Ghanaian Youth Told To Be Less Hopeful Of Gyeeda

The Programmes Manager of Youth Empowerment for Life (YEfL) Salifu Mahama has cautioned the Ghanaian youth not to bank all their hopes on GYEEDA, but rather should focus on developing their own businesses since entrepreneurship has proven to be a true path to self-sufficiency and wealth creation.

He said GYEEDA which could have been the best antidote to youth unemployment in the country failed due to lack of proper scrutiny to ascertain the capacity and capabilities of individuals and companies who were awarded contracts to execute some of its models.

According to him, until something good is done now about GYEEDA by way of rigorous restructuring and overhauling, the youth should be less hopeful of anything offered by the agency.

“The way forward for the Ghanaian youth today is entrepreneurship. You just count ten of the world’s richest people and you’ll notice that none of them is an employee. If you come to Ghana, it’s the same thing….all the rich people in Ghana are employers and not employees”, he observed.

Mr. Mahama made these remarks when he addressed a brainstorm session of youth leaders and former recruits of GYEEDA in Tamale. The session which was organised by YEfL focused on the Ghana Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Development Agency (GYEEDA) and the youth employment situation in the country.

Recent exposé of its activities by Investigative Journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni suggested that, GYEEDA is a ground for government appointees and their cronies to fleece the nation’s resources rather than making serious commitment towards ensuring that the youth of Ghana realise their life’s aspirations.

Several millions of cedis were discovered to have been allegedly misappropriated and contracts awarded to persons who did not have the capacity to deliver or honour the terms and conditions of such contracts. In some instances, some of the companies were alleged to have deliberately shortchanged government during implementation processes or execution of the contracts awarded to them.

Example of some of the companies that were cited in the exposé and charged by the government to refund some amounts of money included Zoomlion Ghana, a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies, Rlg Communications, Craftpro Limited and Asongtaba Cottage Industries of the AGAMS Group of Companies and Goodwill International. 

The AGAMS Group of Companies according to Joy News report have since refunded a total of GH¢14,498,198.33 to the state. The money was paid into the Economic and Organised Crime Office’s bank account at the Bank of Ghana on April 24, 2014.

Relatively, some of the participants at the session also expressed less hope in GYEEDA, because according to them, some of the models created under the agency are discriminatory. They cited for instance, the youth in driving programme which is only limited to certain regions in the southern part of the country instead of the entire country. 

There is also lack of serious monitoring and supervision, some participants said, and as a result, a lot of people engaged in models such as health and pupil teaching, refuse to go to work and yet receive their allowances at the end of every month.

On whether GYEEDA jobs are sustainable, a lot of the participants disagreed saying “there are numerous ghost names on the payroll of the agency”. There are a lot of people who have not been officially engaged by the agency but they are paid every month because that is a secret arrangement between them and the Coordinators to steal from the state. 

Participants also noted that, the over politicization of GYEEDA is causing more harm than good to the youth of this country. “We have situations where many of those engaged by GYEEDA are political party activists and they think once it is their government that is in power, they can refuse to work and get paid”, they decried.  

On the way forward, participants suggested that government place GYEEDA under the National Youth Authority and appoint a coordinator to have oversight responsibilities over its programmes and do away with the status quo where it is being run as a separate entity.

Government, they opined, should also institute a rigorous monitoring and supervision scheme to ensure that anyone engaged by GYEEDA to teach, work in a hospital or any public office reports to work and punish or sack those who refuse to work.

Wanep Warns Of Deteriorating Cordiality Between Dagaaba, Sissala Ethnic Groups

The West Africa Network for Peace-building (WANEP-Ghana) has warned of deteriorating cordial relationship between Dagaaba and Sissala ethnic groups, and urged the security agencies to act swiftly to apprehend the situation.

According to WANEP in its 2014 first quarter national human security early warning brief released recently: “In the Upper West Region, the cordial relationship and cohesion between the Dagaaba and the Sisaala in Fielmuo and Nimoro in the Lambussie-Karni District is currently challenged and requires urgent steps to prevent any act of violence especially before the onset of this year’s raining season”, the report stated.

National Network Coordinator of WANEP, Isaac Bayor addressing the media in Tamale, said information gathered by WANEP indicates that communication between the two groups is currently reduced and trust is dwindling. “It is important to note that, that any violence between the two groups has tendencies to escalate even beyond Fielmuo and Nimoro, and would be more costly and complicated to resolve”, he emphasised.

Although the report did not state clearly what could be the actual cause of the frosty cordiality between the two ethnic groups in a region touted as one of the most peaceful in the country, snippets of information gathered by Savannahnews suggest that, the problem may be as a result of scramble for agricultural lands in the area. It is believed that, the Dagaaba people of Fielmuo who originally come from the Nandom Traditional Area are considered settlers of Fielmuo which is a Sissala land. 

Mr. Bayor also noted that, recent communal clashes and incidents which resulted in loss of lives at Bimbilla, Sakongu and Kojoboni all in the Northern Region require urgent and all inclusive peace and conflict sensitive approaches towards resolving them. “It also requires a combination of hard-core security and soft approach aimed at reconciling/transforming community differences in order to ensure its sustainability. 

“This approach is all the more important as the latest killings in Aboabo, Sagnarigu and Savelugu which, are currently under investigation by the security operatives are being linked to politics and unresolved community conflicts including the existing Dagbon chieftaincy conflicts”, he stressed. 

He said there is need to collaborate with various agencies and stakeholders including the community institutions and civil society to ensure that revenge and retaliatory attacks which could undermine the peace process is avoided.

The January–March 2014 brief based its analysis on data recorded in the WANEP-Ghana’s National Early Warning system, GHANAWARN, as well as information gathered through stakeholders across the country. 

Sissala dancers from Pulima at a festival

For instance, the Greater Accra Region recorded the highest figure of 41 incidents of the 124 total incidents captured within the period. The Ashanti Region came second with 29 incidents while the Northern Region was third with a record of 14 incidents. The Central Region recorded 12, the Western and Eastern Regions 9 each, the Brong-Ahafo, 4, the Upper West and Volta Regions, 3 each while the Upper East Region recorded no pronounced incident.

Data from GHANAWARN indicate that despite stringent efforts by the security agencies, armed attacks remain the topmost security threat. Killings, which could be described as targeted, persist. 

Accidents, most of which were motor accidents was the second most threatening human security issue occurring especially along the roads of Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central and Western Regions of the country. 

The third issue identified was social tension and labour related demonstrations. These threats have been identified based on their frequency, casualty and their structural causes. 

While recognizing the fact that human security early warning was essential to preventing violent conflicts, Mr. Bayor said that could only be possible if immediate and adequate interventions were put in place.

He called on the Ghana Police Service, the Judiciary, and other security agencies to remain responsive, fair and open in enforcing the rule of law to serve as deterrent to crime and violence perpetrators.

He also called for increased police-community collaboration to enable sharing of information towards crime and violence prevention.

Mr. Bayor stressed the need for the police to continue to advice individuals to be security minded and report all forms of threats to life and properties to the appropriate them for proactive response. 

The WANEP Network Coordinator further appealed to the various Regional/District Security Councils, relevant Parliamentary Committees and Members of Parliament to intervene in the communities where violence has occurred and where there are threats of violence and use their good offices to ensure social cohesion and peace.

Water Crisis Hit Guunayili Residents In Tamale Metropolis

children fetching water from dam

Residents of Guunayili, a farming community in the Tamale South Constituency of the Northern Region have for over a decade now been competing with animals for ‘potable water’.  

The community which is about four miles away from the Tamale township can only boast of a small dam serving a population of five thousand people. Apart from the lack of save drinking water, Guunayili has no electricity and sanitary (toilet) facilities.

The current Presiding Officer of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly Alhaji Abubari Moahmmed is the Assemblyman for Guunayili. He has been serving Guunayili, Kambonayili and Chanshegu among others since 1992. His long term service as Assemblyman has earned him a name “Senior Minister”. 

He was elected Presiding Officer of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly in June 2013 with 48 votes out of 52 Assembly Members present. But for the people of Guunayili, it has no relevance because the communities under his jurisdiction still lack basic social amenities. 

Pupils of Guunayili/Kambonayili A.M.E. Zion Primary and Junior High Schools told Savannahnews that, the water problem in particular is affecting their education. According to them, they attend school late because of their long hours in search of water to bath.

Some residents say the Member of Parliament for Tamale South Constituency, Haruna Iddrisu and the Mayor of Tamale Hanaan Gundaadoo Abdul-Rahaman are both aware of their predicaments but are yet to come to their aid despite incessant appeals.

Following the continuous neglect by successive governments, the legislator and the Assembly, the Chief of Guunayili Naa Zakaria Nasagri with the support of community members initiated a self-help water project for the community to get potable water.

Unlike many communities in Tamale where communal labour is no longer practiced, Guunayili residents have found solace in the old practice. They have started digging a pipeline along the Tamale-Buipe road where a bigger pipeline was laid by the Ghana Water Company Limited during an expansion programme.

Pix by Mohammed Dikunyalala

The community is also liaising with a non-governmental organisation, NewEnergy– that is into the provision of potable water and sanitary facilities. Officials of this organisation after visiting Guunayili upon Naa Nasagri’s invitation estimated that, about fourteen coiled pipes would be required to extend water to the community. The community has so far managed to buy only five coiled pipes.

Alhaji Alidu Zakaria Nasagri, a son of the Chief, said with or without the support of their legislator and the Assembly, Guunayili residents will do all they can within their power to get potable water.

Naa Nasagri according to his son, has asked people who have acquired plots of land for development to show serious commitment by contributing to the extension of the pipelines or have themselves to blame in future. 

1,865 Displaced in Walewale

MP Walewale

Over 1,865 persons including 18 pregnant women and 319 under five children have been displaced by heavy rainstorm at Walewale in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region. 

Close to 300 houses, 8 classrooms and mosques were completely roofed off, with electricity polls and other economic trees such as mango, dawadawa and shea nuts being uprooted by the devastating storm in three communities. The communities are Yama, Zua and Mishio. 

Last week, another devastating rainstorm disaster hit 8 communities in Walewale rendering 995 persons homeless. In that incident, several bags of maize, millet, groundnut and rice as well as clothings, TV sets and textbooks of affected school children were destroyed.

Rainstorm disaster and flooding have become virtually an annual occurrence in most parts of Northern Region.  It has destroyed several public and individual buildings and displaced several thousands of inhabitants including women and children. 

However, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Walewale, Dr. Sagre Bambangi has visited the over 1,865 persons who were affected by the rainstorm disaster. The MP in the company of the West Mamprusi District NADMO Coordinator, Mr. James Wunira sympathized with the victims. 

Fortunately no human lives were lost. At the time of the visit, some of the victims had no places to keep their salvaged properties. Some were also already making efforts to renovate their houses while others were perching with friends and relatives in the nearby communities. 

Dr. Sagre said that the magnitude of the disaster was above the capacity of an MP and even the District Assembly and therefore appealed to government and other benevolent organizations to support the victims especially the pregnant women and the under five children. 

In the interim, majority of the people according to the MP, needed some roofing sheets, roofing nails, wood and food aid to survive. He expressed the need for urgent attention for the affected schools to be re-roofed or renovated before the beginning of next term. 

The affected schools had closed down at the time of the visit. Dr. Sagre was particularly worried about the quality of materials used in the buildings, and the inability of most of the people to plant trees around their compounds to serve as wind brakes.

He however promised to do advocacy campaign to solicit for support from government, NGOs, Religious Organisations and other donor agencies to come to the aid of the victims.

The West Mamprusi District NADMO Boss, Mr. James Wunira expressed worry about the frequent disasters occurring in the district. He said that his outfit had done thorough assessment on the situation and gathered the necessary information for some action to be taken by the NADMO headquarters. 

He appealed to heads of schools and community members to plant more trees in and around their compounds to mitigate the effects of climate change emerging in the district. 

Mr. Wunira appealed to government to resource the District NADMO secretariats to be able to handle some emergency situations.