NORGAID Calls For Peace From Northerners As 2012 Polls Nears

Mr. Mustapha Sanah, Exec. Chairman, NORGAID

If there is any battle that Northerners (residents of Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions) must expend their energies on, it should be the fight against poverty, ignorance and deprivation, and not war over lands, cultural superiority and other narrow excuses for killing one another; Executive Chairman of Northern Ghana Aid has said.

The war for superiority over one ethnic group against one another, he said should not be Northerners’ priority. “Let us rather ask why Northerners bear the brunt of the struggle for political power but are often relegated to the background when we (Northerners) succeed to help the major political powers- New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) to be elected into office?”

Speaking at a day’s workshop organized by NORGAID for communicators of political parties and editors of radio stations in Tamale, Mustapha Sanah, said it is because Northerners were not branding themselves well. “We have the highest illiteracy rate, we are too careless about opportunities given to us to help our kith and kin and go to war among ourselves too soon and too often without the right of reasons”, he observed.

According to Mr. Sanah, the irony of the situation was that people Northerners fight for to win political authority often turn their backs on them and some even called them names. “We should therefore resolve now that we are going to be important stakeholders in the election of leaders of this country in the December 7 General Elections in a peaceful, violent-free, credible and democratic manner. We should, with one voice, ask our chosen political heads to respond to our needs and demands for socio-economic development. Through this responsible use of our political strength we are serving notice to the rest of the country that we are no longer interested in being ‘the drawers of water and hewers of wood’ and it is time we set in motion the right atmosphere to bring our Kayayee sisters back home. There is dignity in working in a good and secure environment at home. Let’s create it”, he preached.

The Executive Chairman of NORGAID appealed to Northerners to replace their political zealousness and fanaticism with conscious study of the political manifestoes of the various political parties and exercise their franchise for the party that was ready to meet their development expectations. “Let us therefore turn the numerous political party pavilions and sheds, which are fertile grounds for political disputes and violence in our region, and where we readily vilify our political leaders, into a place for demanding accountable stewardship and equitable development.”

Group of Northern Chiefs

The workshop was aimed at equipping Regional Youth Organisers and Communication Team Members of NDC, NPP, Progressive People’s Party, People’s National Convention and the Convention People’s Party as well as Editors of Radio Stations in the Northern Region with good communication skills. 

It was intended to ensure that from now onwards editors and political communicators used the most appropriate or refined language to communicate to their target audiences for sustainable democracy.

The organizers were optimistic that it would impact positively on their campaigns and rallies and eliminate intemperate and vulgar language as well as negative incidents that were likely to bring violent conflicts and instability in the region. 

The workshop also, was part of the organisation’s Northern Region 2012 Multi-Party Democratic Governance Support Project, a STAR-Ghana funded project aimed at ensuring that all political parties adhere to the Political Parties Code of Conduct for 2012.

Aside training editors of radio stations and communication team members of political parties on good communication skills, the project would also send observers to monitor campaigns and rallies in 15 constituencies and submit a weekly report to a Council.

The Council would analyse the reports, critique the remarks/comments and put it in the public domain through radio and a newsletter. The critique would serve as a form of feedback to political activists on their comments/remarks from which they could draw lessons from.  

Symbols of various political parties in Ghana

Mr. Abdallah Kassim, Executive Director of Rural Media Network and a facilitator at the workshop, called on political commentators to debate their opponents on issues devoid of insults and names calling.

He also encouraged them to take critical look at local issues or problems affecting the people in the North in general and use the radio as the fastest means of communication to sell to voters what is in their party’s manifesto and how those issues would be addressed if they were voted into office. “Stop listening to what your leadership in Accra say on radio and television stations during newspaper reviews and repeat the same thing in Tamale. Be innovative, because the characteristics of the voters in Accra or Kumasi are different from those in Tamale and elsewhere”, he advised.

Gub-Katimali Rolls Out 3-Year Project On Mental Illness

In Ghana, the majority of people who should determine and benefit from development processes are rather among those most excluded in development efforts. This has resulted in the type of development pursued not addressing the real needs of the poorest and most vulnerable groups such as men and women with mental illness or epilepsy and their care-givers as well as peasant farmers.

Accordingly, the European Commission is supporting four Ghanaian local Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) including Gub-Katimali Society; Zuuri Organic Vegetable Farmers Association; Centre for People’s Empowerment and Rights Initiatives and Mental Health Society of Ghana (MEHSOG) to implement a three-year project (13^th October, 2011 to 12^th October, 2014) intended to contribute to ensuring people-centered development that meets the needs and aspirations of the majority of the population, especially the poorest and most vulnerable.

mentally ill woman at a healing camp

With an estimated amount of 471, 029 Euros of which 90% (423,926 Euros) is funded by the European Commission, the project would target 20 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the three Regions of the North – Upper West, Upper East and Northern as well as the Greater Accra Region. The 20 MMDAs include Central Gonja, East Mamprusi, Bunkprugu-Yunyoo, Nanumba South, Tamale Metropolis, Bawku West, Builsa, Wa, Lambussie-Karni, Ayawaso Sub-metro, Okaikoi Sub-metro, Ashiedu-Keteke Sub-metro and Ablekum Sub-metro areas.

The project, dubbed “Promoting an Inclusive and Empowered Civil Society to advance Socio-Economic and Political Development in Ghana” aimed to build an inclusive and empowered civil society well aware of their needs and rights, including existing and contemplated public policies and programmes and increase their debate and, lobby and advocate in their favour.

The lack of meaningful consultation on public policy formulation and dissemination of policies, have mostly led to the exclusion of the needs of most vulnerable groups and communities. This could be attributed to infrastructural and financial constraints, stigma and the failure to harness the mass media especially local radio stations in dissemination of government policy formulation and implementation.

This project, therefore, aimed to reverse the aforesaid situation in the target or beneficiary districts by contributing to increasing awareness and capacities of Community Based Organisations (CBOs) of men and women with mental illness or epilepsy (PWIME), men and women with disabilities (PWDs), women, youth and farmer groups to influence policy planning and implementation.

According to the Executive Director of Gub-Katimali Society, a nonprofit and nonpartisan NGO   based in the Northern Region, Sheik Yakubu Abdul-Kareem in an interview with Savannahnews, the project would focus on training and action research to identify the most effective methods to be used by civil society to influence policy. With the resulting increase in participation in local advocacy of such an array of people’s organizations, prevailing stigma associated with mental disorders, physical disabilities, gender-based discrimination and unbalanced power relations, he said would significantly be reduced and policy makers would begin to take account of the needs and rights of these groups.

Sheik Abdul-Kareem also explained that under the project, policy makers at the local level would have their capacity built to enable them to effectively respond to the demands of vulnerable groups and ensure their needs were met by incorporating them in the Districts Medium Term Development Plans (DMTPs) and the implementation of other relevant policies.

The project, he noted would further ensure regional alliances of NGOs and government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) so that they would be aware of the decentralization structure/systems and the DMTPs framework, and be better informed to monitor local policy implementation and complement CBOs advocacy.

Target beneficiaries

About one hundred CBOs comprising of 20 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) of PWIME and their primary carers; 20 other districts and region-based DPOs; 20 women’s groups; 20 youth groups; 20 vocational/trade-skills development associations; altogether with a total of 3200 individual participants are being targeted.

Other targets of the project include 100 frontline staff from 20 MMDAs; 40 Members of Parliament from the target project areas; 240 members of 4 regional alliances for Mental Health and Development. Besides, an estimated 16000 people from the 20 MMDAs across the four regions made up of the 3200 direct participants and an estimated 12800 families and communities would benefit from this project.

It is expected that by the end of the project, best practices for engaging disadvantaged civil society groups would have been well documented, widely disseminated and adopted/adapted.

Also, 20 SHGs of PWIME, 20 community-based women, 20 disability, 20 youth and 20 farmer groups would effectively participate in decision-making processes; and the 20 MMDAs in the target regions effectively respond to mental health and other social development issues to improve quality of life of the poorest and most vulnerable people, their families and communities.

Moreover, regional networks of local NGOs and MDAs would have been strengthened to advocate as an effective alliance for Mental Health Development.

So far so good

Sheik Abdul-Kareem disclosed that so far, Gub-Katimali has built the capacities of 84 CBOs, SHGs and PWDs on rights based advocacy and public speaking as well as create awareness of mental health issues for CBOs and PWDs in the MMDAs in the Northern Region.

Gub-Katimali has also been able to bring together Planning Officers, Budget Officers and Presiding Members of the MMDAs to sensitise them to plan for the poor and vulnerable groups in their districts, he said, adding that the organization would use community live drama, posters or other means to educate the public about mental health in subsequent activities.

A grassroots development organization founded in 1991 to help promote rural development in Northern Ghana, Gub-Katimali seeks to sensitise, empower and enable local communities to realize their own development through collective participation, partnership and pooling local resources together for sustainable development.

Gub-Katimali currently operates in 9 MMDAs in the Northern Region and has since its establishment and with the support of its partners such as Trull Foundation, Charity of Rebecca and Hope for Children, supported over 70 students some of whom have completed tertiary and secondary education. It has also supported children with mental illness to enroll in or go back to school after stabilizing, and provided their parents with small ruminants to rear in order to cater for the children’s education.

CSOs, Media Schooled on Anti-Corruption Laws

Research by the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) following the passage of the Whistleblower Act (Act 720) into law in 2006 has revealed that, there is lack of effective use of it. The major reason assigned to this is the lack of education and understanding of the law.

A Whistleblower is that person who makes a disclosure of impropriety where that person has reasonable cause to believe that the information tends to show that a crime has been committed, is being committed or is likely to be committed. The Act is a tool for anti-corruption and serves as a guide to anti-corruption crusaders in their work. It provides legal backing to victims and witnesses of corruption to act on their complaints as well as provides an incentive to report corrupt practices; that is, the reward system and protection of Whistleblowers, article 12 (1).

According to the Communications Officer of GACC, Mrs. Beauty Emefah Nartey, the Coalition since the research outcome, had been implementing a number of activities to enhance the use of the law. She cited for instance, a simple guide book developed by the organization on Whistleblowing in Ghana which was recently translated into three local languages including Ewe, Akan and Hausa.

Also, she disclosed that capacity enhancement workshops were being organized for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Community Based Organisations (CBOs) as well as the media and Traditional Authorities across the country.

Speaking at a workshop in Tamale organized by GACC to sensitise a select number of media practitioners and CSOs, Mrs. Nartey noted that in Ghana, some measures had also been implemented to enhance a culture of transparency and accountability although these had so far yielded only a little or not much needed impact.

These attempts, she noted, spanned from administrative reforms, politically-motivated approaches, pressure from the international community and recently most favoured legislative and institutional approaches. Many statutes on “anti-corruption” have also been passed including Public Procurement Act, Financial Administration Act, Internal Audit Agency Act, and the Whistleblower Act, she mentioned.

In 2011, a ten-year National Anti-Corruption Action Plan was developed as a road map to minimize corruption with the participation of all key stakeholders and citizens both at the national and local levels. However, there was very limited education and campaign at the local level to mobilize grassroot support to promote transparency and accountability to prevent corruption.

There was also very limited presence of various institutions that had been mandated to implement anti-corruption laws at the local level. CSOs and CBOs for instance, were more involved in monitoring processes with very little or no emphasis on corruption prevention strategies. Citizens were also not aware of avenues and processes available to ensure that they called duty bearers to account.

In view of the above, GACC was currently implementing a project under the theme “Mobilising grassroot level participation for effective implementation of anti-corruption laws: a focus on the Whistleblower law 2006 (Act 720).” 

According to the Communications Officer of GACC, the overall goal of the project was to promote the effective utilization of the basic anti-corruption laws especially the Whistleblower law for increased accountability and transparency at the local level.

Under the project, over 100 CSOs, CBOs and Media practitioners from the Volta, Western, Northern and Greater Accra Regions were expected to be engaged and their capacities strengthened for grassroot level sensitization on the knowledge and enhanced utilization of the Anti-Corruption laws and especially the Whistleblower law.

With this, the ordinary citizens in the four regions would be well informed and understood their rights and demand accountability from duty bearers, Mrs. Emefah Nartey hoped, adding that, this would go a long way to enhance the delivering of basic social amenities at the local level. Citizens in the regions would also be well equipped to use the laws to derive the benefit from their resources and contributions towards the development of their regions, she added.  

Corruption is believed to be more endemic in Ghana and there was the need for a deliberate and urgent attention of everyone to deal with it. Indeed, corruption is now regarded deadlier than HIV/AIDS as it affects all fiber of society regardless of one’s location and deprived many people of quality education, roads, health facilities, water among others.

Thus, it is believed that the Whistleblower law when effectively used by many committed citizens of Ghana could be one of the best ways to reduce corruption drastically.

George Amoh, Coordinator of Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC) of the Ghana Integrity Initiative, local chapter of Transparency International, cited bribery, nepotism, fraud, looting, extortion, money laundering, embezzlement, moonlighting, facilitation fees, among others as some of the types of corruption that exist.

He also mentioned money, assurance of developments/projects, promises of employment, valuables, gifts, favours, sex and land as the tools used by people to commit corruption.

According to Mr. Amoh, corruption undermines the rule of law; leads to low productivity; kills competition; weakens the capacity of institutions to deliver on their mandate; constraints investment and retards growth; leads to joblessness, undermines the quality of environmental control in the extractive sector as well as leads to impunity or disrespect for laws. 

Ghanaians Asked To protect, Respect Children With Disabilities

Students in Soweto South Africa riot against racism in 1976

Children in Ghana constitute the single largest sub-group (about 50%) of the population, according to UNICEF. Born into a society with distinctly rich cultures and values, they are expected to be nurtured and enjoy physical, social and mental well being. However, this is far from the case because a majority of them are disadvantaged for a variety of reasons.

According to a 2007 Supplementary District Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey by UNICEF, 19% of children aged 2 – 9 years in both Northern and Upper West Regions, had at least one form of disability as reported by their mothers and caretakers. The Upper East Region had a relatively low percentage of 17%. The 2010 Census also indicates that 20% of the population is made up of persons with disabilities.

Thus, as Africa celebrates this year’s AU Day of the African Child which falls on 16^th June every year, the theme for the occasion has been loud on children with disabilities: “The Rights of Children with Disabilities; Duty to Protect, Respect, Promote and Fulfill.”

According to the Head of UNICEF’s Tamale Field Office, Clara Dube, because of discriminatory practices, many children with disabilities tend to live in the shadows and margins of society, and as a result their rights were overlooked. Adding, she said often, children did not get the education and healthcare they needed, and they were excluded from activities in their community.

So far, 25 out of 55 African countries have not yet ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its protocol option. Ghana, which was the first country to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, was yet to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This convention according to Madam Clara, is a major step towards changing the perception of disability, and ensures that societies recognize that persons with disabilities must be provided with equal opportunities to live life to their fullest potential.  

She said UNICEF was supporting Ghana to train teachers and the development of adequate learning materials and facilities. Further to this, she said UNICEF supported concrete interventions for children with disabilities or visual impairment, through the distribution of textbooks in Braille as was seen in some African countries.

Fortunately, the Ghana Education Strategic Plan for 2010 – 2020 is very explicit on inclusive education. The plan indicates that all children irrespective of sex, ethnicity and ability/disability have access to quality education. In this regard, Madam Clara added that UNICEF was partnering the government in developing child-friendly schools’ standards that would be implemented to facilitate access to children with mix abilities.

She further disclosed that the organization was in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare, and other NGOs working on child related issues, to setup coordination committees on Orphans and Vulnerable Children in all ten regions of Ghana. The role of these committees, she explained, was to sensitise parents, communities and general public on the rights of children, and in particular rights of vulnerable children including those with disabilities.

The Head of UNICEF’s Tamale Field Office reiterated that issues of children with disabilities must continue to engage the attention of everyone and for that matter be at the centre of the nation’s development agenda. 

A speech read on behalf of the Country Director of CCFC, Gifty Akosua Baka, also revealed that per the 2000 Census, there were over 800,000 children under the age of 15 years with disabilities. Out of this, she noted that a greater percentage were out of the special school system.

She called on government agencies and departments responsible for child care and support, especially the Department of Social Welfare and human rights organizations, to intensify public education on the disability ACT (ACT 715, 2006).

Madam Akosua Baka also appealed to all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the North to provide disability aids in public schools, libraries and other educational facilities to enable children with disabilities enjoy equal rights to quality education.

She further appealed to government to equip the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development with adequate resources to be able to train and support community volunteers including teachers and parents in remote communities in health assessment of children to facilitate early detection, treatment and management of disabilities in children.   

In a speech read on behalf of the Northern Regional Minister, Moses Bukari Mabengba, he appealed to people in the region to desist from behaviours that could bring mayhem before, during and after the 2012 general elections.

Whilst commending the organizers of the program for their effort to bring stakeholders on a single platform to deliberate on issues affecting children, the minister encouraged more of such events to be organized in order to deal with witchcraft or wizard accusations often leveled against children with disabilities, thereby affecting development and social relations.

The AU Day of the African Child is celebrated on 16^th June every year by the African Union in line with resolution 1290 to commemorate the 1976 massacre of Soweto children, who merely took to the streets to demand their right to racism-free education, in the then apartheid South Africa.  

As part of the commemoration, the AU Committee on children came out with six strong objectives some of which include raising awareness about the rights, capabilities and potential of children with disabilities and to draw attention to the situation of children with disabilities who are particularly vulnerable to marginalization and violence, for example, children with intellectual disabilities and albinism;

Secondly, to facilitate a clearer understanding of the practical implications of the different duties arising from signature and ratification of regional and international human rights instruments;

Thirdly, to strongly recommend the review of existing legislative and policy frameworks at the national level to address discrimination against children with disabilities and to ensure the effective inclusion of these children in all areas of society, among others.

Chief, One Of Four Persons In Bimoba-Konkomba Clash At Large

N/R Minister, Moses Mabengba

The Northern Regional Minister, Moses Bukari Mabengba, has given a hint that a chief of one of the rival factions of the recent violent clash between Konkombas and Bimobas in the Bunkprugu-Yunyoo District is one of four persons currently on the run.

Even though the Minister would not mention any name, he said four persons made up of both Konkombas and Bimobas had been identified as suspects and were currently at large, while one person had been arrested for illegally possessing two locally manufactured guns.

Mr. Mabengba who is Chairman of the Northern Regional Security Council (REGSEC) told the media at a press briefing on Tuesday June 12, 2012 at the Regional Coordinating Council. 

Additionally, he disclosed that 91 houses were burnt, 8 people sustained gun injuries whilst 3 died as a result of the clash.

It would be recalled that there was a communal clash between the Bimobas on one hand and the Konkombas on the other, at Kpemale, a farming community near Nakpanduri in the Bunkprugu-Yunyoo District over land boundary.

The skirmishes which started on Sunday June 3, 2012, would have escalated into a fully blown conflict, but for the timely intervention of security agencies, the Minister said. 

While it (REGSEC) unequivocally condemned the wanton destruction of properties and unleashing of various degrees of injuries to law abiding citizens in Kpemale and Nakpanduri, the Minister cautioned the perpetrators of such heinous act that REGSEC would not condone such lawlessness within the society.

According to him, reports emanating from a meeting held with the East Mamprusi and Bunkprugu-Yunyoo District Security Committees in a recent tour of the conflict zone, pointed out strongly the land expansionist ambitions of the Nakpanduri Chief, David Kansok, which culminated in his blatant refusal and disregard to recognize an existing boundary between his area of jurisdiction, at Nakpanduri and that of Kpemale Chief, Nimoar Nbalim. 

Mr. Mabengba stated that it emerged strongly that the chief of Nakpanduri had made attempts to install a rival chief at Kpemale for Bimobas to pay homage to him. But this he revealed was resisted by the people and condemned by the Nayiri, the Overlord of the Mamprugu Traditional Area (whose jurisdiction covers the entire West and East Mamprusi Districts as well as Bunkprugu-Yunyoo). “The meetings with the DISECs and the Nayiri offered an opportunity to debunk earlier claims made by the Nakpanduri chief on an Accra based radio station that the conflict escalated as a result of slow response by REGSEC to deploy security men to the area. The evidence proved to the contrary. The reinforcement and deployment of troops was quite swift and timely”, the minister maintained.

The Northern Regional Minister further stated that the Nayiri was equally unhappy about the intransigence of the Nakpanduri chief not to respect the boundary of their traditional area and with a penchant desire to infiltrate into other areas with view of expanding his (traditional) area of chiefdom. “The Nayiri also corroborated the information picked by REGSEC that the Nakpanduri chief has ever attempted to install a Bimoba chief at Kpemale for the Bimoba Community to owe allegiance to him. Nyairi however made it clear that he (Nakpanduri chief) had no mandate to enskin a chief at that area.”

Chief David Kansok

Mr. Moses Bukari Mabengba stated that the security agencies were on top of the security situation in the area and that calm had been restored. He called on all those who were still hiding in the bush to return and assured residents of the entire region especially those in Kpemale, Nakpanduri and Tishegu (Tamale) where one person died following a chieftaincy dispute that their security was of maximum concern and everything would be done to achieve this objective. 

Meanwhile when contacted, the Chief of Nakpanduri described the claims by REGSEC and the Regional Minister as bogus, saying he had jurisdiction over Nakpanduri and its surrounding areas including Kpemale that had become the subject of violent clash between his people and settlers there known as Kombas. 

He further explained that Kpemale had always been under Nakpanduri since the days of his great grandfathers and that only a river separates the two areas.   

In setting the record straight, he said people make the mistake by calling the settlers Konkombas instead of Kombas. According to him, Konkombas are a tribal grouping found in Saboba and other parts of the eastern corridor area and that they were different from Kombas though their languages sounded a bit similar. 

Adding, Chief David Kansok said he had jurisdiction over Kpemale, explaining that the recent clash was as a result of an encroachment on a school land by the settlers and not him. They (Kombas) had been asked by the Nayiri to stop encroaching on the school land, a directive they complied with until recently they decided to go against it by causing mayhem in the area. 

Chief Kansok also disclosed that there were 31 houses in Kpemale that belonged to the Kombas whilst the rest of 159 houses belonged to Bimobas. Out of the 31 houses that belonged to the Kombas, 23 were razed down following the bloody violence whilst 125 houses out of the 159 that belonged to the Bimobas also got burnt.