Students Indiscipline Due To The Use of Drugs - N/R GES Boss

The Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Alhaji Mohammed Haroon Cambodia has attributed the gross indiscipline among Senior High School students in the region to the use of drugs. 

According to him, some of the students were believed to have become much involved in the use of hard drugs such as Indian hemp, alcohol and smoking of cigarette among others. Others he said had also become reprobates or troublemakers because they secretly practice “sakawa”.  

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Savannahnews in Tamale, Alhaji Cambodia cited that “a student in Pong-Tamale SHS was caught with Indian hemp and when the school authority queried him, he said that in his house apart from his mother-everybody smokes Indian hemp. So such a student doesn’t see anything wrong with taking Indian hemp, and these are the things that influence them and at any least provocation they resort to violence”.

It would be recalled that some students in three Senior High Schools in the Northern Region went on rampage destroying several properties worth thousands of Ghana cedis last month.

The schools include the Karaga, Nalerigu and Salaga TI Ahmadiya SHSs. The students attacked their headmasters and destroyed properties including, school bus, three pickups, 91 flat screen computers and others. As a result, the GES Director has dismissed all the students in the three schools numbering close to 3000. They can only be readmitted into the schools after they have reapplied, signed a bond of good behavior and also paid for the properties destroyed.

Sacked Nalerigu Students On Their Way Home

The indiscipline among students has also led to poor performance at the annual WASSCE and BECE exams in the entire region. 

The Northern Regional GES Boss therefore outlined his vision to passionately improve the abysmal performance of schools in the region in both WASSCE and BECE examinations. 

The first step he seeks to consider and implement vigorously towards the improvement of the performance of schools, Alhaji Cambodia indicated was to instill high level of discipline among students and teachers. 

He believed that through discipline, the teachers would play their expected roles by making sure they report to school on time, they did not leave classrooms before time, they did not absent from school and also give out their best to students.

At the same time, he expected the students to also shun indiscipline, be punctual and study hard at all times. 

Even though the region requires more support or resources, the Regional GES Director said that the government was doing well in providing some essential facilities and materials for most of the schools in the region, and thus prayed that the students would also do well to pass their examinations.

Alhaji Cambodia also appealed to parents, traditional leaders and other stakeholders to support the development of education and to also ensure that students do the right thing at home. 

Limuna Supporters On Rampage, Vandalism

The sudden pullout by the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru Limuna from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary contest has angered his loyal supporters in the Damongo Constituency, who have resorted to unimaginable destruction of party properties.

The weapon wielding youth who were baying for the blood of the Minister who at time of reporting is cruising in somewhere Brazil for his annual leave, completely vandalized the Damongo Constituency NDC office complex and the private office of the Minister. 

All windows, doors, computers, air-conditioners, ceiling fans, furniture, electricity installations and other relevant documents were mercilessly destroyed by the youth, who were chanting; “No Alhaji Muniru No vote for the NDC”,  “let’s practice democracy in NDC”,’ “we have suffered for long”, and Alhaji Muniru must pick the form” among others.

The angry youth, who demonstrated through some principal streets of Damongo, described the Alhaji Muniru as “traitor” who had “stabbed them in the back”.  

Personal Assistant to the Northern Regional Minister, Mr. Dramani Ecomok in an interview with Savannahnews confirmed the incident and described it as highly unfortunate. 

According to him, even though he appreciated the unflinching support the youth had given to his boss since he declared his intension to contest the Damongo seat, it was in a bad taste for them to cause such destruction. He explained that, the Minister withdrew from the race just in the interest of peace, and in the interest of the party. 

The Northern Regional Minister Alhaji Mohammed Limuna declared his intension to contest the Damongo Parliamentary Primaries with the incumbent Member of Parliament, Adam Mutawakilu. The MP earlier accused the Minister of using his position and state resources to campaign in the area, when nomination had not even opened. Since then, the NDC youth in the constituency have been sharply divided between the Minister and the MP, creating tension within the party. 

Savannahnews gathered that the Minister was asked to step down by the President John Dramani after some supporters of the MP had threatened to cause possible bloodbath.

But the Personal Assistant to the Minister said he could not confirm the assertion or rumour, since his Boss had not told him any such story. "What I know is that the followers of the MP and our followers were almost at all times engaging in insults and physical attacks, so my Minister decided to withdraw for peace to remain in the NDC. Our interest is to maintain the Damongo seat for the NDC and that is what we expect to see in 2016 from whoever will contest on NDC ticket”.

Mr. Ecomok described the path chosen by the youth as gross insubordination and that violence was not a solution to address their grievances in the NDC.

He therefore made a passionate appeal to the angry youth to abandon all their violent actions to ensure party cohesion.

However, the Spokesperson of Friends of Alhaji Limuna, Asumah Sherif told a local radio station in Tamale that the youth would not relent in their effort of ensuring that Alhaji Limuna rescinds his decision of backing out from the contest.

He said that, the Minister during his 48^th Birthday celebration in Damongo reportedly galvanized for strong support from the people to oust the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, Adam Mutawakilu. They are therefore surprised and disappointed by Alhaji Limuna’s announcement to withdraw from the race. 

The District Chief Executive (DCE), Bakari Ali also confirmed the incident in an interview with Savannahnews but denied most of the items believed to be destroyed. According to him, the youth only broke the doors of the party and Minister’s office, adding that, the intervention of the Police had brought about calm in the area.

MFWA Condemns Assault On Journalist By Presidential Staffer

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is appalled by the recent assault on Yahya Kwamoah, a reporter of the state-owned Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) by presidential staffer Stan Dogbe.

Media reports corroborated by Director of Radio at the GBC, Affail Monney, indicate that Stan Dogbe seized and smashed a voice recorder of the journalist who had gone to the 37 Military Hospital to follow up on an accident involving the presidential press corps.

Director of Radio, Affail Monney who confirmed the incident to the MFWA, said the reporter has made a formal report to Management and that the issue is being investigated.

The MFWA finds Dogbe’s conduct rather embarrassing and shameful, particularly because of his status as a presidential staffer and a former journalist. Dogbe should be the last person to antagonise the media, knowing the difficult conditions under which journalists in Ghana work and the important role they play in advancing democracy.

We are also alarmed at the silence on this matter by GBC whose employee is the victim of the assault. Given that assault is a criminal offense, we urge the Management of GBC to report the matter to the police for investigations. We call on the presidency also to conduct a thorough investigation into the conduct of Stan Dogbe in this matter and take the appropriate action.

Finally, the MFWA urges media practitioners to assert themselves and go about their duties with dignity and professionalism at all times in order to earn the respect they deserve from the public. Media organisations should equally take the necessary action to promote the safety of their employees.

Sourcwe: MFWA

Increase Price of Beer To Finance Education -GES Director

Alhaji Mohammed Haroon

The Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Alhaji Mohammed Haroon “Cambodia” has suggested to government to impose at least One Ghana Cedi (GHC1.00) Levy on every bottle of beer consumed to generate more revenue for the development of education in the underdeveloped regions of Ghana. 

According to Alhaji Cambodia, it is estimated that Ghanaians consume over 80 million bottles of beer annually, and the nation could utilize the high patronage of it to finance the education sector. 

Speaking at a Regional Consultative Forum organised by the Northern Network for Education Development (NNED) and funded by Ibis Ghana, the Education Director said “If people consume 80 million bottles of beer in Ghana in just a year we can put just one Ghana cedi on the price, and then use it to finance education, because the education sector lacks resources and there are still high deficit in infrastructure, furniture, teaching and learning materials. “We still have several pupils studying under trees especially in the three regions of the north”.

He indicated that there was a complete overhaul of the demand for education and that the interest of people to access formal education had become high. However, provision of adequate and standardized school infrastructure had become a major challenge to governments over the years, due to lack of funds. 

Alhaji Cambodia said that enrollment figures at the basic, senior high and at the tertiary levels had increased tremendously, which required that more infrastructure, accommodation and other materials necessary for the promotion of quality education were provided.  

The Northern Region Education Director lamented that apart from the inadequate dormitories, classrooms and hostel facilities for students at the various levels, there was also the lack of decent accommodation for tutors across the country and most especially the three regions of the north. 

Alhaji Cambodia, who also added his voice to the call for bigger portion of Ghana’s Oil Revenue to support the development of education in the deprived regions in Ghana, placed a high demand for the One Ghana Cedi levy to be placed on every bottle of beer consumed to finance education. 

Meanwhile, as at 2004 Ghanaians consumed a total of about 80 million bottles of beer and over 156 million bottles of stout, according to players in the Beer Industry. Given that the population of Ghana was 20 million by then, it means that statistically, every person—old, young, male, female—drank at least four bottles of beer and about eight bottles of stout.

The records, as provided by the beer industry in Ghana indicated that in 2004, Ghanaians quaffed 13,722,876 bottles of Club Beer, 52,480,476 bottles of Star Beer, 11,698,080 bottles of Gulder and 2,069,436 bottles of ABC.

And for stout, Ghanaians got through 41,898,084 bottles of Castle Milk Stout, 110,993,328 bottles of Guinness and 3,226,605 bottles of Guinness Extra Smooth. In Ghana, the pattern of beer consumption, according to industry sources, fall under two broad categories. Beer is drank by people whose habit it is to drink at least one bottle every day.

These are people who say, they are winding down after a hard day's work. They may drink at home or at a drinking bar on their way home from work. Matthew, a graphic designer, says he has no specific reason for drinking beer. “I drink beer for the fun of it. It has become part of me so I always down a bottle or two after work and I enjoy doing it. After a hard day's work it is only fair to cool down with chilled beer.”

In the second category, beer is drank during events such as funerals, meetings, launches, parties and such social gatherings. Annually, the world consumes over 100 billion litres of beer. Reports show that this value is on the rise due to an increased amount of under-aged drinkers and an increasing variety of beers.

This alcohol intake has been known to contribute to the high rate of death through accidents by drunk drivers. Women also cause their babies to be born with birth defects by drinking without caution during the gestation period. Even though beer only contains around 5% alcohol, it still takes its effects on a developing foetus.

Of all the carbonated beverages people enjoy drinking today beer is the oldest and most familiar. Its ingredients-water, barley, yeast, grains and hops, bear no resemblance to the finished product. Its alcoholic content comes from the process of fermentation, which converts the simple sugars (carbohydrates) in the grains and barley into alcohol.

Beer has likely been a part of society since human civilisation first arose. The bubbly, frothy and nose-tickling drink has been brewed for thousands of years. The most primitive beers were brewed in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and China.