MTN, UNDP Build ICT Centre For Tolon

MTN Ghana Foundation in partnership with the UNDP has constructed a 20 seater ultra-modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centre for the people of Tolon in the Tolon District of the Northern Region. 

The ICT centre according to the Executive Secretary of MTN Ghana Foundation, Robert Kuzoe would be a focal point for computer literacy education for the over 72,000 inhabitants in Tolon and its surrounding communities. 

At a colourful ceremony to inaugurate the Centre, Mr. Kuzoe said that the Tolon ICT centre was part of the foundation’s 10 ICT projects being provided in all 10 regions of Ghana, which are accompanied with projectors, colour printers, photocopiers, scanners, digital cameras, internet facilities and furniture among others. 

With a vision of leading the delivery of a bold digital world, the MTN Ghana Foundation envisaged that the provision of the ICT facilities would enable pupils, students, teachers and businesses at the local level to access online libraries which host thousands of educational resources that support teaching, learning and research. 

“Teachers and students will no longer have to rely solely on printed books and other materials which are in limited supply for their educational needs”.

Since the establishment of the foundation eight (8) years ago, MTN Ghana, according to the Executive Secretary had invested over GHC22.5 million in 135 communities across Ghana on development projects in the areas of health, education and economic empowerment. 

Mr. Robert Kuzoe said that the projects had impacted over three million people across the country.

In the area of education, the MTN Foundation, he noted had built over 75 major educational projects and 28 ICT centres out of which 10 were supported by the UNDP.

The MTN Foundation is also much revered in the Northern Region for the construction of the state-of-the-art Neo-natal Centre at the Tamale Teaching Hospital and the supply of medical equipment for the Chereponi Hospital and many others. 

Mr. Robert Kuzoe said that the MTN Ghana sees its 20 years of operation in Ghana as the beginning of many good things to happen and assured that the company would continue to support the development aspirations of the people.

The Assistant Country Director of UNDP, Mr. Louis Kuukpen commended the Regent of Tolon for providing land for the project free of charge. He cautioned the beneficiary students and teachers not to use the centre for unproductive things or to watch pornographic materials but rather use it positively for their benefit.

The Regent of Tolon, Major Retired Abubakari Sulemana who received the keys to the ICT centre commended MTN Ghana Foundation and the UNDP for the gesture which aimed at the development of the knowledge of the people.

According to him, the desire for an ICT centre had been the major priority of the traditional council to ensure that the people especially the young generation were equipped.

The Regent was therefore grateful to the donors and assured that the facility would be put to good use so as to benefit other children yet to be born. 

A seven member Management Committee was therefore inaugurated to manage, maintain and possibly expand the centre for maximum future benefit. 

NPP's Women Organiser Worried Over High Unemployment Rate

The Deputy Northern Regional Women’s Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hajia Safia Mohammed has expressed serious concern about how a large number of graduates from the Universities, Polytechnics and other training institutions have become liabilities on their parents and communities in recent years, due to the absence of employment.  

According to her, the inability of the ruling government led by President John Dramani Mahama to create employment for the teaming youth of this country, had compelled most of them to depend on their poor parents while others were now on the streets practicing prostitution and armed robbery for their survival. 

Speaking at a gathering of women’s groups at Bonbong Nayili in the Yendi Constituency, Hajia Safia Mohammed said that majority of parents had regretted ever investing in their children’s education; and expressed the fears that many parents would soon shy away from sending their wards to school, if President Mahama was not voted out of office. 

“Majority of Ghanaian youth especially the graduates are now roaming hopelessly on the streets. They no longer have trust and confidence in their leaders because the NDC government has awfully failed to address their concerns”. 

She alleged that the unemployment rate in the three regions of the north of Ghana had worsened under the rule of President Mahama who continued to deceive the people of the north with empty promises. 

Meanwhile, it is estimated that Ghana turns out over 200,000 unemployed youth every year. The Private and the Public sectors do not have the capacity to employ up to 10% of this number. 

An overwhelming number of these youth are on the streets; putting this country in an extreme danger. It is the duty of government to ensure that the youth do not get to the extreme level where there is complete frustration, hanger, anger, hopelessness and abject poverty. When that happens, all of us are in serious danger because many of them out of frustration may go to the extreme level of picking arms to rob, practice prostitution or join terrorist groups among others.

Majority of the unemployed graduates in the northern regions and for that matter Ghana are already mothers and fathers who also have the responsibility to cater for their children.  

Against this backdrop, the NPP Deputy Regional Women’s Organiser charged the women in the Northern Regions not to exchange the future of their children with Maggie cubes and pieces of wax cloths from the NDC for their votes in the November polls. 

She alleged that the NDC was waiting for the eve of the November elections to distribute cloths, matches and monies among others in exchange for their votes, knowing how much they had failed the people of the north.

CWSA Hints Of Privatising Community Water Systems

The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) has hinted it is considering engaging the services of private operators to manage Ghana’s small town water and sanitation systems (STWSS) in various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the country. 

Chief Executive Officer of CWSA, Clement Bugase, who made the announcement while on a familiarisation visit to some MMDAs in the Northern Region, said he believed privatising STWSS would ensure proper sustainability of the facilities as well as their prudent management.

According to him, the Community Water and Sanitation Management Teams (CWSMTs) which had oversight responsibility of managing and ensuring the sustainability of STWSS over the years, had not been impressive in the management of the facilities, resulting into the breakdown of some STWSS in most communities across the country.

He was however convinced that with the support of the MMDAs by re-training of the CWSMTs as well as ensuring proper monitoring and supervision, there would be effective management and sustainability of the STWSS.

CWSA among other things provide technical support to MMDAs to promote the sustainability of safe water supply and related sanitation services in rural communities and small towns; and enable the Assemblies encourage the active involvement of communities, especially women, in the design, planning, construction and community management of water and sanitation projects.

CWSA also formulate strategies for the effective mobilization of resolution for the execution of safe water development and related sanitation programmes; as well as encourage private sector participation in the provision of safe drinking water supply and related sanitation service.

Mr. Clement Bugase, CEO, CWSA

Accompanied by a nine-member team of the Board of the CWSA, Mr. Bugase visited the Kalende Water Treatment Plant, Salaga Water Distribution Centre, the Kpembe Dam and ongoing work on the Kpalbe Small Town Water Project all in East Gonja District. 

The familiarization visit was part of a regional tour by the Board of the CWSA to inspect rural water projects of the Agency in order to ascertain progress of work and how best to increase the water accessibility rate in those MMDAs.

The visit also offered the CWSA Board an opportunity to share some field experiences of the performance of the STWSS with district authorities, chiefs and opinion leaders as well as Water and Sanitation Management Teams. 

He also revealed that the CWSA had finalized a process of getting funding from Government for the expansion and rehabilitation work to begin on the Salaga and Walewale Small Town Water Systems. Mr. Clement Bugase urged all MMDAs in the country to step up their oversight role of ensuring that CWSMTs adhered to the regulatory act of the CWSA.

Nana Danso Agyei II, Board Chairman of the CWSA and Paramount Chief of Nkasem Traditional Area, entreated chiefs to take keen interest in the management and sustainability of the water systems in their localities, since they had a vital role to play in the STWSS. He also bemoaned the wanton pollution of water bodies by some citizens and urged the chiefs to protect them against pollution.

He acknowledged that the Board was much aware of the water crisis in Kpembi and Salaga and assured the chiefs and people of the two areas that efforts were being made to resolve it as soon as possible. 

According to Nana Danso Agyei II, the Salaga Water Expansion Project halted due to financial constraints. “Now funds are available to continue work and when completed it is expected to have a tank capacity of 80 meters cube and will serve an estimated population of 4,463 in the East Gonja District”.