RESIDENTS OF TAMALE COMMEND GOVERNMENT

Residents of Tamale have commended government for showing sensitivity and high level of commitment towards the health needs of the people. The government is currently rehabilitating, expanding and upgrading the completely dilapidated Tamale Teaching Hospital, which serves as the only referral, research and training facility in the whole of the three Northern Regions of Ghana.

Speaking to Savannahnews, the President of the Concerned Citizens of Tamale (CCAT), Alhassan Basharu Daballi commended President John Evans Atta Mills for responding positively to earlier agitations by the Chiefs and the various concerned groups, which he said were in the supreme interest of the entire people up north.

He said majority of the residents, especially the members of the Concerned Citizens of Tamale, some chiefs and other pressure groups agitated and embarked on series of demonstrations against the past government for unduly delaying its promise to upgrade the Hospital. However, the NDC government cut sod for renovation works to begin in first 8 month in office.

According to Mr. Daballi, he and his members had secretly visited the Tamale Teaching Hospital to inspect the project and however praised the contractors, Messrs Simed International, a Dutch company for their excellent work.

The President of the CCAT, pledged the full support of the Chief and people of Tamale to the contractors to ensure that they work with utmost peace of mind, but he was quick to warn that they would not hesitate to protest against them, if they fail to deliver on time.

President John Evans Atta Mills cut the sod for the commencement of the 45 million Euro project, in April 2010 and it is expected to be completed in 56 months. The Tamale Teaching Hospital was built in somewhere 1974, and has since not received any major rehabilitation. However, the first phase of the four phases is almost complete.

Mr. Daballi disclosed that, they have reliable information that the only difficulty facing the contractors was the issue of inadequate supply of water to the project site and therefore appealed to the Ghana Water Company Limited to pick up the issue.

He said the Chief of Tamale, Naa Dakpema Alhassan Mohammed Dawuni has personally informed the water company about the problem after visiting the project site to interact with the contractors.

However, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ken Sagoe who also commended government for the initiative, told the paper that the rehabilitation and expansion of the Hospital was in four phases.

He said the project was expected to add over one thousand additional beds to the existing 400 beds, provide a 60 unit residential accommodation for staff, a clinical training centre, modern laboratories and research facilities.

Dr. Ken Sagoe also noted that the upgrading would offer the hospital the opportunity to achieve its mandate as a teaching hospital, and its vision of becoming a centre of excellence for quality tertiary healthcare, medical education and research.

He noted that the Management of the Hospital has taken steps to secure the Hospital’s land with fence wall to avoid encroachments from the nearby residents.

GONJAS TO MEDIATE IN DAGBON CONFLICT

Information picked up by Savannahnews has indicated that the people of the Gonja Traditional Area are devising strategies to assume talks with the leadership of the two feuding gates in the Dagbon Chieftaincy dispute, in a bid to reconcile the people and address the traditional aspect of the protracted chieftaincy crisis, which has sharply divided the people in almost a decade now.

A Former National President of the Gonjaland Youth Association, Alhaji Bakari Sadiq Nyari has said that it was time for Gonjas to use their time tested and rich traditional, chieftaincy and intellectual experiences to help bring Dagombas back together as one people with a common destiny.

According to Alhaji Nyari, the National Executives of the Association had done some relevant assessments and had realized that the Dagbon Crisis was not beyond solution, and as a result, had already initiated talks with the two main leaders of both the Abudu and the Andani royal families.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Pioneer Guest Lodge in Tamale to hand over office to one Dr. Edward Adam Haruna as new President of the association, the Out-gone President emphasized that the level of cooperation, understanding and responses received from those leaders after the talks, clearly attested to the fact that the people of Dagbon were ready to embrace peace and unity.

Mr. Kofi Iddi was elected as National Vice President, Dramani Dari, as General Secretary, Amin Mohammed-Treasurer and Akiibu Zackaria as National Organiser.

He therefore assured Ghanaians that both the past and the new executives of the Gonjaland Youth Association, which comprises of some revered traditional leaders and people of high repute, would collectively come out with a “master plan” that would lead to the restoration of peace in Dagbon.

Meanwhile, the Dagbon Traditional Area has been in turmoil since year 2002 after the Late King of the area, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II was murdered together with 40 of his kinsmen.

However, successive governments’ inability to find lasting solution to the crisis has incontrovertibly become a great source of worry to the other ethnic groups in the Northern Region.

The Ethnic groups are obviously not only ashamed by the dispute, but the level of disunity, hatred, antagonism, insecurity and most especially how it has completely affected the socio-economic development of the region.

The Dagbon Chieftaincy Crisis has since gone through different level of redress including the Wuaku Commission, Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s Committee of Eminent Chiefs and the Accra Fast Track High Court and even currently at the Appeals Court, but all to no avail.

That notwithstanding, Alhaji Nyari and his team of executives strongly believe that with their new “intellectual” approach and cooperation from the affected people (Dagombas), the Dagbon matter could come to rest.

As a result, the National, Regional and District Executives of the Gonjaland Youth Association, one of the most vibrant and unified youth groups in Ghana, have announced their intentions to institute measures to reunite the Dagombas who now see themselves as people from completely two different gates (Abudu and Andani) so as to redeem the image of the north and also enhance development.

The New National President of the Association, Dr. Edward Adam Haruna in his acceptance speech assured all Gonjas in and outside Ghana of his administration’s preparedness to solidly unite the people for common purpose of attracting the needed development.

He passionately commended the out-gone executives for their stewardship and pledged to build upon their good foundation.

Dr. Haruna who also consented to the move by the out-gone President to help resolve the Dagbon crisis, expressed the need for all the tribes in the Northern Region and Ghana as a whole to come together to make Ghana a better place to live or do business.

He called on government to tackle the poor road network in the Gonja area and northern Region at large, and also provide the requisite infrastructure and economic development.

However, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Central Gonja, Sualisu Be-Awuribe took the opportunity to inform the executives about the numerous infrastructural projects of the government under the better Ghana agenda.

He noted that the President, John Evans Atta Mills would by June this year cut sod for the construction of the Fufulso-Damango-Sawla-Wa road and those at the Eastern Corridors including Tamale-Salaga-Makango, Yendi-Bimbilla-Wulensi road and many others to boost economic activities.

The DCE also hinted that the Savannah Cement Company (SAVACEM) has started productions in commercial quantity, whiles a Cotton Processing Factory is also under construction in Buipe by the government.

FOURTEEN DISTRICTS IN NORTHERN REGION TO GET WATER FACILITIES

Government of Ghana and its partners including the International Development Agency (IDA) and the World Bank have provided financial support of 75 million dollars for the implementation of the government’s water supply project in 14 districts of the Northern Region.

Under the project, the Community Water and Sanitation Agency would offer technical assistance to the beneficiary district assemblies to extend and expand their water systems to cover other communities within the districts.

Launching the project at Wulensi on behalf of the District Chief Executive, the Engineer for the Nanumba South District, John Bosco Aabulleh said the project would greatly improve water supply coverage in the districts under the National Community Water and Sanitation Project.

He said the current coverage of potable water supply in the Nanumba South is estimated to be the lowest in the region.

Mr. Aabulleh acknowledged the contributions of the government and its development partners, especially the IDA and the World Bank, for their support to district in efforts to improve access to these essentials.

He expressed his appreciation to the various bodies including the World Bank and other NGOs contribution to the provision of potable water and safe Sanitation for the people in the district.

The Regional Officer of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency in- charge of monitoring, Jacob Banamin Kombian stated that the project is in three components including Water, Sanitation and Institutional Capacity building for all beneficiary districts.

He said the CWSA, with the active participation of major stakeholders, will adopt resource mobilization capacity building and standard setting in small towns to achieve its set targets of the project.

Mr. Kombian said providing water for communities without corresponding advocacy for cleanliness would mean neglect of the health needs of the people.

This he noted will go a long way to stop open defecation and ensure good health.

Mr. Kombian called on stakeholders, Water and Sanitation development Boards and members of the district water and sanitation team to help promote hygiene and sanitation in their communities.

He, therefore, advised the beneficiary communities to embrace the sanitation concept and take advantage of the hygiene and sanitation project to improve upon their personal hygiene environmental sanitation in their communities.

EAST GONJA UNIT COMMITTEES INAUGURATED

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for East Gonja District, Alhassan Mumuni has inaugurated the various Unit Committees in the district in line with local government regulations to promote decentralization, grass-root participation and accelerated development in the district.

According to the DCE, the East Gonja District was fully poised to implementing its development plans and programmes under the Better Ghana Agenda, hence the urgent need for the Assembly to put in place the necessary structures to serve as engine for the realization of the set agenda.

Addressing Chiefs, opinion leaders and the elected Unit Committee members at separate durbars at Makango, Salaga, Kpembe, Binjai, Kpariba and Abromase to inaugurate the Committee, Hon Mumuni explained to the members their roles and responsibilities as decision-making body of their local areas and to also serve as the voice of the people at the assembly level. The Inauguration of the Committees coincided with the East Gonja District sanitation day, a day set aside by the DCE and his officials in every first day of every month to woo residents and most especially school children to clean their environment.

The DCE reminded them to be disciplined, responsible, promote sanitation and also mobilize revenues for the assembly to boost development.

He noted that the members have two main responsibilities of encouraging their people to pay their taxes regularly and also ensuring proper sanitation.

Hon Mumuni maintained that, the District Assembly’s Common Fund from the Central Government was too meager to satisfy the development needs of the over five hundred and fifty (550) communities in the district and therefore encouraged the district revenue collectors and the various assembly members to intensify their revenue collection drive.

He assured that, 50% of every revenue that would be generated from the electoral area would go to the Committee to support their local development programmes and also takes care of the remunerations of the members.

The DCE therefore warned that “any Unit Committee that would downplay the assembly’s policies of mobilizing more revenues or ensuring clean environment would face serious sanction.

He hinted that the assembly had put in place measures to encourage traditional authorities to complement its revenue generational efforts, setting aside special royalties out of every revenue generated in their localities.

On the other hand, the DCE disclosed that the East Gonja District Assembly had also had plans to encourage the people to develop the spirit of tree planting to protect their communities from being destroyed by heavy storms and that the assembly was also setting aside a special budget towards the tree planting exercise especially in schools.

On his part, the Chief of Makango, Ewuntomah Issifa, who partook in the clean up exercise earlier in day led by the DCE commended him (the DCE) for initiative which sought to encourage the youth and the entire people of the district to keep clean environment at all times.

According to the Chief, the DCE irrespective of his busy schedules had been in constant touch with the people especially those in the deprived communities, citing the last year’s flooding season as example, where the DCE constantly visited the victims with his mere presence and some relief items.

The Chiefs further recounted that at some point, the DCE willingly vacated his official residence just to accommodate some health personnel and teachers who were also affected by the flood and were threatening to leave the district.

He noted the two years of Hon Mumuni’s administration had seen the elimination of schools in the communities in the Makango Divisional Area and construction of a health center to cater for the health needs of the people.

The Chief on that basis assured the DCE of his personal commitment towards ensuring a clean environment in the communities under his jurisdiction, play a lead role in the tree planting exercise and also assist the Unit Committee and revenue collectors to succeed in their operations.

However, at Salaga, the district capital, the East Gonja DCE, Alhassan Mumuni unveiled plans by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to construct a new ultra modern government hospital at Salaga this year, which is aimed at improving on the health needs of the people in the district.

That notwithstanding, government according to the DCE was considering the rehabilitation and expansion of the Salaga Water System, which had been a source of worry to the people over the year as well as the Tamale-Salaga- Makango road to boost economic and agricultural activities.