GLOBAL HAND WASHING DAY LAUNCHED IN NORTHERN REGION

The practice of hand-washing with soap tops the international hygiene agenda on October 15, 2010 with the celebration of Global Hand-washing Day. Since its inception in 2008 – which was designated as the International Year of Sanitation by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly – Global Hand-washing Day has been echoing and reinforcing the call for improved hygiene practices worldwide.

The guiding vision of Global Hand-washing Day is a local and global culture of hand-washing with soap. Although people around the world wash their hands with water, very few wash their hands with soap at critical moments (for example, after using the toilet, while cleaning a child, and before handling food).

Health experts say hand-washing with soap is among the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent diarrheal diseases and pneumonia, which together are responsible for the majority of child deaths. Every year, more than 3.5 million children according to UNICEF, do not live to celebrate their fifth birthday because of diarrhea and pneumonia. Yet, despite its lifesaving potential, hand-washing with soap is seldom practiced and not always easy to promote.

As the Northern Region of Ghana takes its turn to launch the 2010 Global Handwashing Day, the people have been asked to adopt good hygienic practices in order to safeguard their health and also avoid the high cost of medical expenses during disease outbreak.

Prince Askia Mohammed, District Chief Executive for Savelugu/Nanton who said this in an address during the launch of this year’s Northern Regional Global Hand Washing Day With Soap at Savelugu recently, bemoaned the parental neglect of not educating children on the dangers associated with dirt and asked parents to wake up from the slumber.

According to him, dirt breeds chronic diseases such as cholera, diarrhea and malaria which always affect family budgets.

The Savelugu/Nanton DCE therefore called on parents and teachers at the basic school level in the Northern Region to inculcate in the younger generation the culture of good hygienic practices.

He hinted that all food vendors, caterers and cooks working under the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) in the Savelugu-Nanton District have undergone several screening exercises to ensure that they are hygienic or free from contagious diseases that can easily be transferred to pupils.

Prince Mohammed pledged the Assembly’s commitment to intensify its campaign on good hygienic practices in the area towards improving the health needs of the people.

Mr. Askia commended the United Nation’s International Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) as well as World Vision for providing 30 hand washing basins and detergents towards that drive.

Meanwhile, the challenge is to transform hand-washing with soap from an abstract good idea into an automatic behaviour performed in homes, schools, and communities worldwide. Turning hand-washing with soap before eating and after using the toilet into an ingrained habit could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, cutting deaths from diarrhea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by one-quarter, according to health experts.

More hand-washing with soap would make a significant contribution to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing deaths among children under the age of five by two-thirds by 2015. Global Hand-washing Day will be the centrepiece of a week of activities that will mobilize millions of people across five continents to wash their hands with soap.

BIMOBA STUDENTS UNION UPSET, ASKED GOVT TO INVESTIGATE POLICE SWOOP AT NAKPANDURI

The Bimoba Students Union has lambasted the recent police operation carried out at Nakpanduri on October 27, 2010 in an attempt to arrest notorious armed robber Johnson Kombian.

The union described that exercise as a violation of the human rights of residents of Nakpanduri and hence called on right activists and government to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to book.

These among other concerns were captured in an eight page press statement read at a media briefing in Tamale the Northern Regional capital which also coincided with the Interior Minister, Martin Amidu’s visit to Nakpanduri on a fact finding mission.

The statement which was signed by Patrick Yenteeb, National President of the Bimoba Students Union condemned Superintendent Kwesi Ofori, Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Police Service for justifying the swoop which he said was carried out to apprehend the notorious robber and his accomplices.

He asserted that Supt Ofori’s comment justified the alleged looting, burning of houses and molestation of residents of Nakpanduri and challenged the Police PRO to tell Ghanaians how many houses were burnt in Kumasi when a police man was recently killed there.

Patrick Yenteeb remarked that what happened in Nakpanduri amounted to an act of selective justice for which reason government should come out clear on the matter or lose its popularity in the area and the entire Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo Constituency.

He asked the police to leave residents of Nakpanduri and its environs in peace if they cannot arrest Johnson Kombian.

The Bimoba Students Union National President further urged government to set up a committee to investigate the matter and with immediate effect release all the suspects who were rounded up during the swoop and as well reconstruct the houses that were burnt.

Meanwhile, the Interior Minister, Mr. Martin Amidu has toured some of the 22 houses that were burnt during the exercise and consoled the affected persons with a promise that government would assist them.

He regretted that Johnson Kombian’s terrorist acts had led to the unfortunate incident and implored residents of Nakpanduri to cooperate with security operatives on the ground to flush out the notorious armed robber and his accomplices to enable law abiding citizens enjoy life in that area.

Mr. Amidu met with the chief of Nakpanduri where it was resolved that the traditional authority will liaise with security operatives on the ground to get rid of Johnson Kombian and his accomplices.

Available statistics collated by the District National Disaster Management Organization revealed that the properties that were destroyed were valued at GH¢ 96,560.00.

The NADMO reports also captured 242 persons as victims of that circumstance out of which 34 are men, 58 women and additional three pregnant women as well as 147 children who are currently out of school.

UDS MEDICAL SCHOOL TO ACHIEVE GREAT SUCCESS

The University for Development Studies (UDS) in the Northern Region of Ghana is set to achieve yet another great success in one of its academic programmes intended to make products of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) unique among their colleagues from other sister medical schools in the country.

The UDS Medical School which has trained quiet a greater number of medical doctors over the past one and half decades, has in recent years introduced what it called the Problem Based Learning (PBL) methodology into its curriculum aimed at giving specialised training to medical students.

The PBL is aimed at preparing health professionals and scientists, with the right beliefs and attitudes to work in deprive rural communities. It makes students adapt to, initiate change and collaborate within interdisciplinary teams to contribute significantly to humane and cost effective health care.

This unique method of training adopted by the UDS according to its Vice Chancellor, Professor Haruna Yakubu, will make products of the institution become hot-cakes when they finally graduate. Adding that, they will be special in the sense that the enormous health problems facing the people of Northern Ghana in particular would be adequately dealt with.

Prof Yakubu said this at the 3rd Induction Ceremony for 82 Clinical Students of the SMHS of the UDS in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital.

He expressed gratitude to the government and people of Netherlands for providing the human resource development and equipment for kick starting the PBL methodology from the initial stages to this far.

Prof Yakubu stated that all efforts would also be made to recruit any critical staff identified within the shortest possible time through a fast track method adopted for the purposes of the SMHS.

The Vice Chancellor however, acknowledged the inadequate lecture halls at the Tamale Teaching Hospital where the students undertake their clinicals. Adding that, he had set up a committee to use internally generated resources to construct three lecture halls at the hospital which are almost completed, while steps are taken to add other structures including in particular library facilities.

He made a passionate appeal to the Ghana Education Trust Fund to continue to favourably consider the needs of the SMHS. "It is a fact that medical education is expensive and with the absolute depravity of the school, if there is no upward push, the mountain would be more difficult to climb", he philosophised.

The UDS Vice Chancellor further observed that the SMHS is the only campus of the University where the students do not have any hostel accommodation. This situation, he said was very challenging for students who constantly need to consult themselves because of the methodology of training implored.

While the University makes the necessary arrangement to reverse this unacceptable situation, Prof Haruna Yakubu appealed to corporate bodies such as SSNIT, Teachers Funds, and financial institutions that are into estate evelopment to come to their aid by taking advantage of land availability at both the Tamale campus and Teaching Hospital to build suitable accommodation for students.

The Dean of the UDS SMHS, Dr. Edward N. Gyader, observed that the biggest challenge facing the school now is the lack of paediatrics and therefore, appealed to paediatricians in the senior medical schools to accept the challenge and relocate to Tamale. A great career awaits you and you would be counted as pioneers and your sacrifices recognised when the history of University for Development Studies Medical School is written, he promised.

Dr. David Akolbila, Senior Lecturer, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the UDS SMHS in a bried statement, recalled excellence performance by former clinical students who scored not less than 55 percent, something he said was not easily achieved in medical schools in the country.

He challenged the fresh clinical students of the UDS to set good records like their predecessors saying "even if you cannot score 55 percent make sure you don't score below this percentage in order to maintain the standard".

OVER SIX HUNDRED CHILDREN AT GNANI WITCHES CAMP NOT IN SCHOOL

An estimated 630 children of school going age at the Gnani witches camp in the Yendi Municipality in the Northern Region are currently not in school as a result of their parents’ inability to cater for their education.

Their mothers, numbering over 200 and suspected to be witches have found Gnani as a home where they have been living for many years ever since they were banished and ostracized by their husbands, families and community members.

The only few children who go to school outside the camp travel for about two miles away from home due to lack of educational infrastructure at Tingdang where the camp is located.

Ahmed Mahamud, 28, who has lived all his life at the witches’ camp, told a group of human rights journalists who accompanied the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ActionAid International on a tour in the area, that he is an illiterate because the Tingdang community lacked schools.

Some of the alleged witches including Mma Martha Neindow shared their sad stories with the journalists and concluded that they found themselves at the camp because of false accusations leveled against them by their own people.

The alleged witches commended ActionAid-Ghana and its development partners like Songtaba for alleviating their plight in diverse ways and appealed for educational infrastructure and skills training to enable them make some money and send their children to school.

The CEO of ActionAid International, Joana Kerr, described as generally unacceptable the situation in which the inmates had found themselves at the camp which she noted was borne out of hatred and jealousy.

She advised people living in the affected communities to stop the false accusations against particularly impoverished women and their children in society and rather focus on creating opportunities that would improve their general wellbeing.

Madam Kerr therefore called on the media to shift public opinion from the perception of witchcraft by helping to build a society that will be free of such injustices.

Later at a meeting prior to a dinner organized in her honour by the Northern Regional Minister, Madam Joana Kerr requested that the Northern Regional Coordinating Council should focus its partnership drive with Action-Aid Ghana on four thematic areas.

She mentioned the areas as abolishing the culture of witchcraft against women and children, championing the education for all concept, increasing to 40% women participation at all stages of decision making processes especially at the grassroots level as well as granting women access to lands.

Meanwhile, Mr. Moses Bukari Mabengba commended Action-Aid Ghana for its socio-economic interventions in the Northern Region over the years and pledged the RCC’s support to make the organization achieve its aims and objectives.

MAYOR OF TAMALE WARNS OF DRASTIC ACTION ON INDISCIPLINE

The Mayor of Tamale has warned of severe consequences for any individual or groups who will attempt to put impediments or divert the attention of the Assembly and its agents from performing its lawful duties.

The Mayor, Alhaji Abudulai Harruna Friday issued this warning in a statement to the Press in the wake of a recent acts of indiscipline by a group of young men who arrogated to themselves the power to free 29 cattle impounded by the Assembly’s taskforce following an exercise it undertook to arrest all loose and idle livestock in the streets of the Metropolis.

According to the Mayor, the perpetrators of this lawless act would be pursued and flashed out from their hideout and made to face the full rigors of the law, saying “there shall be no mercy for anyone found to be guilty of the offence”.

Alhaji Friday said the matter was being investigated thoroughly by the police whiles efforts were also being made to beef up security at the yard of the Assembly where the cattle were set free.

In the meantime, according to Alhaji Harruna Friday the exercise continues unabated until such time that all streets in the Metropolis are free from all such loose and idle animals most of which had been of great concern to residents, sometimes resulting in accidents or damage to property.

The Tamale Mayor appealed to the general public to endeavor to be law abiding at all times and report all acts of lawlessness to the police for prompt action and also called for their support and co-operation to enable the Assembly succeed in its effort to keep the city clean.

Andani youth abroad being haunted

Following the bloody spar between the Abudu and Andani Royal Families in the Yendi Municipality in the Northern Region of Ghana that led to the slaying of the late overlord of Dagbon Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II and forty of his elders at his palace, there appears to be a serious consequence on family members of sub-chiefs who were loyal to the late ruler.

Rumors are that some family members of the true serving elders of the late overlord are seriously receiving threatening messages alleged to be coming from some members of the Abudu royal family.

According to indebt investigations done by a freelance Journalist, they were all exercising fears they could be in trouble again in Dagbon and this is having a serious effect on their lives.

Again, this reporter also uncovered that some natives of Dagbon who fled Ghana in the heat of the Dagbon chieftaincy conflict in March 2002 to Germany, Australia, New Zealand, United States of America (USA), and United Kingdom (UK), are said to have been receiving unpleasant threats from people whom they do not even know.

According to investigations by this reporter, the following were sub chiefs under the Andani regime and now they are all out of the country with the rest of their family members, and they are all afraid to return home because they fear their lives will be in danger.

They are Chief Bomaha-Naa Salifu Tituori, Afa Alhassan Yahaya, Naa Zou Musah Fuseini, Nachin Naa Salifu Saani, Chief Solomon Sarinye, Naa Bapra Abubakari Andani, Isahaku Iddrisu, Adam Sulemana, Landaa Naa Yakubu Ndibo and Bipriba Samata Sabaa.

Furthermore, some sons and daughters of the Andani punchiest who were also victims of the chieftaincy including Zeinab Andani, Alhassan Inusah Andani, Solomon Tia, Fuseini Sayibu, John Alhassan, Sherifatu Alhassan, Barkis Tia, Rita Tia, Rose Tia, Mohammed Mohaimin Neindoo, Issah Sanatu Suglo, Alhassan Chentiwuni, Mahama Napodou and among others were equally receiving similar threats.

“Information picked up by this reporter indicated that they actually escaped from the chieftaincy dispute for their lives and now in foreign countries hoping for peace to prevail so that they return peaceful return to their country (Ghana).

It’s undeniable a fact that, several attempts to find a permanent solution to the longstanding feud between the Andanis and the Abudus has failed since 2002.

Some family members of the Abudu Gate have in this year been taken to court as suspects by the current Justice Ministry after it was perceived to be a human right issue especially the manner in which the King died.

Although many analysts say it was a war between two rival factions, the government also thinks that members of the Abudu Gate allegedly started the war which led to the death of the King and his elders.

By Haroun T. SAANI

NYEP LAUNCH TRADES AND VOCATION MODULE

The National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) in collaboration with Asongtaba Cottage Industry and Exchange Programme (ACI&EP), has launched a trades and vocation module of the NYEP with special emphasis on hairdressing.

It is aimed at training about 10,000 youths in hairdressing across the country and give self employment to about 500,000 youths in various skills under trade and vocation by 2012.

Mr San Nasamu Asabigi, the Deputy Northern Regional Minister, who launched it in Tamale on Friday, said the module was an enticing opportunity to establish a genuine hope for Ghanaian youth through skills training.

“I see it as yet another intervention by the government to offer the youth of Ghana the career path which will enable them make a bold step into the world of work”, he said.

He said the NYEP in 2009 and 2010 recruitment calendar would see over 200,000 unemployed and under-employed youth engaged in various sectors of the economy for a maximum period of two years.

Mr Asabigi said over 120,000 youth had so far benefited from the programme while about 1,000,000 youth had been registered nationwide and were yet to be placed on the programme.

He said the Ministry of Youth and Sports had taken the initiative to promote youth entrepreneurship by implementing the NYEP Business Proposal initiative where youths with creative business ideas would be selected, trained and setup in businesses with seed fund and logistics.

The Minister stressed that a Business Development and Advisory Unit would be commissioned as part of the NYEP so that any youth with sound business ideas and wanted to setup his or her own business could be assisted through counseling, support and mentoring.

He said the unit would assist the young entrepreneurs to identify businesses that they have comparative advantage in and develop business plans for them as well as link them micro financing firms for support.

Dr George Agulima, Executive Director of ACI&EP said Ghana was endowed with talented youths whom he aims at transforming into productive and skillful individuals for them to create jobs for themselves using appropriate technologies.

He said the objective is to train them and set them up to be able to employ other youth, adding that the organisation had already trained about 7,000 youth nationwide in various vocations.

Dr Agulima said his organization was committed to the strategic partnership with the government and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to ensure sustainable development for the country.

Alhaji Haruna Abdulai Friday, the Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive, commended the initiative of the ACI&EP, adding that unemployment among the youth was a global phenomenon and called on stakeholders to find appropriate solutions to it.

GNA/DS

CSIR CALLS FOR MORE INVESTMENT IN AGRIC

Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Dr. Stephen Nutsugah, has disclosed that even though the country is likely to half poverty and hunger by 2015, more efforts is required from government to improve agriculture.

He indicated that the country still faced significant challenges in sustaining and accelerating agricultural growth to meet the target of 6.0 per cent agricultural growth per year.

The Director was speaking at a field day for farmers at Cheshegu in the Tolon/Kumbungu District of the Northern Region which enabled the farmers to interact with stakeholders in the agriculture research sector.

It was organized by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Soil Health Project and attended also by USAID, DANIDA, and IFAD.

He called for serious investment in providing irrigation facilities like dams and pumping machines to encourage all year cultivation of crops. This he said must be assisted with improved seeds, fertilizer, affordable agro-chemicals as well as easy access to extension services.

He was however optimistic that the efforts of CSIR-SARI would go along way to benefit the farmers to achieve higher yield, adding, the institution will continue to research and strengthen organizational structures and processes for enhancing service delivery.

District Chief Executive of Tolon/Kumbungu, Mr. Iddi-Manzah Mahama, bemoaned the level of importation of cereals and other crops which are grown in the country as negatively affecting the agriculture sector and called for more initiatives to change the situation and make agriculture prestigious to attract more people.

Ghanadistricts.com/Shirimori Dominic

40 MORE HOUSES SUBMERGE AT BUIPE

Forty more houses with a population of about 400 occupants at Kikali NO 4, a farming community in the Central Gonja District submerged on Sunday October 24. This brings the number of displaced persons in the Central Gonja District close to 30,000.

Their homes and other valuables worth thousands of Ghana cedis have been destroyed by the floods caused by the Bagre and Kampianga dams spillage coupled with this year’s torrential rains.

This was discovered when Hon. Sualisu Bi-Awuribe, the District Chief Executive accompanied by Hon. Amadu Seidu, the Member of Parliament for Yapei/Kusawgu constituency visited Kikali on a fact finding mission.

The situation has led to the mass exodus of some of the affected persons fleeing to find refuge in some parts of the Volta Region.

Hon. Sualisu Be-Awuribe disclosed that government through the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) has provided relief items for the displaced persons.

The package includes 100 bags of long grain rice, 100 bags of maize, 40 cartons of cooking oil, 400 blankets, 20 bales of used clothing, 50 pockets of roofing sheets and 20 pockets of nails.

He said 4 tents have been erected to provide temporary accommodation to the displaced persons.

Commenting on the purported rising conflict in Buipe, Hon. Be-Awuribe debunked the assertion and advised residents of the area to re-channel their resources into making life comfortable for the displaced persons.

According to him, the District Security Committee imposed a ban on drumming and dancing in the area in view of the recent chieftaincy crisis that erupted in-connection with the deskinment of Chief Abdulai Jinapor.

The DCE said at no point did he lift the curfew and pleaded that the aggrieved parties should use the appropriate quarters’ to address their grievances.
citifmonline.com

MCE DECRIES STATE OF HEALTH DELIVERY

The Municipal Chief Executive for Bolgatanga, Mr. Epsona Avamga, has described the state of health delivery in the Bolgatanga Municipality especially with regards to health personnel as one of the worst in the country.

He indicated that the doctor-patient ratio as at 2009 stood at 1:30,534 whilst the nurse-patient ratio was 1:734, adding that even though health facilities were available most of them were in a state of disrepair and also with obsolete equipment without personnel to even use them.

He said in the Assembly’s bid to address some of these challenges, they had initiated and completed the construction of a CHPS Compound with a Pavilion and borehole at Sherigu-Nyokoko, extension of electricity to Zuarungu-Moshie clinic and that of Sokabisi and Dachio.

He said the Assembly had awarded on contract the construction of a CHPS Compound, a Pavilion and a borehole each at Kumbosco and Dorongo and work was progressing on the construction of CHPS Centres at Yarigabisi and Katanga.

He said health facilities in the municipality stood at 20 out of which 16 were owned by the government, one by a mission, two by private individuals and one by a quasi-governmental organisation.

The Municipal Chief Executive made these observations at the first in the series of the Upper East Region districts meet the press at Bolgatanga which was attended by the Paramount Chief of the Bolgatanga traditional area Naba Martin Abilba, Assembly Persons, Heads of Departments and media personnel in the region.

On education in the Municipality, Mr. Ayamga said, most institutions had inadequate classrooms and teacher’s accommodation, adding, this situation had been aggravated by the extension in the duration of the senior high school (SHS) programme to four years.

"Furthermore, the high rate of teachers leaving the service coupled with the quest for teachers to upgrade their knowledge in higher institutions has rendered many schools understaffed.

In fact, the Pupil-Teacher ratio in the municipality stands at 56:1 for public schools and 28:1 for private schools".

He said in their attempt to address the educational infrastructure challenges, the central government and the Municipal Assembly had to embark on a crash programme to eliminate schools under trees and the shift system by constructing three unit classroom blocks with ancillary facilities at Yorogo-Medina and Baptist Junior High School.

Similar facilities were also constructed at Nyariga, Soe, Asoongoom, Yipala, Dubila, Azalong, Tinnonmolgo, Kantia and Afeghera.

He said the Assembly also constructed a six unit classroom blocks with ancillary facilities each at Bolgatanga Experimental, Sherigu and Atampurum schools and also manufactured and supplied 380 dual desks to basic schools in the municipality.

The Municipal Chief Executive said disposal of solid and liquid waste was another major problem confronting the Assembly, saying, statistics showed that about 15 per cent of the total waste generated was collected and disposed.

He said there were 27 septic tanks, one VIP, six KVIP and four public water closets serving a population of 15,444 from a total population of 73,809 within the municipality.

He said the National Youth Employment Programme which started under the previous administration and which was been continued by the present government had engaged 1,453 youth under various models of the programme in the Municipality.

He said 350 Youth have been recruited under the Community Teaching Assistance module, 150 on the Health Extension, and 115 under the Greening Ghana Project and under the Youth in Trade and Vocation 36 are under the Dressmaking and 363 under the basket weaving module.

He added that 36 have been recruited under the ICT module, 258 on Paid Internship, 110 in Waste and Sanitation, 10 under Community Protection Unit and 25 under the Beautification of the Capital Cities module.
Daily Graphic

BEST FARMER AWARD NOT DEVELOPING AGRICULTURE

Mr. Gilbert Atanga, a representative of the Upper East Regional Small Scale Farmers group, said in as much as farmers appreciated the annual national best farmer awards, the award system was not helping to develop agriculture in a sustained way.

He therefore appealed to government to consider an award system that provided facilities such as farm machinery and inputs, dams and accessible roads to districts and communities that were judged to have performed creditably in agricultural production for the benefit of all farmers in such areas.

Mr. Atanga made the appeal during this year’s Farmers Week celebration that was held on Thursday in Wa in the Upper West Region.

Organised by the Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition (GTLC), the event was on the theme: "Smallholder Farmers: Reserving the Right to be more Productive".

The Farmers Week celebration was instituted by the GTLC in 2006 with the aim of bringing smallholder farmers together to articulate their concerns and make pragmatic proposals to enhance the National Farmers Day celebration. The celebration brought together over 1,000 farmers from all the 10 regions of Ghana.

Mr. Atanga stressed that the national best farmer awards benefited only individuals to the detriment of the small scale farmers whose contributions to the development of agriculture in the country could not be downgraded.

Mr. Ibrahim Akalbila, GTLC National Coordinator, said listening to the concerns of the small scale farmers, one would wonder what the country had been celebrating every year as national farmers’ day.

He therefore called on institutions to target the small scale farmers to build their capacities to increase productivity.

Mr. Akalbila appealed to the government to set aside a special budgetary allocation to support small scale farmers.

He reiterated the need for smallholder farmers to form groups to enable them to become stronger and more united to be able to have influence on government policies.

Mr. Abdul-Latif Khalid, a representative of the Upper West Farmers, mentioned the lack credit facilities for smallholder farmers, lack of irrigation facilities, lack of access to profitable markets and poor dialogue between farmers and stakeholders as some of the challenges confronting farmers.

GNA/DS

COLLAPSED BRIDGE AFFECTS ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES

Economic activities in the Lawra District of the Upper West Region have been adversely affected by the collapse of a steel bridge on the Domwini-Nandom-Hamile road.

The bridge broke down when a Burkina-Faso bound articulated truck which was overloaded with iron rods and pieces of wood attempted to use the route which is the shortest to its destination.

The situation has led to the closure of the busy road resulting in farmers and traders being unable to use that stretch of road.

This came to light when the Deputy Regional Minister, Caesar Kale visited the accident scene to acquaint himself with the problem.
GBC/DS

POLICE ASKED NOTORIOUS ROBBER TO PREPARE FOR WAR

The Acting Northern Regional Police Commander, ACP Mathew Appiagyei has sent a strong warning signal to the notorious armed robber Johnson Kombian a.k.a. Burger and his gang who recently laid ambushed and gunned down three Policemen in Nakpanduri to prepare for “a war” with the Police.

The Police Commander who is alarmed by the death of two out of the three Policemen who were attacked by the harden criminals has vehemently vowed that the Police administration would soon pick up Johnson Kombian from wherever he was hiding to face the full rigors of the law.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with savannahnews ACP Appiagyei maintained that, the Police Service was now 100% convinced that Kombian masterminded the shooting of the three Policemen, who were on patrol duty in the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District killing one of them on the spot.

The three officers were Constable Prince Agyare (died on the spot), Constable Owusu Frimpong (died later at the Hospital on Thursday October 21, 2010) and Lance Corporal Osei Bonsu (seriously injured and has been flown to the Police Hospital in Accra).

He said the presence of Johnson Kombian in the district was a complete threat to the lives of the people especially women who had since 2000 till date been terrorized, raped and robbed of their property.

ACP Appiagyei maintained that the criminals could not continue to terrorize the Police and other innocent people in the Bunkpurugu area, and thus dropped the hint that the Police were devising practical measures to enable them smoke Johnson Kombian and his gang from their hideouts.

The killing of the police officers in the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo area has become a major test to the Ghana Police Service to prove their efficiency and effectiveness in conducting professional investigations to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crime to book.

ACP Appiagyei however hinted that the Northern Regional Police and some men from the National Security had been placed on high alert as part of the comprehensive search mounted on the criminals.

At the moment, the Police Administration has placed a sum of Three Thousand Ghana cedi (GH¢3,000) ransom for any person who can release credible information that will lead to the arrest of Johnson Kombian before he strikes again.

Johnson Burger Kombian has been on the Police wanted list for several years now and has gained notoriety as a constant jail-breaker.

It is on Police Records that Johnson “Burger” Kombian is currently Ghana’s most wanted armed robber whose operations sometimes extend to neighbouring Togo and Burkina Faso.

Between 2005 and 2010, the notorious criminal has killed so many people through Highway robberies especially women. He single handedly killed two soldiers in Bimbilla and robbed them of their weapons, broke into Police armory at Nakpanduri and made away AK47 assault riffles and uniforms. He also physically assaulted police officers in the area and took away their weapons.

However, the former Northern Regional Police Commander, ACP Awuni Angwubutoge mounted a search on him and finally arrested Kombian.

But through the negligence of the officers at the Tamale Central Prisons, Johnson Kombian broke out of jail for the third consecutive time, hence the catastrophe befalling the Police officers.

Savannahnews has learnt that just as the Police are adopting measures to arrest Johnson Kombian either dead or alive, he has also been sending text messages threatening to kill any Police Officer who would dare cross his line.

POVERTY CONCERN GHANA DONATES TO SCHOOLS IN N/R

Poverty Concern Ghana, a not for profit making organization that exist to ensure that poverty among the less fortunate becomes a thing of the past, has donated educational materials to some selected schools in the Northern Region.

The items included 138 writing desks, 418 chairs, 23 computers and their accessories and other valuables meant to enhance effective teaching and learning in the beneficiary
schools.

The beneficiary schools are Tolon Senior High School, Almakthoum Senior High School in Tamale, Bagabaga Nursery and Junior High Schools, Sandabbi International School, Girls Growth and Development as well as Kugafong Mangsongsim group.

Making the presentation, Abdul-Razak Abdulai, Chief Executive Officer of Poverty Concern Ghana said the donation was meant to provide assistance to such schools which are classified as less endowed schools and lacked behind in the area of Information Communication Technology (ICT).

“As part of our objectives Poverty Concern Ghana is committed to supporting deprived schools in the Northern Region with classroom furniture and computers as our widows might to help produce quality graduates for the highly competitive job market” he stressed.

Mr. Abdul-Razak expressed his organization’s desire to equip the computer laboratories of deprived schools in the area with the needed equipment provided the donation would be put to good use.

According to him, Poverty Concern Ghana in partnership with organizations such as MakeIt4Africa, Scotland Council for Voluntary Organization, Coquet High School among others had mobilized more educational materials to support less endowed educational institutions in the region.

He however mentioned the high import duties at Ghana’ Ports as one of the major challenges confronting the process of bringing down the materials.

Mr. Abdul-Razak thus passionately appealed to government to award tax exemptions to individuals and groups who import learning materials to support education in the country.

Madam Nafisa Dauda, Tolon/Kumbungu District Director of the Ghana Education Service thanked Poverty Concern Ghana for the gesture and promised that the items would be put to good use.

NCA SET DEADLINE FOR THE REGISTRATION OF SIM CARDS

The National Communications Authourity has served notice that all mobile phone users in the country who have deliberately refused or feel reluctant to heed to the directive by the Authourity to have their SIM Cards registered would have them blocked by June 30, 2011.

The NCA said the ongoing nationwide registration of SIM Cards by the mobile telecommunication service providers was compulsory for the enhancement of a national data base hence the need for all mobile phone users to have their SIM Cards registered before the first half of 2011.

The Corporate and Consumer Affairs Manager of the NCA Abed A. Bandim gave the warning at a meeting with Regional and District Information Officers and Communicators in Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana.

According to him, public sensitization on the exercise at the grassroots level was very abysmal and that informed the NCA’s decision to embark on the nationwide awareness creation programme for staff of the Information Service Department to enable them educate the rural folks on the importance of the SIM Card registration exercise that began several months ago following a decision by the government and the NCA.

He mentioned the Passport Office and the Drivers and Vehicular License Authority (DVLA) as other collaborators whose collective responsibility would make the exercise a fruitful one.

Mr. Badim announced that the NCA would soon implement what it called the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) which will make it possible for mobile phone users in Ghana to easily switch to different networks via the same SIM Card or chip.

Mr. Sam Nasaamu Asabigi, Deputy Northern Regional Minister during a courtesy call on him lauded the exercise and pledged the Regional Coordinating Council’s support to make it a success.

POLICE ARREST FOUR ACCOMPLICES OF WANTED CRIMINAL

Four suspects believed to be accomplices of notorious Armed Robber Johnson Kombian alias Burger have been arrested by the Nakpanduri police.

They are 36 years old Talaata Somka, Funtuma Kunche 29, Bitian Kombian 34 and Yemubuku Duk Kombian 26 all natives of Nakpanduri where Johnson Kombian allegedly shot a police man dead and left two others in critical condition.

All the four suspects have been transferred to Tamale and they will be arranged before court anytime soon.

According to ASP Abdulai Mumuni, District police Commander for Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo district, Talaata Somka was cited with Johnson Kombian during the alleged shooting incident while Funtuma Kunche accommodated him.

He promised that the police will do everything possible to neutralize his network in Nakpanduri to save residents of that part of the northern region from his terrorist acts.

ASP Abdulai Mumuni appealed however to authorities at the police headquarters to arrange for a helicopter to airlift one of the surviving victims in critical condition at the Nalerigu Baptist Mission Health Centre to Accra.

He said his condition required the attention of an orthopedic expert to handle his situation which could get out of hand if he remained at the Nalerigu Baptist Mission Health Centre.

A.K Naatogmah

Matters Arising after Dagbon Chieftaincy Conflict

THE MARCH 2002 bloody conflict between the Andani and Abudu Royal Families in the Northern Region of Ghana that saw the King of Dagbon Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II and forty of his retinue slain appears to be having a serious ramification on the family members of sub-chiefs who were loyal to the late ruler.

Investigations by this blogger has revealed that some natives of Dagon who fled Ghana in the heat of the Dagbon conflict in 2002 to the United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Australia, New Zealand and Germany are said to have been receiving unpleasant text and internet messages from unknown faces or people.

These sons and daughters of the Andani family who were also victims of the chieftaincy war include, Alhassan Inusah Andani, Fuseini Sayibu, John Alhassan, Sherifatu Alhassan, Zeinab Andani, Barkis Tia, Rita Tia, Rose Tia, Mohammed Mohaimin Neindoo, Solomon Tia, Issah Sanatu Suglo, Alhassan Chentiwuni, and among others.

Most of them this blogger gathered are now schooling at various levels in those foreign countries and hope to come back to Ghana one day after their studies to stay and work for progress. But right now, they are all exercising fears they could be assassinated on their return and this is having a serious toll on their academic work.

Musah Fuseini, Salifu Saani, Solomon Sarinye, Abubakari Andani, Isahaku Iddrisu, Adam Sulemana were sub chiefs under the Andani regime and now they are all out of the country with the rest of their family members, and they fear to return because they believe their lives would be in jeopardy.

It has also been gathered that, these guys even though they do not know why their lives were being sought after, thought that may be it is because they belong to the Andani Royal Gate that could be the reason why.

“Information picked up by this blogger indicated that they actually escaped from the chieftaincy dispute for their dear life and sojourned in different countries in Europe and America where they might be seeking asylum or doing something else to keep their lives safe.

But now that some of them are receiving messages that were purported to be coming from people they suspected belong to the opposite side of their family (Abudus), it’s a source of worry”, sources revealed”. One of the sources also indicated that probably they were being threatened because their fathers played a major role for being sub-chiefs under the regime of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II.

Adding that, even some of the fathers of the young lads also run away for their lives during the conflict in 2002 and had since lost contact with their children, citing all the above mentioned names.

Several attempts to find a lasting solution to the eight year old chieftaincy dispute between the Andani Royal Gate (which the late King belongs to) and the Abudu Royal Gate (the rival faction) has failed since that sad occurrence in 2002.

The conflict saw the displacement of several youth from the Dagbon Kingdom in 2002 with many of them running to the Southern part of Ghana whilst others fled the shores of Ghana. Besides their parents, the above mentioned poor men for instance, has also lost contact with their siblings.

Meanwhile, some family members (elders) of the Abudu Gate have since been taken to court as suspects by the current government this year after it was considered as a human rights issue considering the manner in which the King died together with forty of his followers.

Even though many analysts say it was a war between two rival groups or families, the government (Attorney General) also claimed members of the Abudu Gate allegedly started the war by attacking the Andani Gate which led to the death of the King and his elders.

EXEMPT TAX ON IMPORTED LEARNING MATERIALS ………educationist appeals to govt

An educationist and businessman in the Northern Region of Ghana, has asked government to award tax exemptions to private individuals and groups who import educational materials geared towards the improvement of the falling standard of education in the area.

This in his estimation would help bridge the yawning development gap between the North and South of the country considering the fact that there is high illiteracy rate in the Northern Region.

According to Abdul-Razak Abdullai, enormous opportunities abound for many more businesses to be setup by indigenes and non-indigenes alike but they are often deterred by the huge taxes they had to pay when they are to import certain learning materials for charity purposes or expand their facilities.

Mr. Abdul-Razak, who is owner of SandAbbi Hotel and Chief Executive of SandAbbi International School, made this request to government during the commissioning of the school in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital.

He further called on Chiefs in the area to support people who have the vision to bring development to their communities with lands to enable them implement their intentions.

The school which is part of several other educational projects being initiated by SandAbbi Foundation with support from its partners MakeIT4Africa, a Non-Governmental Organisation based in Europe, is under a Comprehensive Child Development Plan (CCDP) worth several millions of dollars.

Through this partnership, SandAbbi International School gets support in the form of computers, furniture and Books while some of them are also distributed to deprived schools in rural communities in the Northern Region.

The first phase of the ultra-modern school which will run from Crèche to Kindergarten/Preparatory School has well structured and well equipped classrooms, library, state-of-the-art Information Communication Technology (ICT) centre, and among other facilities.

Management also plans to establish Junior High and Senior High Schools including a University to deal with the high rate of illiteracy and underdevelopment in Northern Ghana in the near future. Statistics show that over 70 percent of the population in the North cannot read and write or has never been to school and over 80 percent live on less than a dollar a day.

The Chief Executive of SandAbbi International School therefore, pledged to assist the government in its “Better Ghana Agenda” by providing quality education in the region by creating an opportunity for children in this part of the country to have equal access to education just as the situation has been in Europe and other places.

In a speech read for him, the Deputy Northern Regional Minister, San Nasamu Asabigi also urged individuals and organisations who intend to import materials, equipment and other resources that are intended to support in the educational sector especially in the area, to open up with beneficiary communities and government institutions that can advised government to consider giving tax exemptions to such goods for the benefit of the people.

2,300 PEOPLE DISPLACED IN SALAGA

A heavy downpour has caused a serious catastrophe in some communities in the East Gonja District of the Northern Region of Ghana.

About 2,300 people including women and children have been rendered homeless, whiles over 800 acres of farmland have also been destroyed.

The over eight hour non-stop rain amidst heavy winds affected over 17 communities and also destroyed some important public buildings, four different schools, roads, bridges and also washed away some food crops in the affected communities.

Some of the badly hit communities include Masaka, Bunjai, Tunga, Garin-shagu, Sisipe, Katanga and Gushie-Zongo among others.

However, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for East Gonja District, Alhassan Mumuni has visited the affected communities to assess the level of damage and also sympathize with the victims.

The DCE was accompanied by the District NADMO Coordinator, Umar Alhassan and the District Director of Agric, Robert Akologu and other officials of the District Assembly.

It was discovered that some of the affected communities have completely cut off from the District capital, Salaga. Mr. Alhassan Mumuni was completely taken aback by the level of devastation the rain had caused. At Grushie-Zongo, the only school in the community was also badly damaged by the rain.

At the time the DCE got to the place, all the pupils from nursery to class six (6) were studying under trees. However, Mr. Mumuni commended the authorities of the School and the community for finding temporal measures to ensure continuous teaching and learning.

He pledged the commitment of the East Gonja District Assembly to reconstruct the School with all the urgency it deserved.

He also called on the Central Government, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other benevolent organisations to come to the aid of the traumatized people since the Assembly alone cannot relief the people of their plights.

The East Gonja District NADMO Coordinator, Umar Alhassan said NADMO would soon come out with the total cost of the properties destroyed and also pledged to support the victims and advised them to always put precautious measures to reduce the level of devastation whenever disasters occur.

FOUR M/DCEs APPOINTED IN N/R

Four Municipal and District Chief Executives (M/DCEs) in the Northern Region have been sworn into office in accordance with Article 243 of the 1992 Constitution and Section 20 (1) of Act 462.

The four include 50 year old Municipal Chief Executive for Yendi, Issah Zakaria, who is a former school teacher. Philip Nanteen Laari, 59 and a former Northern Regional Commander of the Ghana Prisons Service has been mandated to be in charge of the volatile Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District whilst 40 year old Isaac Dramani, an HND holder in Accounting has been appointed to handle the affairs of the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District. Sulemana Issah, 48 years, and an HND Secretarial and Management holder has also been given the mandate to preside over the Karaga District Assembly.

All of them except, the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba DCE who has been appointed to succeed his predecessor Alhassan Abubakri Shakour who died in a fatal car accident were “kicked on their asses” in April this year by the President John Evans Atta Mills for allegedly committing one offence or the other which had since remained secret up till date.

Mr. Adam Welvis, Hajia Mavis Maliga Bawa and Alhaji Ibrahim Sandow of the Yendi Municipality, Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo and Karaga Districts respectively, who were appointed by the President were all fired few months later, following serious agitations and protest by some youth groups of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). But the Presidency had since denied that the three personalities were sacked because of the agitations and violent demonstrations embarked upon by the party’s youth.

But five months down the line, President Mills has appointed Philip N. Laari, Isaac Dramani, Sulemana Issah and Issah Zakaria to succeed their predecessors with a huge task given them to discharge their duties diligently but not to lord over the people.

The four appointees come from places with very similar development challenges such as security, chieftaincy, land and political disputes, bad road network, inadequate educational and health facilities among others.

These challenges have further worsened the poverty situation in the various households leading to high infant and maternal deaths, hunger, diseases and other crisis.

The Northern Regional Minister, Moses Bukari Mabengba who supervised the swearing in of the newly appointed M/DCEs charged them to go by the Local Government regulation Act 462 by exercising political and administrative authourity in the district and provide guidance, give direction and supervise all other administrative authourities in the district.

He also reminded them of their responsibility for the day-to-day performance of the executive and administrative functions of the Assembly, stressing the need for them to be responsible for the supervision of departments of the assembly and be the chief representatives of the Central Government in their Districts.

Mr. Mabengba advised the M/DCEs to respect their core staff, Members of Parliament, Chiefs and the people in their respective areas devoid of partisanship.

Meanwhile, Justice Lawrence Tetteh Mensah, a supervising high court judge administered the Oath of Secrecy and Allegiance to the appointees.

CSOs WORRIED OVER POSTPONEMENT OF DISTRICT LEVEL ELECTIONS

A group of 21 Civil Society Organizations working to promote good governance in the Northern Region has expressed disquiet about the postponement of the 2010 District Assembly and Unit Committee elections to December 28.

The Civil Society Organizations Forum as they call themselves asserted that the postponement would create uncertainty and lose sleep among the aspirants since most of them had already invested resources in their campaigns towards October 23 which was fixed earlier.

Addressing the media in Tamale, Alhassan Mohammed Awal, Facilitator of the Forum wondered if the Electoral Commission (EC) and for that matter government, attached importance to the forthcoming District Assembly and Unit Committee elections.

He implored government to place premium on the exercise since it was equally important as the Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Ghana.

Mr. Awal who is the Executive Director for Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC) catalogued some of the frustrations the Aspirants were likely to encounter as a result of the postponement, citing a power vacuum in all the 170 MMDAs which would definitely affect the activities of the Assemblies and deny the people the opportunity to demand accountability within the period.

Citizens’ interest in the District Assembly elections was likely to experience serious setback which can affect operationalization of the decentralization concept.

Few people managing resources of the Assembly within the power vacuum period were likely to engage in projects that would not reflect the needs of the people and further defeat the objective of the decentralization concept.

In view of the above challenges resulting from the postponement, the CSOs Forum in the Northern Region asked the EC and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to ensure that the 28^th December, 2010 date fixed for the election does not change no matter the circumstance.

Government should ensure availability of the needed resources to the EC and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to create awareness on the new date and also encourage citizens to participate actively in the process, they demanded.

They also asked that the President exercised his executive powers during the period of the power vacuum to ensure that activities of the MMDAs were not interrupted. Adding that, the decision to allow the MMDCEs to totally handle the affairs of the Assemblies for the period should ensure accountability to the people.

The CSOs Forum further stated that Parliament and other stakeholders whose duty it was to expedite action on resolving the legal aspect of the new proposal should immediately take action to bring to rest the current legal debate.

MP FOR TAMALE CENTRAL PROVIDES MORE SCHOOLS FOR HIS CONSTITUENTS

As part of his vision to ensure that all children of school going age in his Constituency attend school to become responsible persons in future, the Tamale Central Constituency Legislator, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini Abdulai has constructed 18 new classroom blocks for some selected underprivileged schools at a total the cost of GH¢400,000. 00.

The projects which are geared towards the promotion of quality basic education under the governments “Better Ghana Agenda” and Free Compulsory and Universal Basic Education were financed courtesy the GETfund and from his share of the Members of Parliament Common Fund.

The educational projects include 3 units classroom block for Anbariya English and Arabic Schools, 9 units classroom block for Salafia English and Arabic Primary School and 6 units classroom block for the Kulikuli Primary School. In addition to these facilities are offices, stores, toilet and urinals attached to all of them which have almost reaching completion.

The Tamale Central lawmaker is also putting up a GH¢50,000.00 Health Centre for the people of Sabongida Zongo Community through the support of the National Health Insurance Authourity aimed at reducing infant and maternal deaths due to inadequate health facilities in the Tamale Metropolis.

Alhaji Inusah Fuseini who is also the Deputy Minister of Energy disclosed these to journalists during an inspection tour of the project sites in his Constituency recently.

The MP who was accompanied by his Tamale Central NDC Constituency Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Yusif Abdellah and other Executives noted that the quality of education in the area had not been remarkable as a result of the various challenges such as lack of classrooms, furniture, learning materials among others that confronted the schools.

According to the MP, education was the basis of every economy and it is the responsibility of the current leader of the society mostly traditional rulers and politicians to create the requisite environment for the young ones to learn.

Meanwhile, Lawyer Inusah Fuseini apart from the 18 school blocks has also extended pipe-borne water and electricity to some underserved communities in the Tamale Central Constituency.