Sagnarigu District Demolishes Church Building

DCE for Sagnarigu

Some residents of Kanvili-Tunayili including the over 300 members of the Signs and Wonders Charismatic Church have been displaced by what they termed an unannounced demolition exercise carried out by the Sagnarigu District Assembly. The Angry residents are accusing the Assembly of being unfair and unjust in executing the sudden demolition exercise.

The Sagnarigu District Assembly demolished a number of individual properties along the main road stretching from King David Junction through Kanvili to Tunayili to pave way for the construction of the road.

That road has been in very deplorable state for a very long time, and become highly unmotorable during raining seasons.

The Residents are apparently not much perturbed about the construction or tarring of the road since it is also in their own interest, but they are rather furious about the Assembly’s inability to serve them with prior notice.

Badly hit by the “unannounced” demolition was main Temple of the Sings and Wonders Charismatic Church leaving the over 300 members without place of worship.

In an interview with Savannahnews, the Founder and General Overseer of Signs and Wonders Charismatic Church, Rev. Nicholas Batu Supiir could not hide his extreme disappointment about the unusual manner the demolition exercise was carried out by the Sagnarigu District Assembly.

According to him, he was away to Volta Region to visit one of his 42 branches when his Associate Pastor called him that the District Assembly had come to demolish all structures along the road including the Church Auditorium. 

“When I asked whether the church leadership was notified by the Assembly or given prior notice they said- no, but they had come with bulldozers and that they had already started from King David side coming towards our church. So I told him that he should call the Assembly man to find out why the sudden demolition but he called to tell me that the Assembly man had also travelled. So I decided to cut my trip short and in fact when I came, the whole church building was raised down”.

Rev. Nicholas Batu Supiir complained that, several pleas for the driver to allow them pick their instruments, office equipments, remove the zinc/roofing sheets and the electricity metre was fiercely prevented by the bulldozer driver.

One of the young Pastors who braved the storm to enter the Church to pick the instruments and also remove the electricity metre was eventually injured in the process when one of the blocks fell on the right side of his head and the shoulder.

The Reverend Minister insisted that the plot on which the Church auditorium was built had all the necessary documentations and approvals from the Lands Commission and the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (before the Sagnarigu Assembly was carved out it). He further insisted that he could confirm anywhere that his church was not built on the road.

“Even if I built the church in the road and the Assembly did not see me until I finished, at least it is human for the Assembly to write officially to me and if I refuse then they can send me to court. But all these processes were not followed, which makes the demolition exercise very illegal and violation of our human rights”.

Rev. Nicholas Batu Supiir said that his focus now was how to put a temporary structure to house the over 300 members before he lost them, and then decided on what action to take against the Assembly.

Responding to the concerns raised by the residents and most especially the Reverend Minister, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sagnarigu, Alhassan Mohammed Sorogudoo passionately sympathized with the affected residents and rendered unqualified apology to them all.

However, he said that the construction of the road was long overdue and inevitable for the assembly to carry out.

The DCE admitted that the Assembly actually could not give enough public notice before the exercise, but explained there was no way the Assembly could have allowed the interest of some few individuals to over ride that of the entire people in the community.

Mr. Sorogudoo said that the Assembly had been overburdened with calls from the community demanding the immediate tarring of the deplorable road, hence the urgency his office attached to the project when funds were made available for it.

He said that from past experiences, the people in the district had also proven to be unnecessary difficult and uncompromising in most of the times when even enough prior notices had been served to them to pave way for projects to be executed.

Mr. Sorogudoo emphatically stated that the Assembly and for that matter government could not compensate any of the affected persons because of lack of funds, even though he was saddened by the inconveniences they might have been going through as a result of the demolition.

The Road Construction from King David to Tunayili is necessary to link the area to the urban district of Tamale.

Stanbic Boss Donates Ambulances to Hospitals

Alhassan Andani (L) Dr. Jacob Mahama (R)

The Managing Director of Stanbic Bank Ghana Limited, Alhassan Andani has presented two Ambulances to the Northern Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service to boost quality health service delivery.

The two Ambulances which were bought to immortalize the memories of his beloved late mother and brother, Hajia Zeliatu Alhassan and Dr. Andani Andan respectively, are to be stationed at the Savelugu-Nanton and Yendi Municipal Hospitals.

Presenting the vehicles in Tamale, Mr. Alhassan Andani said that his decision to donate the two Ambulances was borne out of his personal desire to complement the good efforts of the government and for that matter the Ghana Health Service in fighting the high rate of maternal deaths in the region and promoting quality healthcare.

He said that he had deliberately labeled the Ambulances with the names of his Mother and Brother because of the roles they had played in making him what he is today.

Mr. Alhassan Andani who pledged to provide funds for the regular maintenance of the two ambulances for one whole year, said that the vehicles would bring a big relief to his people and the management of the two hospitals in referring patients to access advanced healthcare in and outside the region.

He said that even though government was doing its maximum best to provide the desirable health services ranging from infrastructure to medical equipment and provision of qualified personnel, there was still the need for people like him who were influential in the region to complement the efforts.

Mr. Alhassan Andani therefore called on other influential persons living within and outside the Northern Region to give back to their people at the community level in any form to ensure better condition for them.

On his part, the Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Jacob Mahama who received the two Ambulances on behalf of the Savelugu-Nanton and Yendi Municipal Hospitals, commended Mr. Alhassan Andani for the gesture.

He said that the donation of the two Ambulances could be described as one of the biggest donations received by the Directorate. 

According to Dr. Mahama, the issue of transportation remained a major challenge to all the health facilities in the Northern Region, and as a result the region had lost a lot of pregnant women because of delays in transporting them to other higher facilities. 

He therefore appealed to other organizations and influential individuals to emulate what Mr. Alhassan Andani had done.

The Northern Regional Director of Health assured Mr. Alhassan Andani of proper handling and maintenance of the Ambulances for longer use.

NDC Women Wings Poised To Lead 2016 Campaign

NDC National Women's Organiser

The National Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Hajia Zeinab Mahama is going round the country to woo more women into NDC and also broaden the support base of the governing party for victory in the November 7th general elections.

 

According to Hajia Mahama, the Women’s Wing of the NDC was more than prepared to lead the party into another victory in 2016 to allow for the continuity of the outstanding performance of President John Dramani Mahama. “Yes we are the women of the NDC and the majority. We are going to win the 2016 election for NDC and by all means John Mahama will continue to be the president of Ghana after 2016”.

Speaking in an interview with Savannahnews in Tamale after a well attended meeting of the leadership of all the women’s wing of the NDC across the 31 constituencies of the Northern Region, the Iron Lady emphasized that the women folks of the party were more awoken than before, and would not succumb to any intimidation from the opposition before, during and after the election.

The meeting which was graced by the Northern Regional Minister, Abdallah Abubakari, the Regional Chairman, Alhaji Sofo Azorka, the Regional Treasurer, Rashid Tanko Computer and the National Youth Organiser, Sidi Abubakari Musah, also saw the inauguration of the Regional Women’s Campaign Team.

The National Women’s Oraniser insisted on the party hierarchy to resource the women adequately to enable them execute their mission of retaining the party in power. According to Hajia Mahama, women everywhere in the world were those who win elections but not men. 

She promised that the women would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the NDC was maintained in 2016 to allow for the life transformation agenda being championed by President John Dramani Mahama.

The NDC National Women Organiser who was also keenly monitoring the Limited Voters Registration Exercise across the country, said that winning the 2016 election for the NDC was going to be minor task due to the good works of President Mahama.

She said that her administration would continue to empower all the women with the needed message to embark on door-to-door campaign in support of the envisaged victory.

Hajia Zeinab Mahama also reminded all the Regional and Constituency Women Organisers about their core mandate to serve the party at all times and ensure another victory in the coming elections.

“This is the time for all the women leaders of our party to prove why they contested the election and what they promised to deliver for the women and the NDC”.

On the other hand, the Northern Regional Women’s Organiser of the NDC, Madam Olivia Yahaya hinted that the leadership of the Women’s Wing of the party in the 31 Constituencies of the Northern Region had met to deliberate on how to maintain President John Dramani Mahama for another term in 2016. She said that the Women with or without money had vowed to go all out to win majority votes for President Mahama.

Madam Olivia also called on the women to remain peaceful and united before, during and after the election.

The Northern Regional Minister, Abdallah Abubakari congratulated the National and the Regional Women’s Wings for their determination to rally solidly behind President Mahama and the NDC.

He was optimistic that with the women determined to be at the forefront of the party’s campaign, victory was already beckoning.

Rainstorm Displaces 900 In Sagnarigu

Sagnarigu DCE

Close to 900 persons including women and children are currently displaced in the Sagnarigu District of the Northern Region following a heavy rainstorm. The wind-filled rain also caused extensive damage to several private and public properties including schools, churches and individual houses. About 9 persons were reported injured in the process.

Rainstorm disaster is virtually becoming an annual ritual in most of the districts in the Northern Region, especially in the Tamale Metropolis, Yendi Municipal, Gushegu, Karaga, West Mamprusi, East Gonja, Chereponi, Saboba and Sagnarigu Districts. Hardly will a year pass without witnessing disasters in communities in those districts. 

At the weekend, over 16 communities in the Sagnarigu District of the Northern region were badly hit by another disaster after a heavy downpour. School buildings, electricity poles, churches and several individual houses were affected. While some of the buildings were completely raised down, others also lost their roofings to the storm causing injuries to people.

District Chief Executive (DCE) for Sagnarigu, Alhassan Mohammed Sorogudoo and the Member of Parliament for the area, Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini toured the affected communities to assess the extent of damage and also sympathized with the victims.

The DCE Alhassan Mohammed Sorogudoo described the disaster as an “unfortunate occurrence” giving the extent of damage caused.

He said that the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in the district had been tasked with the responsibility to assess the level of damage and come out with actual figures before relief items could be extended to the victims.

Mr. Sorogudoo was suspicious that most of the buildings that were raised down or damaged by the storm were as a result of the use of substandard building materials. 

He therefore encouraged the people to seek the necessary technical expertise and procure the requisite standardized materials before putting up their buildings.

The DCE expressed disappointment at the way people in the various communities in the district had awfully failed to protect a number of tree seedlings planted by the Assembly   in the communities to serve as shades and windbreaks. 

However, Mr. Sorogudoo assured the people of NADMO’s support but also called on NGOs and other organizations to come to the aid of the people.

The Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini also expressed worry about the frequent outbreak of disasters in the area. 

He also attributed the disaster to the absence of trees within the communities and charged the people to also adopt the habit of tree planting to protect their own lives and properties.

The MP was particularly disappointed about the way the communities had allowed the trees planted by the Assembly and entrusted in their care to die off.

Alhaji A.B.A. Fuseini also the Deputy Northern Regional Minister promised to partner with the Assembly to ensure adequate support was extended to the victims as soon as possible.