own enterprises.
By Joseph Ziem
About 500 graduates and students in the Northern Region have attended a 2 day youth orientation seminar to receive training on how to write attractive Curriculum Vitae to secure jobs.
The innovation among other interventions sought to re-orient the psyche of unemployed graduates to develop the sight of moving into private entrepreneurship in order to reduce Ghana’s unemployment rate.
The seminar dubbed, “Northern Ghana Youth Orientation Initiative Training Seminar” was sponsored by Ajan Social Network in collaboration with the World Bank Ghana Office, Action-Aid Ghana and Alaye Consults last Thursday.
Saani Bashiru, a resource person and also Consultant to Alaye consults said the seminar would be used as a calculated attempt to educate the unemployed graduate on how to make productive use of their talent.
He regretted that the unavailability of job opportunities in the three regions of the North has rendered graduates infertile.
Mr. Bashiru bemoaned that the situation is worrying hence the need to impact knowledge on the unemployed graduates to devise means of making good living.
He disclosed that the second phase of the seminar would be replicated in the Upper East and Upper West Regions.
In a speech read for him, Moses Bukari Mabengba, the Northern Regional Minister lauded the seminar under the theme: “Preparing the young graduate for the entrepreneurship and the job market” and urged the participants to put into practice the knowledge shared with them.
Mr. Mabengba reiterated government’s commitment to create employment opportunities for the youth but appealed to them to take advantage of such seminars to create their own enterprises.
PRESIDENT WORRIED ABOUT NORTHERN CONFLICTS
PRESIDENT WORRIED ABOUT NORTHERN CONFLICTS
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
The President of the Republic of Ghana says he is worried about violent conflicts emerging in various parts of the three Northern Regions.
H.E Professor John Evans Atta Mills noted with deep concern that the level of insecurity especially in some parts of the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions needed remedial solutions to enhance national security.
The President made these comments when he addressed Regional Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives as well as Security Commanders from the Northern Regions during a two day orientation workshop held in Tamale over the weekend.
President Mills implored all government functionaries and the security agencies to find lasting solutions to the numerous conflicts that had affected the socio-economic well being of most people in the three regions.
He said his government was focused on delivering its Better Ghana Agenda and stressed the need for peace and stability to prevail for accelerated development of the economy and the populace.
The two days workshop focused on topics including the Role and focus of DISEC, MUSEC and METSEC in the Better Ghana Agenda, Leadership at the District Assembly level, the Roles of the DCE/MCE and the District Assembly in the Youth in Agriculture as well as the Effective use of bye-laws for the Better Ghana Agenda at the District Level.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Northern Regional Minister, Moses Bukari Mabengba, said the organization of the workshop was very crucial considering the increasing number of flashpoints and the commonality of challenges to the three regions. Adding, “the workshop is held at a time there are land disputes and chieftaincy upheavals in the regions especially Northern Region”.
Mr. Mabengba cited Yendi, Gushiegu, Kusawgu and Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo as the current flashpoints in the region with conflicts which his administration is grappling and managing.
Northern Ghana, which hitherto was revered as the land of peaceful, hard working and honest people has in recent times acquired the unenviable reputation for ethnic strife, extreme intolerance and violence. As a result, the image of the area on the national and international scenes has been one of prejudices and stereotypes. An analysis of this ill-gotten image will reveal that high unemployment rates in the three regions underlie the problem. The teeming youth in these areas, owing to lack of sources of livelihood, have given themselves out as instruments of violence and will always use the least provocation to vent their frustration on others.
The Northern Regional Minister told the MMDCEs the situation was not one of despondency and desperation, but a pointer to the inadequacy of their efforts and need for them to adopt holistic and more pragmatic strategies to dealing with the twin evils of poverty and conflicts.
Mr. Mabengba who currently acts as Upper West Regional Minister appealed to the National Security Council to continue to support the Regional Security Councils (REGSECs) with more resources and vehicles to enable them respond rapidly to end conflicts in the regions.
He also made a passionate appeal to the media to exercise maximum circumspection and restraint in their reportage especially on conflict situations which are at the very core of people’s emotions.
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
The President of the Republic of Ghana says he is worried about violent conflicts emerging in various parts of the three Northern Regions.
H.E Professor John Evans Atta Mills noted with deep concern that the level of insecurity especially in some parts of the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions needed remedial solutions to enhance national security.
The President made these comments when he addressed Regional Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives as well as Security Commanders from the Northern Regions during a two day orientation workshop held in Tamale over the weekend.
President Mills implored all government functionaries and the security agencies to find lasting solutions to the numerous conflicts that had affected the socio-economic well being of most people in the three regions.
He said his government was focused on delivering its Better Ghana Agenda and stressed the need for peace and stability to prevail for accelerated development of the economy and the populace.
The two days workshop focused on topics including the Role and focus of DISEC, MUSEC and METSEC in the Better Ghana Agenda, Leadership at the District Assembly level, the Roles of the DCE/MCE and the District Assembly in the Youth in Agriculture as well as the Effective use of bye-laws for the Better Ghana Agenda at the District Level.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Northern Regional Minister, Moses Bukari Mabengba, said the organization of the workshop was very crucial considering the increasing number of flashpoints and the commonality of challenges to the three regions. Adding, “the workshop is held at a time there are land disputes and chieftaincy upheavals in the regions especially Northern Region”.
Mr. Mabengba cited Yendi, Gushiegu, Kusawgu and Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo as the current flashpoints in the region with conflicts which his administration is grappling and managing.
Northern Ghana, which hitherto was revered as the land of peaceful, hard working and honest people has in recent times acquired the unenviable reputation for ethnic strife, extreme intolerance and violence. As a result, the image of the area on the national and international scenes has been one of prejudices and stereotypes. An analysis of this ill-gotten image will reveal that high unemployment rates in the three regions underlie the problem. The teeming youth in these areas, owing to lack of sources of livelihood, have given themselves out as instruments of violence and will always use the least provocation to vent their frustration on others.
The Northern Regional Minister told the MMDCEs the situation was not one of despondency and desperation, but a pointer to the inadequacy of their efforts and need for them to adopt holistic and more pragmatic strategies to dealing with the twin evils of poverty and conflicts.
Mr. Mabengba who currently acts as Upper West Regional Minister appealed to the National Security Council to continue to support the Regional Security Councils (REGSECs) with more resources and vehicles to enable them respond rapidly to end conflicts in the regions.
He also made a passionate appeal to the media to exercise maximum circumspection and restraint in their reportage especially on conflict situations which are at the very core of people’s emotions.
Friday, May 28, 2010
TEACHERS TOLD TO STOP HARRASING FEMALE STUDENTS FOR SEX
TEACHERS TOLD TO STOP HARRASING FEMALE STUDENTS FOR SEX
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
The Governing Council Chairman of the Tamale College of Education (TATCO), a teacher training institution in the Northern Region of Ghana, has cautioned teachers at all levels of education to put an immediate stop to the practice of sexually harassing female students or asking them for sex in exchange of marks.
Alhaji Mohammed Haroon popularly known as Cambodia condemned teachers in the country’s Universities, Polytechnics, Teacher and Nursing Training Colleges, Senior High Schools and those at the basic level, for taking advantage of the vulnerability of female students and pupils, to have sex with them in return for favours during exams.
He said the canker which is eating deep into the moral fabric of students who are currently leaving the nation’s higher institutions of learning, was painting a negative picture about the educational sector of this country.
Alhaji Haroon who is also the West Mamprusi District Director of Education, said this when he delivered a short address during the maiden graduation ceremony of the College held last Saturday, in Tamale.
One thousand, four hundred and seventy one (1,471) students graduated for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 academic years. Out of the 1,300 students who were enrolled in the Untrained Teachers Diploma Basic Education (UTTDBE) Programme, 1,273 successfully passed representing 97 percent, while 650 Certificate ‘A’ teachers under the Sandwich Diploma in Basic Education programme also excelled.
Minister of Communications, Haruna Iddrisu, who was also a guest of honour at the ceremony, in response to the Council Chairman’s statement, warned that teachers or lecturers, who take advantage of female students for sex and unjustifiably reward them with passes in examinations, would be punished when their bad deeds are exposed.
According to him, such activities were not only immoral and highly reproachful, but also bring about indiscipline towards studies, since some female students take advantage of that and refuse to prepare adequately for examinations.
Mr. Moses Bukari Magbengba, Northern Regional Minister commended teaching and non teaching staff of the College for serving as resource persons for the Ghana Education Service in many capacity building workshops for basic school teachers and Circuit Supervisors as well as head teachers in various subject areas.
He told students to work as teachers to serve the people (Ghanaian tax payer) who supported them to the best of their ability. Adding, "Remember that you will be assessed by the society not only by the academic qualification you have attained but your personal character, your moral conduct, your sense of responsibility and the value of your community and the entire nation".
Alhaji Yakubu Bukari, Principal of the Tamale College of Education appealed to the Minister of Education to inaugurate the Governing Councils of teacher training Colleges to facilitate the smooth management of the facilities. He also appealed to the government to reconsider its decision on the quota for admissions into colleges of education and increase it from 9,000 every year.
He said the colleges were under pressure every year to admit more students but could not do so due to the current quota. Alhaji Bukari said admission of more students would help reduce the high number of pupil teachers in schools.
Established in 1960 by Ghana's first head of state, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the College has consistently proven to be one of the best teacher training institutions in the country, probably due to the commitment and hard work of tutors and also the serene and beautiful environment created by the College Administration for academic excellence. At least, it can boast of one of Ghana's famous actors who is known by his big English Grammar, Papa Nii, as an alumnus, this paper has learnt.
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
The Governing Council Chairman of the Tamale College of Education (TATCO), a teacher training institution in the Northern Region of Ghana, has cautioned teachers at all levels of education to put an immediate stop to the practice of sexually harassing female students or asking them for sex in exchange of marks.
Alhaji Mohammed Haroon popularly known as Cambodia condemned teachers in the country’s Universities, Polytechnics, Teacher and Nursing Training Colleges, Senior High Schools and those at the basic level, for taking advantage of the vulnerability of female students and pupils, to have sex with them in return for favours during exams.
He said the canker which is eating deep into the moral fabric of students who are currently leaving the nation’s higher institutions of learning, was painting a negative picture about the educational sector of this country.
Alhaji Haroon who is also the West Mamprusi District Director of Education, said this when he delivered a short address during the maiden graduation ceremony of the College held last Saturday, in Tamale.
One thousand, four hundred and seventy one (1,471) students graduated for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 academic years. Out of the 1,300 students who were enrolled in the Untrained Teachers Diploma Basic Education (UTTDBE) Programme, 1,273 successfully passed representing 97 percent, while 650 Certificate ‘A’ teachers under the Sandwich Diploma in Basic Education programme also excelled.
Minister of Communications, Haruna Iddrisu, who was also a guest of honour at the ceremony, in response to the Council Chairman’s statement, warned that teachers or lecturers, who take advantage of female students for sex and unjustifiably reward them with passes in examinations, would be punished when their bad deeds are exposed.
According to him, such activities were not only immoral and highly reproachful, but also bring about indiscipline towards studies, since some female students take advantage of that and refuse to prepare adequately for examinations.
Mr. Moses Bukari Magbengba, Northern Regional Minister commended teaching and non teaching staff of the College for serving as resource persons for the Ghana Education Service in many capacity building workshops for basic school teachers and Circuit Supervisors as well as head teachers in various subject areas.
He told students to work as teachers to serve the people (Ghanaian tax payer) who supported them to the best of their ability. Adding, "Remember that you will be assessed by the society not only by the academic qualification you have attained but your personal character, your moral conduct, your sense of responsibility and the value of your community and the entire nation".
Alhaji Yakubu Bukari, Principal of the Tamale College of Education appealed to the Minister of Education to inaugurate the Governing Councils of teacher training Colleges to facilitate the smooth management of the facilities. He also appealed to the government to reconsider its decision on the quota for admissions into colleges of education and increase it from 9,000 every year.
He said the colleges were under pressure every year to admit more students but could not do so due to the current quota. Alhaji Bukari said admission of more students would help reduce the high number of pupil teachers in schools.
Established in 1960 by Ghana's first head of state, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the College has consistently proven to be one of the best teacher training institutions in the country, probably due to the commitment and hard work of tutors and also the serene and beautiful environment created by the College Administration for academic excellence. At least, it can boast of one of Ghana's famous actors who is known by his big English Grammar, Papa Nii, as an alumnus, this paper has learnt.
KARAGA NDC SUPPORTERS DARES PREZ MILLS
KARAGA NDC SUPPORTERS DARES PREZ MILLS
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
Disgruntled supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Karaga Constituency of the Northern Region have served the President a warning notice that any person appointed as District Chief Executive in the area would be lynched.
The residents said anybody nominated as the substantive District Chief Executive in the area should either choose to stay in Tamale else the person would be lynched when he or she comes to the district to work.
These venomous statements were read by Mohammed Sadiq, Secretary to a group calling itself the Concerned Youth of NDC at a press conference held last Thursday in Tamale.
The over 150 disappointed NDC supporters in Karaga who boarded a 207 Benz bus to Tamale, called for the immediate reinstatement of the sacked Karaga DCE, Mohammed Abdulai Sandow or else no DCE would takeover the administration of the District till a different political party comes into power.
The political temperature in the Karaga District has reached its boiling point since President Mills’ decision to sack some three District and Municipal Chief Executives last month.
The reason for sacking Adam Hudu Welvis of the Yendi Municipality, Hajia Meliga Bawa of Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo and Mohammed Abdulai Sandow of Karaga is still not known up till date.
But political analysts have blamed their relief from posts on activists of the NDC who wrongfully accused the DCEs for awarding contracts to persons not loyal to the party.
The Karaga NDC youth accused Regional Executives of the party for allegedly masterminding the termination of their DCE’s appointment for their own selfish reasons.
Mr. Sadiq alleged that the Karaga Constituency Executives who teamed up with the Regional Executives to cause the untimely exit of the DCE did so because the DCE refused to give them contracts on the grounds that they had no valid contract license that qualified them to bid for contracts.
He added that others also asked the sacked DCE to help them complete their unfinished building projects which he declined.
Secretary to the Concerned NDC of Karaga said party supporters are ready to face any rigorous action from the law enforcement agencies if their demands are not met by the President.
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
Disgruntled supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Karaga Constituency of the Northern Region have served the President a warning notice that any person appointed as District Chief Executive in the area would be lynched.
The residents said anybody nominated as the substantive District Chief Executive in the area should either choose to stay in Tamale else the person would be lynched when he or she comes to the district to work.
These venomous statements were read by Mohammed Sadiq, Secretary to a group calling itself the Concerned Youth of NDC at a press conference held last Thursday in Tamale.
The over 150 disappointed NDC supporters in Karaga who boarded a 207 Benz bus to Tamale, called for the immediate reinstatement of the sacked Karaga DCE, Mohammed Abdulai Sandow or else no DCE would takeover the administration of the District till a different political party comes into power.
The political temperature in the Karaga District has reached its boiling point since President Mills’ decision to sack some three District and Municipal Chief Executives last month.
The reason for sacking Adam Hudu Welvis of the Yendi Municipality, Hajia Meliga Bawa of Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo and Mohammed Abdulai Sandow of Karaga is still not known up till date.
But political analysts have blamed their relief from posts on activists of the NDC who wrongfully accused the DCEs for awarding contracts to persons not loyal to the party.
The Karaga NDC youth accused Regional Executives of the party for allegedly masterminding the termination of their DCE’s appointment for their own selfish reasons.
Mr. Sadiq alleged that the Karaga Constituency Executives who teamed up with the Regional Executives to cause the untimely exit of the DCE did so because the DCE refused to give them contracts on the grounds that they had no valid contract license that qualified them to bid for contracts.
He added that others also asked the sacked DCE to help them complete their unfinished building projects which he declined.
Secretary to the Concerned NDC of Karaga said party supporters are ready to face any rigorous action from the law enforcement agencies if their demands are not met by the President.
FARMERS IN N/R DISCOURAGED BY GOVT
FARMERS IN N/R DISCOURAGED BY GOVT
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
The pilot project of the block farms concept adopted by the Mills’ administration during the 2009 cropping season to boost food production yielded positive results but it is likely to be unsuccessful this year.
The initiative was aimed at improving agriculture and farming as an innovative business that could reduce the unemployment situation in the country if people especially the youth get interested in farming.
The project involves targeting large tracks of arable land in blocks for the production of commodities which have comparative advantage in specific areas and locations.
However, the 5,009 farmers in the Northern Region who cultivated various cereal crops most especially rice are still battling with how to market their produce.
This news comes at a time the rainy season is just around the corner and the large number of farmers, who cultivated the crop last year, are feigning interest to be engaged again.
Even farmers, who could not participate last year and planned to take part this year, have also been discouraged by the lack of market for previous farmers.
An estimated 89,212.5 bags of rice from 3,965 hectares were harvested during the 2009 farming season in the region but several months after harvesting, government is yet to come to the aid of farmers to market or buy their produce as promised them last year.
Before harvesting the rice, government promised to buy a bag of rice each for 27 Ghanaian Cedis but that the farmers even complained.
Speaking to The Daily Dispatch, Chief Executive Officer of Ayana Group of Companies appealed to the government to honour its promise of buying rice from farmers to enable them go into farming this year.
According to Alhaji Ayana Yakubu, he had been able to secure loan from various financial institutions to venture into the purchase of large quantity of rice but that was not enough.
He said the earlier government whipped up the interest of the farmers by buying the rice they harvested last year the better, else the over 5000 farmers were totally discouraged and demoralized to farm this year for nonexistent markets.
Alhaji Ayana who owns a mango plantation, deals in sheanuts and also into travelling agency business disclosed that he had purchased over 30,000 bags of rice to be sold to the state for reimbursement. Adding, “I am targeting a total of 200,000 bags of paddy rice”.
He hinted that he has also engaged about 150 young men and women in the project which has created a lot of employment to the youth. According to the CEO of Ayana Group of Companies, he is currently buying the rice in the Karaga, Gushiegu, Nanton, Tampion, Pishigu, and Yamo-Karaga.
He finally called on officials of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, the Buffer Stock Companies, Ghana Prisons Service and other organizations like World Food Programme to come to the aid of the farmers who were highly indebted to the banks.
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
The pilot project of the block farms concept adopted by the Mills’ administration during the 2009 cropping season to boost food production yielded positive results but it is likely to be unsuccessful this year.
The initiative was aimed at improving agriculture and farming as an innovative business that could reduce the unemployment situation in the country if people especially the youth get interested in farming.
The project involves targeting large tracks of arable land in blocks for the production of commodities which have comparative advantage in specific areas and locations.
However, the 5,009 farmers in the Northern Region who cultivated various cereal crops most especially rice are still battling with how to market their produce.
This news comes at a time the rainy season is just around the corner and the large number of farmers, who cultivated the crop last year, are feigning interest to be engaged again.
Even farmers, who could not participate last year and planned to take part this year, have also been discouraged by the lack of market for previous farmers.
An estimated 89,212.5 bags of rice from 3,965 hectares were harvested during the 2009 farming season in the region but several months after harvesting, government is yet to come to the aid of farmers to market or buy their produce as promised them last year.
Before harvesting the rice, government promised to buy a bag of rice each for 27 Ghanaian Cedis but that the farmers even complained.
Speaking to The Daily Dispatch, Chief Executive Officer of Ayana Group of Companies appealed to the government to honour its promise of buying rice from farmers to enable them go into farming this year.
According to Alhaji Ayana Yakubu, he had been able to secure loan from various financial institutions to venture into the purchase of large quantity of rice but that was not enough.
He said the earlier government whipped up the interest of the farmers by buying the rice they harvested last year the better, else the over 5000 farmers were totally discouraged and demoralized to farm this year for nonexistent markets.
Alhaji Ayana who owns a mango plantation, deals in sheanuts and also into travelling agency business disclosed that he had purchased over 30,000 bags of rice to be sold to the state for reimbursement. Adding, “I am targeting a total of 200,000 bags of paddy rice”.
He hinted that he has also engaged about 150 young men and women in the project which has created a lot of employment to the youth. According to the CEO of Ayana Group of Companies, he is currently buying the rice in the Karaga, Gushiegu, Nanton, Tampion, Pishigu, and Yamo-Karaga.
He finally called on officials of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, the Buffer Stock Companies, Ghana Prisons Service and other organizations like World Food Programme to come to the aid of the farmers who were highly indebted to the banks.
BUNKPURUGU-YUNYOO DISTRICT OWES PEACEKEPERS
BUNKPURUGU-YUNYOO DISTRICT OWES PEACEKEEPERS
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
The frequent eruption of bloody conflicts in some parts of the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District of the Northern Region of Ghana appears to be fast depleting the coffers of the Assembly to the detriment of development projects.
Records showed that between January and April this year, over 46,000 Ghanaian Cedis had been spent on security personnel on local peacekeeping mission in the area.
Aside this, there is still an estimated 13,400 Ghanaian Cedis to be paid as arrears to security personnel who earlier this month withdrew their services due to starvation.
The Deputy Northern Regional Minister, San Nasamu Asabigi, who is now acting District Chief Executive for the area disclosed this during the Assembly’s meeting recently.
Figures from relief agency, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) revealed that since the latter part of last year till date, about six villages had engaged in various kinds of violent conflicts leading to the burning down of 368 houses, with 4,048 persons displaced while two people killed in the latest conflict that occurred in April.
The first conflict was between Bufuok and Tobong communities over the rehabilitation of a grinding mill and later spread to the other four villages, namely Gbankoni, Kambatiak, Gbadauk and Nasiabuak which brought untold hardships to the residents, 3,000 of whom were now seeking refuge in the Republic of Togo. Schools in the conflict areas have remained closed up to date.
Mr. Asabigi called on the feuding factions to ceasefire and let the district enjoy some appreciable level of development.
He bemoaned that the huge sums of monies spent in conflict prevention was waste of resources because that could be used to build schools, health centres, provide safe drinking water for residents and tar the bad road networks in the area.
But an Assemblyman in the area who wants to remain anonymous says the minister’s call was a smack of hypocrisy.
He said the conflict in the area could never be resolved until the government come out to name and shame one of its own members who transported arms and ammunitions to assist his ethnic group in the area to fight.
He challenged the President Mills government to name the politician whose name came as the transporter of arms and ammunitions that were arrested in a bus by police in the region.
Twenty-eight (28) year-old Abdalla Yaro, driver and his mate, Yennusom Ibrahim, 19, were arrested at the Datoyili Police Barrier, border of the Tamale Metropolis from Kumasi, on a Bunkpurugu-bound 60-seater bus with registration number ER 3336X.
The driver’s seat of the Bunkpurugu-bound bus, popularly known as ‘Awudu Issahaka’ which they were travelling with, was stuffed with 178 rounds of ammunition for AK47 assault rifles, 80 pieces of 9MM for pistols, 8 military bayonets and 19 military pouches used in carrying weapons.
Northern Regional Police Commander, ACP Angwubutoge Awuni, told the media that his outfit had intelligence report that a prominent politician from the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District was planning to transport arms from Accra to the area.
The yet-to-be-exposed politician was smuggling the weapons to the area to assist one faction in the ensuing clashes between residents of Berug and Temaa, all Konkomba communities in the district. The case has since died a natural death because government would never tell the Ghanaian public which NDC member was behind the arms transportation.
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
The frequent eruption of bloody conflicts in some parts of the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District of the Northern Region of Ghana appears to be fast depleting the coffers of the Assembly to the detriment of development projects.
Records showed that between January and April this year, over 46,000 Ghanaian Cedis had been spent on security personnel on local peacekeeping mission in the area.
Aside this, there is still an estimated 13,400 Ghanaian Cedis to be paid as arrears to security personnel who earlier this month withdrew their services due to starvation.
The Deputy Northern Regional Minister, San Nasamu Asabigi, who is now acting District Chief Executive for the area disclosed this during the Assembly’s meeting recently.
Figures from relief agency, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) revealed that since the latter part of last year till date, about six villages had engaged in various kinds of violent conflicts leading to the burning down of 368 houses, with 4,048 persons displaced while two people killed in the latest conflict that occurred in April.
The first conflict was between Bufuok and Tobong communities over the rehabilitation of a grinding mill and later spread to the other four villages, namely Gbankoni, Kambatiak, Gbadauk and Nasiabuak which brought untold hardships to the residents, 3,000 of whom were now seeking refuge in the Republic of Togo. Schools in the conflict areas have remained closed up to date.
Mr. Asabigi called on the feuding factions to ceasefire and let the district enjoy some appreciable level of development.
He bemoaned that the huge sums of monies spent in conflict prevention was waste of resources because that could be used to build schools, health centres, provide safe drinking water for residents and tar the bad road networks in the area.
But an Assemblyman in the area who wants to remain anonymous says the minister’s call was a smack of hypocrisy.
He said the conflict in the area could never be resolved until the government come out to name and shame one of its own members who transported arms and ammunitions to assist his ethnic group in the area to fight.
He challenged the President Mills government to name the politician whose name came as the transporter of arms and ammunitions that were arrested in a bus by police in the region.
Twenty-eight (28) year-old Abdalla Yaro, driver and his mate, Yennusom Ibrahim, 19, were arrested at the Datoyili Police Barrier, border of the Tamale Metropolis from Kumasi, on a Bunkpurugu-bound 60-seater bus with registration number ER 3336X.
The driver’s seat of the Bunkpurugu-bound bus, popularly known as ‘Awudu Issahaka’ which they were travelling with, was stuffed with 178 rounds of ammunition for AK47 assault rifles, 80 pieces of 9MM for pistols, 8 military bayonets and 19 military pouches used in carrying weapons.
Northern Regional Police Commander, ACP Angwubutoge Awuni, told the media that his outfit had intelligence report that a prominent politician from the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District was planning to transport arms from Accra to the area.
The yet-to-be-exposed politician was smuggling the weapons to the area to assist one faction in the ensuing clashes between residents of Berug and Temaa, all Konkomba communities in the district. The case has since died a natural death because government would never tell the Ghanaian public which NDC member was behind the arms transportation.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
NHIS LOSES MILLIONS OF CEDIS IN NORTHERN REGION
NHIS LOSES MILLIONS OF CEDIS IN NORTHERN REGION
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
Pieces of details of a Clinical Audit report by the Northern Regional Office of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), have revealed that some officials of the Scheme have allegedly colluded with service providers or vice versa, to overbill, overprice and dispensing drugs which were not on the medical list for patients.
This corrupt act according to the report, had yielded an estimated Gh¢1.1 million which have gone into individuals pocket and those individuals in question are now to cough the money.
If this figure is anything to go by, it is assumed that the remaining 12 schemes which were yet to be probed by the Clinical Audit Team of the NHIS, would at the end realize about Gh¢3 million.
This startling revelation was made at a meeting organized last Thursday by the National Health Insurance Authourity (NHIA) at the instance of its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sylvester Mensah who was in Tamale, the capital of the Northern Region of Ghana with some of his deputies, to meet with NHIS Managers of the various Schemes in the region.
The Northern Regional Manager of the NHIS, Tanko Rashid Computer who made this disclosure cited Gushiegu, Savelugu-Nanton, Tolon-Kumbungu, Saboba-Chereponi, East Gonja and Tamale Metropolis as schemes which the Clinical Audit report has indicted, adding that, the Gushiegu NHIS Manager has been suspended for now.
He also mentioned God Care Community Hospital and Deahas Maternity Home in Tamale, and Bruham Clinic at Savelugu in the Savelugu-Nanton District as the service providers which in one way or the other have overbill, overprice or dispensing drugs which were not captured on the NHIS medical list to patients, saying “they had been suspended and their owners asked to re-apply for consideration”.
He appealed to the CEO of the NHIA to endeavour to equip all the schemes in the region with computers and other logistics to enable them work effectively to realize the government’s dream of implementing the onetime premium of the NHIS.
The meeting was aimed at identifying the loop holes or leakages in the system and blocking them to ensure increased in revenue mobilization for the Authourity and also to see how managers could contain cost in their operations or work in the various districts.
Sylvester Mensah announced in an interview with the media including The Daily Dispatch that the NHIA was proposing GH¢50.00 as payment by every Ghanaian individual towards the onetime premium.
He said if after deliberations at the various stakeholder levels the GH¢50.00 was approved, government and for that matter the NHIA would implement that. However he also mentioned that the proposed amount was subject to review.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mensah has stated categorically that the Authourity was not going to accept any resignation letter from any Scheme Manager for now until July 2010 when thorough investigations are completed on the various schemes. So far, a total population of about 1,487,171 is registered with the NHIS in the Northern Region which operates eighteen schemes out of the 20 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.TAMALE SOS CHILDREN’S VILLAGE COMMISSIONED
From: Joseph Ziem, Tamale
The Vice President of the Republic of Ghana says the practice of keeping children in institutions for the rest of their lives is counter-productive to their growth and should be discouraged.
According to John Dramani Mahama, research has shown that children who grew up in institutions suffered from retarded brain and emotional development problems as compared to children with their parents.
He therefore, emphasized that the proliferation of orphanages was not a good development for the country adding that, “it is breaking down the social fabric by disintegrating the time tested and cherished extended family system where children are supposed to be raised to learn the culture of their forebears”.
Mr. Mahama said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr. Antwi-Boasiako Sekyere recently at the inauguration of the Tamale SOS Children’s Village.
According to him, there was the need to protect and safeguard the nation’s culture of safety that took care of the vulnerable and disadvantaged in the society in spite of the breakdown of the family system.
Mr. Mahama also observed that most of the children living in orphanages or foster homes in Ghana were not orphans but are put there by greedy and selfish individuals or groups who were using them to solicit for alms.
He stressed that when it comes to the development of children it required a collaborative effort by the society at large to achieve success in terms of moral upbringing and physical development, saying “government is committed to helping children who are living under difficult circumstances”.
The much awaited SOS Children’s Village Ghana begun operations in January 18th this year, and currently has 45 inmates, runs a basic school from Nursery to Junior High School, a Soccer Academy and a Medical Centre. It also runs community based social and educational programmes for residents of Kambonayilli and other surrounding communities within which it operates.
The Village was established by SOS International, and has up-to-date facilities to ensure the total comfort of the children, mainly referred there from the Social Welfare Department, the Ghana Police Service and some non-governmental organizations.
The National Director of SOS Children’s Village Ghana, Kojo Mattah, said the SOS Villages thrived on the benevolence of individuals and corporate bodies and appealed for support from the public to support its activities.
He pledged the readiness of the Village to respond to the evolving demands of children, especially those in vulnerable circumstances in the wake of increasing child abandonment, poverty and family disintegration.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr. Moses Mabengba, who donated Gh¢1,000 to the orphanage, urged all, especially parents, to proclaim good family values at home in the wake of increasing child delinquencies since the family is the heart of society.
He commended the management of the village for building a centre in the Northern Region and promised them the assistance of the Regional Coordinating Council if the need arose. The Consar Construction Limited that put up the structure donated a 4x4 pick-up to the SOS Village.
US$1.8M PROJECT TO RESCUE NORTHERN FARMERS
From: Joseph Ziem, Nyankpala
A three year grant support project awarded to the International Centre for Soil Fertility and Development (IFDC) Ghana chapter, by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has been launched at Nyankpala, in the Tolon-Kumbungu District of the Northern Region.
The project entitled: “Linking Farmers’ to Markets (FTM) and to be implemented in the three Northern Regions of Ghana would cost 1.8 million dollars.
It aims to assist smallholder farmers of staple crops in Ghana gain easier access to markets and earn higher incomes by linking them to commercial buyers and processors. The project would, among others, develop partnerships for effective establishment of long-lasting farmer to market linkages.
The three-year project will focus on easing the flow of produce from farms in Ghana's Northern, Upper East, and Upper West Regions to commercial buyers and processors of maize, rice, sorghum and soybean in Ghana.
As lead implementer, IFDC would build alliances with local partners to provide farmers with skills to improve their farm productivity and business and marketing services to ensure sustainable supplies of high-quality produce for industrial buyers.
"The project will directly benefit smallholder farmers, buyers, and consumers," said Dr Kofi Debrah of IFDC. "By linking with buyers before production, farmers can be assured of regular farm incomes, he said, adding, traders, processors, and large retailers will also benefit because they will be able to obtain reliable and regular supplies of a quality produce".
According to Dr. Debrah, as part of the project, AGRA and IFDC will partner with several local organizations to strengthen capacity at farmer organization level. The collective organizations will serve as an intermediary between farmer groups and buyers at the top of the supply chain.
These groups he said include the Savanna Farmers' Marketing Company, Ltd (SFMC), a farmer-owned marketing company with a network of 8000 farmers, OFRAM Enterprises, and nearly 50 community women's rice processing groups in the Northern Region.
Director of AGRA's Market Access Program, Anne Mbaabu, in an address also emphasized that "many Ghanaian farmers lack access to reliable markets where they can sell their produce at a profit," adding, “this makes farming an unattractive investment for most farmers”.
She maintained that functional markets are absolutely essential to making investments in agriculture more appealing to farmers, noting that farmers have no incentive to grow more food if they do not have a market for their surplus.
Agriculture is the main engine of economic growth in Ghana, and smallholder farmers represent 80% of farm production. AGRA is working to improve smallholder farming in Ghana through programmes and partnerships that focus on improving farmers’ access to good seed, fertilizer, and sustainable farming practices and increasing farmers' access to credit, crop storage, and markets.
Statistics showed that the Northern Region, which represents 41% of Ghana's total land area, has been identified by the Government of Ghana and AGRA as a breadbasket area because of the region's high production potential for staple food crops like rice, maize, sorghum, and soybean and large rural farming populations. Yet the North is also the poorest region, with nearly two-thirds of the population living in poverty.
Agricultural development projects traditionally focus on crop productivity issues like increasing the use of improved seeds and fertilizers and new farming methods.
Very few address the need to ensure that the increased production finds its way to the markets without adverse effects on prices and incomes of farmers and other stakeholders in the value chain.
In Ghana, recent efforts by the private sector, donors, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and relief agencies are now working to address the marketing issues.
In 2005, the Association of Church Development Projects (ACDEP) helped create the Savanna Farmers Marketing Company Ltd (SFMC), whose principle objective is to pool participating farmers’ produce of crops like sorghum, groundnut, soybeans, and cashew for large industrial buyers. Between 2005 and 2008, SFMC supported approximately 5,000 smallholder farmers in the three Northern Regions of Ghana to sell a total of 4,307 metric tonnes of sorghum, soybeans, cashew, and shea butter, valued at GH¢1,672,920 or US $1,394,100.
Kasa-Ghana & co must keep the good fight …To Save Ghana’s Environment.
There is growing consensus by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and even ordinary Ghanaians that improved governance in the natural resource and environment sector of Ghana could translate into more unbiased resource distribution and poverty reduction.
This move could be attributed to the increasing spate of vigorous campaigns being mounted by CSOs like KASA-Ghana, Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM Ghana) and the Media Advocates for Sustainable Environment (MASE) in recent times; drawing the attention of the public to the fact that any form of mining activity, in or around natural habitats (forest or game reserves, water bodies, etc) is as venomous as the reptile, COBRA!
There is no doubt that gold ranks among the most high-tech of metals, performing vital functions in many areas of everyday life. Its unique properties make it useful in medical applications, pollution control, air bags, mobile telephones, laptop computers, space travel, and many other things human beings consider essential to today's society.
Almost all electronic consumer items contain a small amount of gold, which is important to the reliable and efficient functioning of the equipment.
Besides, from its early historical use in ancient cultures, gold is becoming increasingly important in many modern medical treatments, ranging from drugs to precision implants. Gold has been used for many years to successfully treat rheumatoid arthritis. Many experts consider gold to be among the most effective drugs for reducing the inflammation in the joints and so reducing the symptoms of pain and stiffness. The economic significance of this mineral can’t therefore, be underestimated.
However, the fact also remains that, the process of extracting gold from the mined ore uses poisonous chemicals which, if not treated properly, can contaminate water supplies and kill living things for miles. This is in addition to the local damage at the mining site itself, i.e., the hole in the mountain or the ground thereby making it impossible to grow our cocoa, coffee, rice, groundnuts, maize, millet, sorghum, etc, again. It is sad to note that mining companies in Ghana are ‘raping’ our natural resources with impunity regardless of all the environmental laws and fundamental human rights which our government is signatory to.
This is because, gold mining in Ghana has been seriously considered by the government of Ghana and international financial institutions as the path to economic development but it also has a long history of destruction. Besides, gold mining has been going on many years even before many Ghanaians in this 21st century were born, yet Ghana is still poor considering its per capita income, unemployment rate, poor health delivery, lack of health and educational facilities, unavailability of housing for some people like residents of Sodom and Gomorrah and many other places in the country, etc.
There are reported cases of massive destruction of towns, houses, farms, water bodies, etc, at Wassa, Prestea, Obuasi, Tarkwa, just to mention a few. And my understanding is that, mining companies are moving towards the North where residents like me are already suffering from the bad effects of desertification, climate change, lack of portable drinking water due to the extreme low levelness of the water table in most areas, erratic rainfall, etc. Any attempt to mine any part of the North, would make life unbearable for residents, and land, chieftaincy or ethnic disputes could increase.
Besides, the area is already battling with efforts to combat deforestation or desertification through afforestation, land and chieftaincy disputes, among others and all the mining companies in Ghana which I learnt have bad records of human rights abuses and disregard for good environmental practices, are also radically yearning to come with their unending woes, to add to what is yet to be solved. It is unimaginable!
Not too long ago, cyanide-contaminated waste spilled from the Ahafo mine operated by Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) on October 8, 2009 into a river, killing hundreds of fishes and polluting the drinking water of several communities. This is gross human rights abuse even though they had been charged to compensate the affected people, communities and government with an amount of 4.9 million dollars or Gh¢7 million.
Records showed that the first phase of the mine (Ahafo South) has displaced roughly 9,500 people, at least 95% of whom are subsistence farmers. A possible expansion of the mine (Ahafo North), would displace another 10,000 more. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's private sector arm, approved $175 million in loans to Newmont for the development of the Ahafo project in spite of calls for the IFC to postpone the Ahafo loan and independent reviews highlighting the problems with the project.
Fellow Ghanaians, it would interest you to know that all the monies the mining companies get from their negative extractive activities are deposited in offshore accounts. Apart from that, our government receives not more than even 20% as its share of the gold or revenue from each of the mining companies you can think of.
In Ghana now, there is more concern for the environment due to the consistent and vigorous campaigns by CSOs and the media, but there are still mining operations where little to no environmental consideration is given to the operations. Mining companies are doing things with impunity.
It is undisputable that Ghana is Africa's second largest producer of gold after South Africa. Due to favorable investment climate created by our leaders (politicians), it is estimated that 70% to 90% of the large-scale mining industry is now foreign-owned.
Records by WACAM-Ghana indicated that gold mining in Ghana started some 2000 years ago even before the arrival of Portuguese traders and other Europeans. Gold also accounts for about 96% of the total mineral revenue, and currently mining boom has attracted about US 6 billion dollars worth of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the extractive sector of the country as at 2005, representing about 60% of FDI inflows to the national economy.
As at 2006, the government of Ghana had granted 166 new mining leases to companies to operate surface mining. This means; more environmental degradation, water, air and land pollution, deforestation, destruction of farmlands, in fact, a total destruction of our natural habitats right from the South to the North. …….
According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 35% of the total landmass of Ghana is under threat of desertification but current estimates and observations shows that 60% of the landmass is actually under threat.
This is because, traces of desertification could be seen in neighbouring Bono Ahafo and Ashanti Regions and certain timber species that make up the vegetation of the forest in those areas are getting loss each day. Besides, the 35% given by the EPA was as a result of a research in the 70s and for that matter it should noted that there has been considerable changes over the years up to date.
The three Northern Regions which occupy about 40% of the total landmass of the country is the worst affected by desertification. Why would our government sit down unconcern and allow a mining company like Newmont and the rest to mine in forest reserves, when common sense tells us that the more trees we cut down invariably affects our very existence on planet earth.
Or is it because there are millions of ounces of gold in these forest reserves? If that is the case, then it means that Ghanaians are giving out their heads in exchange for hats that would have no place to reside.
Our politicians are indeed killing us but because we don’t mostly see or know their secret deeds, we think they’re angels. But I think they’re next to hell! They take all the decisions including those that deprive us of our daily bread as a people, rob us of our birth rights as a nation without seeking our opinion.
And I ask my self over and over again, are we still living in the Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana, which he together with other right thinking people fought to liberate from emancipation decades ago? In fact, I believe wherever he might be he would not have peace of mind because of the selfishness of those who have come after him.
I understand there is a gold bearing rock running from the South to the North and it is obvious that our government is prepared to allow mining companies cut down all economic trees including shea, mahogany, mango, cocoa, dawadawa, seal up our water bodies with waste, spoil the tarred roads we spent millions of dollars or cedis to built, etc.
I am not exaggerating, but what am trying to explain is that if the aforementioned areas are not enough, our hospitals, schools would not be spared, because in other places cemeteries including what I have already mentioned have been destroyed by mining companies because of the ‘yellow rock’.
I am reliably informed that most communities in the Bono Ahafo Region are sitting on gigantic gold deposit and for that matter plans are ongoing to relocate those settlements. People of Bono and Ahafo, are you hearing what I am hearing? And if yes, what are you doing? Please, you have to start crying out and make noise like that of KASA-Ghana, WACAM Ghana and MASE, else it will happen like hurricane Katrina and by then it will be too late for you all.
Let me just explain this to you in clear words. The GH¢7million compensation by Newmont Ghana to the people of Ahafo is just pittance. To them (Newmont) it’s like money meant for buying food ingredients in any local Ghanaian market.
This is so because, our leaders can’t bite or say no to certain decisions that threaten our lives for the reason that they have been induced with so many freebies by some of these mining companies or multinationals. Compensations like Newmont’s is just to sustain affected persons today and the next day, they perish.
Just come to think of this; why would Newmont Ghana give 20,000 dollars to our (Alhaji) Collins Dauda, who is the Minister of Land and Mines to perform his mother’s funeral? This suggest that if any close relation of the President passes away, he would receive an amount that could build a six unit classroom block, fully furnished for the children of my hometown who are still sitting under trees to learn, if a minister could receive that much.
Ghana is a signatory to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has initiated a number of policies and programmes to arrest the spread of land degradation and desertification. The implementation of the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP), the Environmental Resources Management Project and others like the land use map, environmental information system, land suitability and capability maps, land and water management, Savannah Resource Management and the National Reforestation Programme are worthwhile.
But the lack of political commitment on the part of our leaders will eventually send us all into our graves unless they change their ATITUDE. I declare that mining is not a panacea to the Ghana’s problems because it only contributes 46 million dollars to the nation whiles bush meat derives 300 million dollars. So, it would be unthinkable to allow Newmont and others to mine in forest reserves.
Folks, I will end hear but also write something to promote the good course I am championing, because; “The earth is a mother, and if we abide by her laws, she would care for us all”……..
Credit: Ziem L. Joseph Philip (Joseph Ziem)
The writer is a journalist by profession
Email: ziemjoseph@yahoo.com
This move could be attributed to the increasing spate of vigorous campaigns being mounted by CSOs like KASA-Ghana, Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM Ghana) and the Media Advocates for Sustainable Environment (MASE) in recent times; drawing the attention of the public to the fact that any form of mining activity, in or around natural habitats (forest or game reserves, water bodies, etc) is as venomous as the reptile, COBRA!
There is no doubt that gold ranks among the most high-tech of metals, performing vital functions in many areas of everyday life. Its unique properties make it useful in medical applications, pollution control, air bags, mobile telephones, laptop computers, space travel, and many other things human beings consider essential to today's society.
Almost all electronic consumer items contain a small amount of gold, which is important to the reliable and efficient functioning of the equipment.
Besides, from its early historical use in ancient cultures, gold is becoming increasingly important in many modern medical treatments, ranging from drugs to precision implants. Gold has been used for many years to successfully treat rheumatoid arthritis. Many experts consider gold to be among the most effective drugs for reducing the inflammation in the joints and so reducing the symptoms of pain and stiffness. The economic significance of this mineral can’t therefore, be underestimated.
However, the fact also remains that, the process of extracting gold from the mined ore uses poisonous chemicals which, if not treated properly, can contaminate water supplies and kill living things for miles. This is in addition to the local damage at the mining site itself, i.e., the hole in the mountain or the ground thereby making it impossible to grow our cocoa, coffee, rice, groundnuts, maize, millet, sorghum, etc, again. It is sad to note that mining companies in Ghana are ‘raping’ our natural resources with impunity regardless of all the environmental laws and fundamental human rights which our government is signatory to.
This is because, gold mining in Ghana has been seriously considered by the government of Ghana and international financial institutions as the path to economic development but it also has a long history of destruction. Besides, gold mining has been going on many years even before many Ghanaians in this 21st century were born, yet Ghana is still poor considering its per capita income, unemployment rate, poor health delivery, lack of health and educational facilities, unavailability of housing for some people like residents of Sodom and Gomorrah and many other places in the country, etc.
There are reported cases of massive destruction of towns, houses, farms, water bodies, etc, at Wassa, Prestea, Obuasi, Tarkwa, just to mention a few. And my understanding is that, mining companies are moving towards the North where residents like me are already suffering from the bad effects of desertification, climate change, lack of portable drinking water due to the extreme low levelness of the water table in most areas, erratic rainfall, etc. Any attempt to mine any part of the North, would make life unbearable for residents, and land, chieftaincy or ethnic disputes could increase.
Besides, the area is already battling with efforts to combat deforestation or desertification through afforestation, land and chieftaincy disputes, among others and all the mining companies in Ghana which I learnt have bad records of human rights abuses and disregard for good environmental practices, are also radically yearning to come with their unending woes, to add to what is yet to be solved. It is unimaginable!
Not too long ago, cyanide-contaminated waste spilled from the Ahafo mine operated by Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) on October 8, 2009 into a river, killing hundreds of fishes and polluting the drinking water of several communities. This is gross human rights abuse even though they had been charged to compensate the affected people, communities and government with an amount of 4.9 million dollars or Gh¢7 million.
Records showed that the first phase of the mine (Ahafo South) has displaced roughly 9,500 people, at least 95% of whom are subsistence farmers. A possible expansion of the mine (Ahafo North), would displace another 10,000 more. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's private sector arm, approved $175 million in loans to Newmont for the development of the Ahafo project in spite of calls for the IFC to postpone the Ahafo loan and independent reviews highlighting the problems with the project.
Fellow Ghanaians, it would interest you to know that all the monies the mining companies get from their negative extractive activities are deposited in offshore accounts. Apart from that, our government receives not more than even 20% as its share of the gold or revenue from each of the mining companies you can think of.
In Ghana now, there is more concern for the environment due to the consistent and vigorous campaigns by CSOs and the media, but there are still mining operations where little to no environmental consideration is given to the operations. Mining companies are doing things with impunity.
It is undisputable that Ghana is Africa's second largest producer of gold after South Africa. Due to favorable investment climate created by our leaders (politicians), it is estimated that 70% to 90% of the large-scale mining industry is now foreign-owned.
Records by WACAM-Ghana indicated that gold mining in Ghana started some 2000 years ago even before the arrival of Portuguese traders and other Europeans. Gold also accounts for about 96% of the total mineral revenue, and currently mining boom has attracted about US 6 billion dollars worth of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the extractive sector of the country as at 2005, representing about 60% of FDI inflows to the national economy.
As at 2006, the government of Ghana had granted 166 new mining leases to companies to operate surface mining. This means; more environmental degradation, water, air and land pollution, deforestation, destruction of farmlands, in fact, a total destruction of our natural habitats right from the South to the North. …….
According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 35% of the total landmass of Ghana is under threat of desertification but current estimates and observations shows that 60% of the landmass is actually under threat.
This is because, traces of desertification could be seen in neighbouring Bono Ahafo and Ashanti Regions and certain timber species that make up the vegetation of the forest in those areas are getting loss each day. Besides, the 35% given by the EPA was as a result of a research in the 70s and for that matter it should noted that there has been considerable changes over the years up to date.
The three Northern Regions which occupy about 40% of the total landmass of the country is the worst affected by desertification. Why would our government sit down unconcern and allow a mining company like Newmont and the rest to mine in forest reserves, when common sense tells us that the more trees we cut down invariably affects our very existence on planet earth.
Or is it because there are millions of ounces of gold in these forest reserves? If that is the case, then it means that Ghanaians are giving out their heads in exchange for hats that would have no place to reside.
Our politicians are indeed killing us but because we don’t mostly see or know their secret deeds, we think they’re angels. But I think they’re next to hell! They take all the decisions including those that deprive us of our daily bread as a people, rob us of our birth rights as a nation without seeking our opinion.
And I ask my self over and over again, are we still living in the Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana, which he together with other right thinking people fought to liberate from emancipation decades ago? In fact, I believe wherever he might be he would not have peace of mind because of the selfishness of those who have come after him.
I understand there is a gold bearing rock running from the South to the North and it is obvious that our government is prepared to allow mining companies cut down all economic trees including shea, mahogany, mango, cocoa, dawadawa, seal up our water bodies with waste, spoil the tarred roads we spent millions of dollars or cedis to built, etc.
I am not exaggerating, but what am trying to explain is that if the aforementioned areas are not enough, our hospitals, schools would not be spared, because in other places cemeteries including what I have already mentioned have been destroyed by mining companies because of the ‘yellow rock’.
I am reliably informed that most communities in the Bono Ahafo Region are sitting on gigantic gold deposit and for that matter plans are ongoing to relocate those settlements. People of Bono and Ahafo, are you hearing what I am hearing? And if yes, what are you doing? Please, you have to start crying out and make noise like that of KASA-Ghana, WACAM Ghana and MASE, else it will happen like hurricane Katrina and by then it will be too late for you all.
Let me just explain this to you in clear words. The GH¢7million compensation by Newmont Ghana to the people of Ahafo is just pittance. To them (Newmont) it’s like money meant for buying food ingredients in any local Ghanaian market.
This is so because, our leaders can’t bite or say no to certain decisions that threaten our lives for the reason that they have been induced with so many freebies by some of these mining companies or multinationals. Compensations like Newmont’s is just to sustain affected persons today and the next day, they perish.
Just come to think of this; why would Newmont Ghana give 20,000 dollars to our (Alhaji) Collins Dauda, who is the Minister of Land and Mines to perform his mother’s funeral? This suggest that if any close relation of the President passes away, he would receive an amount that could build a six unit classroom block, fully furnished for the children of my hometown who are still sitting under trees to learn, if a minister could receive that much.
Ghana is a signatory to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has initiated a number of policies and programmes to arrest the spread of land degradation and desertification. The implementation of the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP), the Environmental Resources Management Project and others like the land use map, environmental information system, land suitability and capability maps, land and water management, Savannah Resource Management and the National Reforestation Programme are worthwhile.
But the lack of political commitment on the part of our leaders will eventually send us all into our graves unless they change their ATITUDE. I declare that mining is not a panacea to the Ghana’s problems because it only contributes 46 million dollars to the nation whiles bush meat derives 300 million dollars. So, it would be unthinkable to allow Newmont and others to mine in forest reserves.
Folks, I will end hear but also write something to promote the good course I am championing, because; “The earth is a mother, and if we abide by her laws, she would care for us all”……..
Credit: Ziem L. Joseph Philip (Joseph Ziem)
The writer is a journalist by profession
Email: ziemjoseph@yahoo.com