A MEMBER of the Council of State, Naa Seidu Braimah, has called on assembly members in the Upper West Region to work out modalities to address the problem of child trafficking which is rampant in the region.
Expressing concern over the trafficking of children from the Upper West Region to other parts of the country, he described the trend as “an annual canker in the region.”
Addressing the Second Ordinary Meeting of the Wa Municipal Assembly, Naa Braimah said most of the children who were trafficked at very tender ages, later became liabilities in the future.
He urged the planning unit of the assembly to work hard and ensure that people stopped building structures in unauthorised areas.
He said the assembly should endeavour to monitor what was happening in its localities so as to ensure an orderly development.
“Let us forget about “TIJAABUNYENI” “to wit, we are the same people” and insist on doing the right thing in our communities”, the Council of State member advised.
Naa Braimah called for unity and co-operation between the Assembly and the Municipal Chief Executive, and called on members of the Assembly to forget about their differences since no success would be chalked up without unity.
The Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Wa Central, Mr Rashid Pelpuo, briefed members on the STX deal, and said it would ensure job creation and solve the serious accommodation problem facing the security services.
He said the government had secured a loan of US$32 million to solve the Wa water problem by tapping raw water from the Black Volta at Dorimon in the Wa West district for treatment in Wa.
He said under the Northern Electricity Programme, a number of adjoining communities in the constituency had been energised while work was ongoing to connect others to the national grid by the end of the year.
Mr Pelpuo said the municipality was experiencing massive infrastructural development which included the construction of a regional library, hospital and roads, among others.
For his part the Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Duogu Yakubu, announced that with the exception of the Konjiehi School project which was behind schedule, projects being executed under the District Development Fund had been completed and handed over.
He said already the Assembly had initiated moves to terminate the project and repackage it for award to a serious and competent contractor.
Touching on revenue, he said the assembly exceeded its target by 11.46 per cent by the end of the first quarter while the second went up by 18.09 per cent, making it about 57 per cent of its annual target.
Mr Yakubu appealed to members of the assembly to help make the census a success by sensitising their communities to its importance to the development of the country.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
FIRST REAL TEST FOR AKUFO ADDO (PAGE 13, AUGUST 26, 2010)
The Upper West regional second vice – chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Hafiz Bin – Salih has said the first real test for the party’s flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo–Addo is for him to pick a credible, competent and attractive running mate from any part of the three northern regions.
Adding his voice to the call on the flag bearer to pick his running mate from any of the three northern regions, he said such a move was critical to the success of the party in the 2012 elections.
According to Mr Bin-Salih, voters in the recent NPP presidential primaries exhibited their commitment and confidence in Nana Akufo – Addo, hence he must put in place the right mechanisms to win the 2012 elections.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Wa, Mr Bin – Salih, said the call by some members of the party on the flag bearer to pick somebody from the south to partner him would be disastrous as there was already the perception that the party is Akan biased.
“Aside of this, the NPP has been improving in its fortunes in northern Ghana and that this could be traced to the fact that “the north often has a representative on the presidential ticket which attracts northern voters,” he added.
He argued that religion should not be a factor when considering the choice of a running mate from the north because northern voters did not take into consideration the religious affiliation but somebody with a track record.
“My humble suggestion to Nana is that his choice should be a person with some amount of parliamentary experience as that person has a constituency both within and outside the party,” he said.
Mr Bin – Salih called for a broader consultation from stakeholders of the party in the north, namely the executive, elders and members of parliament before the running mate was picked.
Adding his voice to the call on the flag bearer to pick his running mate from any of the three northern regions, he said such a move was critical to the success of the party in the 2012 elections.
According to Mr Bin-Salih, voters in the recent NPP presidential primaries exhibited their commitment and confidence in Nana Akufo – Addo, hence he must put in place the right mechanisms to win the 2012 elections.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Wa, Mr Bin – Salih, said the call by some members of the party on the flag bearer to pick somebody from the south to partner him would be disastrous as there was already the perception that the party is Akan biased.
“Aside of this, the NPP has been improving in its fortunes in northern Ghana and that this could be traced to the fact that “the north often has a representative on the presidential ticket which attracts northern voters,” he added.
He argued that religion should not be a factor when considering the choice of a running mate from the north because northern voters did not take into consideration the religious affiliation but somebody with a track record.
“My humble suggestion to Nana is that his choice should be a person with some amount of parliamentary experience as that person has a constituency both within and outside the party,” he said.
Mr Bin – Salih called for a broader consultation from stakeholders of the party in the north, namely the executive, elders and members of parliament before the running mate was picked.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
AKUFO-ADDO URGED TO SELECT RUNNING MATE FROM NORTH (PAGE 12, AUGUST 18, 2010)
THE Upper West Regional Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has appealed to the flag bearer of the Party, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, to consider selecting a running mate from any of the three northern regions.
According to the council, the northern part of Ghana was still important in the politics of the country and must, therefore, be actively engaged in the scheme of things.
“We therefore urge the flag bearer to consider our appeal so that our opponents would not use propaganda to describe our party as anti-northern Ghana”, it added.
Briefing the Daily Graphic after a meeting to review the activities of the council in Wa, the Vice Chairman of the council, Mr Clement Dibu-Dong, said what happened in the last election where the then running mate to Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr Mumuni Bawumia, did not perform well to win the northern votes should not discourage the party when selecting a running mate.
He said the people of the north had now compared and deciphered the difference between the opposition NPP and the governing National Democratic Congress and was hopeful that given the chance for a northern running mate the NPP would do very well in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions.
He said, the NPP must position itself in northern Ghana so as to dismiss the notion and fear that the party looked down on people from the north, which had been the stock in trade of the NDC.
Mr Dibu-Dong commended the party for a successful primaries which culminated in the election of Nana Akufo-Addo as the flag bearer, and urged all supporters and sympathisers to form a united front in the fight to recapture power in 2012.
He congratulated Nana Akufo-Addo for being elected to lead the party in the next election which would hopefully bring the party to power again.
He also called on the losing aspirants to pool resources together to ensure that the NPP’s message of hope would permeate all parts of the country.
According to the council, the northern part of Ghana was still important in the politics of the country and must, therefore, be actively engaged in the scheme of things.
“We therefore urge the flag bearer to consider our appeal so that our opponents would not use propaganda to describe our party as anti-northern Ghana”, it added.
Briefing the Daily Graphic after a meeting to review the activities of the council in Wa, the Vice Chairman of the council, Mr Clement Dibu-Dong, said what happened in the last election where the then running mate to Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr Mumuni Bawumia, did not perform well to win the northern votes should not discourage the party when selecting a running mate.
He said the people of the north had now compared and deciphered the difference between the opposition NPP and the governing National Democratic Congress and was hopeful that given the chance for a northern running mate the NPP would do very well in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions.
He said, the NPP must position itself in northern Ghana so as to dismiss the notion and fear that the party looked down on people from the north, which had been the stock in trade of the NDC.
Mr Dibu-Dong commended the party for a successful primaries which culminated in the election of Nana Akufo-Addo as the flag bearer, and urged all supporters and sympathisers to form a united front in the fight to recapture power in 2012.
He congratulated Nana Akufo-Addo for being elected to lead the party in the next election which would hopefully bring the party to power again.
He also called on the losing aspirants to pool resources together to ensure that the NPP’s message of hope would permeate all parts of the country.
UPPER WEST WOMEN STRUGGLE FOR A LIVING (PAGE 11, AUGUST 19, 2010)
Amina Issifu (not a real name) is a young woman who lives in a rural community, precisely, Gbache, near Wa in the Upper West Region.
Every market day, she walks for over eight miles to the Wa Market to sell firewood, with her baby strapped at her back, in the scorching sun. As a result Amina has an injury at the sole of her feet which needs attention but she sees her situation as very normal.
For this entire tortuous journey to Wa, Amina only earns GH¢1.00 for her effort all in an attempt to feed her children and herself, but the routine continues every market day.
Market days in Wa are the busiest in the municipality during which people from various villages troop to Wa, considered as a city in a rural region.
The people, mostly women and children, carry heavy loads on their heads and walk for hours to sell their goods which are mostly charcoal, baskets, firewood, among others. Those who are lucky board Kia trucks and other rickety cars to also transact their businesses. In addition to this they brew pito, a local alcoholic beverage, and engage in farming during the rainy season with their husbands
The little money earned is used to purchase items like salt, dried fish (Keta school boys), in preparing food to feed their families.
Although a number of interventions were introduced by governments and non-governmental organisations to empower these women, their situations have not changed.
One of the reasons attributed to the failure of these interventions is the lack of involvement of the people during the implementations of such programmes and projects. A story was told of some women farmers in a rural community whose farm produce started dwindling yearly as a result of outmoded farming practices and other factors.
However, they had the strong belief that the problem was due to the work of the gods who were punishing them for some wrong-doings. Instead of being educated on the benefits of using fertilisers, the agricultural extension officer never took the traditional beliefs of the women into consideration and went ahead to start applying the fertiliser on the farm. The end result was that the women resisted and that ended the whole process.
Another example was the establishment of a shea processing factory in another community in the Upper West Region, by a non-governmental organisation, to assist the women. They were not in favour of the project, and when it was completed, they started complaints that the amount of shea oil being extracted from the factory was not much as expected.
The people then went back to their old ways of using manual method to undertake this tedious work which at the end of the day affected their health.
There are a lot of ways to ensure that these programmes succeed and these include allowing the people to identify their own problems, find their own solutions and involve them in the implementation of programmes and projects.
The socio-cultural background of the people must be taken into serious consideration while various modes of communication should be adopted to send the right message to the people. The use of local radio stations, role models from beneficiary communities of such projects and other traditional mediums of communications, must be encouraged, since they go a long way to sensitise people effectively. These should include drama, festivals, and community durbars, among others.
For example, the use of community members who have braved the storm and acquired education could be used to change the psyche of the people.
Every market day, she walks for over eight miles to the Wa Market to sell firewood, with her baby strapped at her back, in the scorching sun. As a result Amina has an injury at the sole of her feet which needs attention but she sees her situation as very normal.
For this entire tortuous journey to Wa, Amina only earns GH¢1.00 for her effort all in an attempt to feed her children and herself, but the routine continues every market day.
Market days in Wa are the busiest in the municipality during which people from various villages troop to Wa, considered as a city in a rural region.
The people, mostly women and children, carry heavy loads on their heads and walk for hours to sell their goods which are mostly charcoal, baskets, firewood, among others. Those who are lucky board Kia trucks and other rickety cars to also transact their businesses. In addition to this they brew pito, a local alcoholic beverage, and engage in farming during the rainy season with their husbands
The little money earned is used to purchase items like salt, dried fish (Keta school boys), in preparing food to feed their families.
Although a number of interventions were introduced by governments and non-governmental organisations to empower these women, their situations have not changed.
One of the reasons attributed to the failure of these interventions is the lack of involvement of the people during the implementations of such programmes and projects. A story was told of some women farmers in a rural community whose farm produce started dwindling yearly as a result of outmoded farming practices and other factors.
However, they had the strong belief that the problem was due to the work of the gods who were punishing them for some wrong-doings. Instead of being educated on the benefits of using fertilisers, the agricultural extension officer never took the traditional beliefs of the women into consideration and went ahead to start applying the fertiliser on the farm. The end result was that the women resisted and that ended the whole process.
Another example was the establishment of a shea processing factory in another community in the Upper West Region, by a non-governmental organisation, to assist the women. They were not in favour of the project, and when it was completed, they started complaints that the amount of shea oil being extracted from the factory was not much as expected.
The people then went back to their old ways of using manual method to undertake this tedious work which at the end of the day affected their health.
There are a lot of ways to ensure that these programmes succeed and these include allowing the people to identify their own problems, find their own solutions and involve them in the implementation of programmes and projects.
The socio-cultural background of the people must be taken into serious consideration while various modes of communication should be adopted to send the right message to the people. The use of local radio stations, role models from beneficiary communities of such projects and other traditional mediums of communications, must be encouraged, since they go a long way to sensitise people effectively. These should include drama, festivals, and community durbars, among others.
For example, the use of community members who have braved the storm and acquired education could be used to change the psyche of the people.
Monday, August 16, 2010
NPP MUST FORGE AHEAD IN UNITY TO WIN 2012 ELECTION (PAGE 13, AUGUST 16, 2010)
THE Upper West regional executive committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has urged supporters and sympathisers of the party to forge ahead in unity and prepare for the greater task ahead to win power from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) come 2012.
According to the party, it was its desire to increase the NPP presidential candidate’s votes in the region as well as capture more seats in addition to the three existing ones, namely Lawra – Nandom , Wa East and Lambussie constituencies.
Congratulating delegates for the peaceful and orderly manner they conducted themselves before, during and after the party’s recent presidential primaries, it said “we are particularly grateful to the agents of the various presidential aspirants for the support and co-operation given to the regional and constituency election committees.”
This singular action has demonstrated to all Ghanaians and the whole world that internal democracy had come to stay in the party,” said a statement signed by the Regional Secretary of the party, Mr. Stephen Engmen.
It said the peaceful manner of the primaries had also won the hearts and admiration of not the NPP alone but also the NDC.
It commended the regional and constituency election committees for their commitment to duty by working hard to ensure that the primaries were transparent, free and fair.
“We are again grateful to the Electoral Commission in the region for conducting the elections according to the set rules and guidelines stipulated by the NPP. We wish to assure the EC that we will continue to co-operate with them as we prepare for election 2012,” it added.
Touching on the role of the media, the statement said their facilitation in the education of the delegates on the guidelines went a long way to ensure a smooth electoral process ,pointing out that the keen manner in which they monitored and transmitted the results on the day of the elections made the presidential primaries more transparent.
“The presence of the security personnel was enough to ensure the safety of all voters, election officers, materials as well as well wishers who were around to witness the voting process”, the statement concluded.
In the elections in the region, a total of 4294 delegates cast their ballot with Nana Akufo – Addo getting 2923 while his closest Alan Kyerematen got 1252.
According to the party, it was its desire to increase the NPP presidential candidate’s votes in the region as well as capture more seats in addition to the three existing ones, namely Lawra – Nandom , Wa East and Lambussie constituencies.
Congratulating delegates for the peaceful and orderly manner they conducted themselves before, during and after the party’s recent presidential primaries, it said “we are particularly grateful to the agents of the various presidential aspirants for the support and co-operation given to the regional and constituency election committees.”
This singular action has demonstrated to all Ghanaians and the whole world that internal democracy had come to stay in the party,” said a statement signed by the Regional Secretary of the party, Mr. Stephen Engmen.
It said the peaceful manner of the primaries had also won the hearts and admiration of not the NPP alone but also the NDC.
It commended the regional and constituency election committees for their commitment to duty by working hard to ensure that the primaries were transparent, free and fair.
“We are again grateful to the Electoral Commission in the region for conducting the elections according to the set rules and guidelines stipulated by the NPP. We wish to assure the EC that we will continue to co-operate with them as we prepare for election 2012,” it added.
Touching on the role of the media, the statement said their facilitation in the education of the delegates on the guidelines went a long way to ensure a smooth electoral process ,pointing out that the keen manner in which they monitored and transmitted the results on the day of the elections made the presidential primaries more transparent.
“The presence of the security personnel was enough to ensure the safety of all voters, election officers, materials as well as well wishers who were around to witness the voting process”, the statement concluded.
In the elections in the region, a total of 4294 delegates cast their ballot with Nana Akufo – Addo getting 2923 while his closest Alan Kyerematen got 1252.
Friday, August 13, 2010
WA PRODUCES SOLAR LAMPS (PAGE 22, AUGUST 13, 2010)
WHAT started four years ago as a small-scale project at the Wa Polytechnic in the Upper West Region has now become a beacon of hope for students of this institution which is the youngest polytechnic in the country.
The project was to train the students in assembling solar lamps for deprived communities in the region.
Through the collaboration of Cooper Union in the United States, three communities, namely Tampala, Nambey and Bazing are benefiting from this highly innovative technology. Interestingly, the lamp christened “socialite” is almost wholly made up of local materials.
Beside the electronic parts which are imported, the rest are local materials. It consists of a medium tampico container, a universal hair relaxer container while the handle is made from a Phoenix bicycle spokes.
The reflectors in the lamp are made of the silver-plated portion of Milo tins.
“It is also to get rid of dirt from the environment hence the decision to make the lamp as environmentally friendly as possible. It does not cause any greenhouse effect,” said Mr David Berger of the Cooper Union.
For now, the highly subsidised lamp costs GH¢30 but beneficiaries deposit GH¢10 while the rest is spread over a period of time with a charge of GH¢1 on monthly basis.
Mr Berger told the Daily Graphic that the solar lamp system is designed for recharging for one week, adding that there is a solar system established in the communities which was used for recharging the batteries that last four years.
He said so far the source of funding had been through grants from the United States, adding that Ghana’s Ministry of Energy was interested and was considering financing the project in selected communities in the region.
Mr Berger said there were plans to develop adapters to recharge the lamps in the near future.
A lecturer at the Wa Polytechnic, Mr Charles Ntiamoah Yeboah, commended Cooper Union for supporting the project.
He expressed the hope that when fully embraced by the government, it would go a long way to complement the power needs of the people.
Mr Ntiamoah Yeboah further praised the students of the polytechnic for their co-operation which made the project a success.
The project was to train the students in assembling solar lamps for deprived communities in the region.
Through the collaboration of Cooper Union in the United States, three communities, namely Tampala, Nambey and Bazing are benefiting from this highly innovative technology. Interestingly, the lamp christened “socialite” is almost wholly made up of local materials.
Beside the electronic parts which are imported, the rest are local materials. It consists of a medium tampico container, a universal hair relaxer container while the handle is made from a Phoenix bicycle spokes.
The reflectors in the lamp are made of the silver-plated portion of Milo tins.
“It is also to get rid of dirt from the environment hence the decision to make the lamp as environmentally friendly as possible. It does not cause any greenhouse effect,” said Mr David Berger of the Cooper Union.
For now, the highly subsidised lamp costs GH¢30 but beneficiaries deposit GH¢10 while the rest is spread over a period of time with a charge of GH¢1 on monthly basis.
Mr Berger told the Daily Graphic that the solar lamp system is designed for recharging for one week, adding that there is a solar system established in the communities which was used for recharging the batteries that last four years.
He said so far the source of funding had been through grants from the United States, adding that Ghana’s Ministry of Energy was interested and was considering financing the project in selected communities in the region.
Mr Berger said there were plans to develop adapters to recharge the lamps in the near future.
A lecturer at the Wa Polytechnic, Mr Charles Ntiamoah Yeboah, commended Cooper Union for supporting the project.
He expressed the hope that when fully embraced by the government, it would go a long way to complement the power needs of the people.
Mr Ntiamoah Yeboah further praised the students of the polytechnic for their co-operation which made the project a success.
NEW LIBRARY COMPLEX FOR WA (PAGE 22, AUGUST 13, 2010)
WORK on a new library complex for the Upper West Region has started in Wa, the regional capital.
The estimated GH¢1.5 million project being executed by Messrs Consar Limited of Kumasi, includes a multimedia conference centre and a modern library. The project is to be completed in 18 months.
According to the regional librarian, Mr John–Bosco Kunsana, the project which is being funded by the government through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund), forms part of the implementation of educational and information dissemination for the region.
He said after a national competitive bidding, two companies namely Messrs E. Owusu Mensah and Messrs Consar Limited, both of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region passed the preliminary examination and were, therefore, considered for evaluation.
He said on the basis of the evaluation which was carried out in accordance with the criteria set out in the bidding documents, the evaluation panel recommended that the contract for the construction of the library be awarded to Messrs Consar Limited, which was qualified and capable of executing the contract.
Mr Kunsana, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic in Wa after the regional tender board had approved the award of the contract to the contractor.
He thanked the government for the project and said when completed, it would enable more people to have access to library services in the Wa Municipality.
The current library serves as both a district and regional library with very limited space which makes it very difficult for many people to patronise, particularly students.
Mr Kunsana described the government’s intervention as a welcome relief and expressed the hope that the contractor would complete the project on schedule.
The estimated GH¢1.5 million project being executed by Messrs Consar Limited of Kumasi, includes a multimedia conference centre and a modern library. The project is to be completed in 18 months.
According to the regional librarian, Mr John–Bosco Kunsana, the project which is being funded by the government through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETfund), forms part of the implementation of educational and information dissemination for the region.
He said after a national competitive bidding, two companies namely Messrs E. Owusu Mensah and Messrs Consar Limited, both of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region passed the preliminary examination and were, therefore, considered for evaluation.
He said on the basis of the evaluation which was carried out in accordance with the criteria set out in the bidding documents, the evaluation panel recommended that the contract for the construction of the library be awarded to Messrs Consar Limited, which was qualified and capable of executing the contract.
Mr Kunsana, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic in Wa after the regional tender board had approved the award of the contract to the contractor.
He thanked the government for the project and said when completed, it would enable more people to have access to library services in the Wa Municipality.
The current library serves as both a district and regional library with very limited space which makes it very difficult for many people to patronise, particularly students.
Mr Kunsana described the government’s intervention as a welcome relief and expressed the hope that the contractor would complete the project on schedule.
LAWRA DISTRICT ASSEBLY EXCEEDS REVENUE TARGET (PAGE 22, AUGUST 13, 2010)
THE Lawra District Assembly in the Upper West Region has collected GH¢88,983.75 out of an estimated GH¢69,045.90 budgeted as the assembly’s internally generated funds for this year.
This represents 129 per cent of the 2010 target collected as of July 31, 2010.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Samson Abu, announced this at the second ordinary meeting of the fourth session of the assembly at Lawra.
He said the performance was as a result of some pragmatic measures put in place by the assembly which included allocation of a specific vehicle for revenue mobilisation, a well-resourced and active revenue task-force.
Mr Abu said it was the hope of the assembly that the target would be doubled by December, this year.
According to him, even though the assembly was expected to receive a total of GH¢1,283,986.80 as its share of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund for 2010, only the first quarter share of GH¢109,313.35 had been received as of July 31, 2010.
Mr Abu said the delay in releasing the funds would impact negatively on the performance of the assembly.
He said additional funds received from the district development fund would be used for the construction of various development projects in the district while more funds were expected from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for the implementation of more programmes.
“Apart from our Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) projects at the Nandom Senior High School, all the 2009 projects have been completed and handed over to the appropriate departments for use. They include classroom blocks, clinics, CHPS compounds and sanitary facilities,” he added.
On education, the DCE announced that the district had taken delivery of 2,000 pieces of school uniforms which would soon be distributed while 232,389 exercise books had been earmarked for the district.
Touching on the forthcoming national population census, Mr Abu appealed to the assembly members to help sensitise their people to participate in the exercise.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr N. Godwin commended the assembly members for their support and dedication to duty.
This represents 129 per cent of the 2010 target collected as of July 31, 2010.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Samson Abu, announced this at the second ordinary meeting of the fourth session of the assembly at Lawra.
He said the performance was as a result of some pragmatic measures put in place by the assembly which included allocation of a specific vehicle for revenue mobilisation, a well-resourced and active revenue task-force.
Mr Abu said it was the hope of the assembly that the target would be doubled by December, this year.
According to him, even though the assembly was expected to receive a total of GH¢1,283,986.80 as its share of the District Assemblies’ Common Fund for 2010, only the first quarter share of GH¢109,313.35 had been received as of July 31, 2010.
Mr Abu said the delay in releasing the funds would impact negatively on the performance of the assembly.
He said additional funds received from the district development fund would be used for the construction of various development projects in the district while more funds were expected from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for the implementation of more programmes.
“Apart from our Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) projects at the Nandom Senior High School, all the 2009 projects have been completed and handed over to the appropriate departments for use. They include classroom blocks, clinics, CHPS compounds and sanitary facilities,” he added.
On education, the DCE announced that the district had taken delivery of 2,000 pieces of school uniforms which would soon be distributed while 232,389 exercise books had been earmarked for the district.
Touching on the forthcoming national population census, Mr Abu appealed to the assembly members to help sensitise their people to participate in the exercise.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr N. Godwin commended the assembly members for their support and dedication to duty.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
JEJEIDAYIRI YOUTH IN SHOWDOWN WITH GBC (PAGE 22, AUGUST 10, 2010)
A ROW is brewing between the youth of Jujeidayiri in the Wa municipality in the Upper West Region and the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation over the ownership of a parcel of land currently being developed by the corporation.
The youth said if the GBC failed to halt all activities on the land, a conflict might erupt.
“We want to stage our utmost and total displeasure at the manner in which the GBC management want to bend the laws of Ghana by using the security forces to intimidate the Jujeidayiri community in order to confiscate a portion of land which is not part of a piece of land given to them,” said Mr Mohammed Nanii, a spokesman for the group, at a news conference in Wa.
He said the community had exhausted all official means to resolve the issue amicably and would resort to other methods to stop the GBC from further development.
According to Mr Naani, in May this year, a meeting was held among the elders of the community, the Wa Municipal Assembly, the GBC management and the police to resolve the issue and a consensus was reached that work should halt until a lasting solution was found.
However, he said, to the utmost surprise of the elders of the community, work started again on that portion of land under full police guard.
Mr Nanii said it was ridiculous and elementary for the GBC to rely on inconsistent certificates of allocation signed by the Commissioner of Lands in 1954 and 1956, as the basis for ownership of the land.
He argued that a certificate of allocation only opened the negotiation doors and did not vest ownership of the land.
Mr Naani said the youth of Jjujeidayiri had resolved that no amount of intimidation or force from any quarters would prevent them from pursuing the matter.
“We shall resist in no uncertain terms any forceful means by GBC and its collaborators to rob us. GBC will never know peace should they make an attempt to further extend the wall beyond where it is at the moment,” he warned.
Mr Naani appealed to the regional minister and stakeholders to prevail on the management of GBC to spare the good people of Wa any disturbances.
The youth said if the GBC failed to halt all activities on the land, a conflict might erupt.
“We want to stage our utmost and total displeasure at the manner in which the GBC management want to bend the laws of Ghana by using the security forces to intimidate the Jujeidayiri community in order to confiscate a portion of land which is not part of a piece of land given to them,” said Mr Mohammed Nanii, a spokesman for the group, at a news conference in Wa.
He said the community had exhausted all official means to resolve the issue amicably and would resort to other methods to stop the GBC from further development.
According to Mr Naani, in May this year, a meeting was held among the elders of the community, the Wa Municipal Assembly, the GBC management and the police to resolve the issue and a consensus was reached that work should halt until a lasting solution was found.
However, he said, to the utmost surprise of the elders of the community, work started again on that portion of land under full police guard.
Mr Nanii said it was ridiculous and elementary for the GBC to rely on inconsistent certificates of allocation signed by the Commissioner of Lands in 1954 and 1956, as the basis for ownership of the land.
He argued that a certificate of allocation only opened the negotiation doors and did not vest ownership of the land.
Mr Naani said the youth of Jjujeidayiri had resolved that no amount of intimidation or force from any quarters would prevent them from pursuing the matter.
“We shall resist in no uncertain terms any forceful means by GBC and its collaborators to rob us. GBC will never know peace should they make an attempt to further extend the wall beyond where it is at the moment,” he warned.
Mr Naani appealed to the regional minister and stakeholders to prevail on the management of GBC to spare the good people of Wa any disturbances.
WA WEST ASSEMLY BUILDS CLASSROOMS (PAGE 22, AUGUST 10, 2010)
THE Wa West District Assembly in the Upper West Region has started constructing 10 six–unit classroom blocks in selected communities in the district.
The beneficiary communities include Boro, Lassia Tuolu and Wechiau.
Inspecting one of the projects at the Lassia–Tuolu Senior High School (SHS), the District Chief Executive, Mr Seidu Tungbani said the classroom blocks had become necessary in view of the large number of junior secondary school (JHS) graduates expected to be admitted in September, this year.
He said the government was committed to providing enough educational infrastructure in the country as a result of the four-year system introduced by the previous government.
Tungbani said it was in that vein that the government had embarked on a crash programme to address those imbalances.
He gave the assurance that electricity would be extended to the school to ensure effective teaching and learning.
In another development, an American non–governmental organisation (NGO), MEDPLUS, has presented assorted hospital equipment to the Wechiau Health Centre in the Wa West District.
The items included hospital beds, gloves and solar lights.
Making the presentation, the Executive Director of the NGO, Miss Emma Lawrence, said the organisation conducted visits to its partner hospitals and health centres to assess their needs after which they were supplied with what they actually needed.
She said the Lawra hospital recently also benefited from a similar donation, adding that MEDPLUS was partnering a Ghanaian NGO, EVCO–Africa, to instal a sever at the health centres.
Miss Lawrence said the NGO had extended its partnership with hospitals and health centres throughout the three northern regions.
For his part, the DCE, Mr Seidu Tingbani, thanked the NGO for the support and said it would go a long way to improve health care delivery at the health centre.
The beneficiary communities include Boro, Lassia Tuolu and Wechiau.
Inspecting one of the projects at the Lassia–Tuolu Senior High School (SHS), the District Chief Executive, Mr Seidu Tungbani said the classroom blocks had become necessary in view of the large number of junior secondary school (JHS) graduates expected to be admitted in September, this year.
He said the government was committed to providing enough educational infrastructure in the country as a result of the four-year system introduced by the previous government.
Tungbani said it was in that vein that the government had embarked on a crash programme to address those imbalances.
He gave the assurance that electricity would be extended to the school to ensure effective teaching and learning.
In another development, an American non–governmental organisation (NGO), MEDPLUS, has presented assorted hospital equipment to the Wechiau Health Centre in the Wa West District.
The items included hospital beds, gloves and solar lights.
Making the presentation, the Executive Director of the NGO, Miss Emma Lawrence, said the organisation conducted visits to its partner hospitals and health centres to assess their needs after which they were supplied with what they actually needed.
She said the Lawra hospital recently also benefited from a similar donation, adding that MEDPLUS was partnering a Ghanaian NGO, EVCO–Africa, to instal a sever at the health centres.
Miss Lawrence said the NGO had extended its partnership with hospitals and health centres throughout the three northern regions.
For his part, the DCE, Mr Seidu Tingbani, thanked the NGO for the support and said it would go a long way to improve health care delivery at the health centre.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
CONTROL ARMED ROBBERY IN UPPER WEST — NAA LOGGAH (PAGE 22, AUGUST 3, 2010)
THE Upper West Regional platform on disaster reduction has called for immediate solutions to a number of major challenges currently facing the region.
They are domestic and highway armed robbery, flood, wind, rainstorms and food security.
Addressing a news conference in Wa, the Chairman of the platform, Naa Robert Loggah, said between January and June, this year, eight major robberies had occurred in the region with serious consequences.
He said apart from those robberies, there were other major ones outside the jurisdiction of the Upper West Regional Police Command during which almost all the victims were raped, maimed or killed with impunity.
Naa Loggah said the first incident involved a Controller and Accountant General vehicle returning from official duties in Accra which was attacked and the driver shot dead, other persons on board suffered serious injuries from gun shots and severe beatings on the Wa–Bambo–Techiman highway.
“The second incident which also occurred in May, this year, involved students from tertiary educational institutions in the region. One girl was raped, a colossal amount of money as well as mobile phones were seized on the Tumu–Bolga highway,” he added.
Naa Loggah identified the cause of floods in the region as farming along river banks, building on water courses and use of drains as garbage dumps.
On food security, he attributed the situation to smuggling of farm inputs to neighbouring Burkina Faso, lack of storage facilities, among others.
Naa Loggah suggested preventive measures such as the establishment of emergency operation centres to patrol Tinga and its environs, the Wa–Bamboi-Techiman, Wa–Hamile, Wa–Bolgatanga and Sawla – Damango Fulfuso highways, to address the situation.
He suggested that “There must be joint military/police patrols in the Upper West, Upper East and the Northern Regions while installation communication masts within Maluwe–Tinga and Tumu–Nakong catchment areas must be installed by telecommunication companies.”
Naa Loggah also urged the government to come out with a land use policy to include village planning and a design of structures to withstand windstorms by encouraging the round structures and use of appropriate building materials.
He called for the establishment of a disaster fund to be started by the government, while information sharing must be encouraged.
Naa Loggah expressed the hope that the concerns raised would promptly be responded to by the government and other organisations in the country since “disaster management is everybody’s business.”
They are domestic and highway armed robbery, flood, wind, rainstorms and food security.
Addressing a news conference in Wa, the Chairman of the platform, Naa Robert Loggah, said between January and June, this year, eight major robberies had occurred in the region with serious consequences.
He said apart from those robberies, there were other major ones outside the jurisdiction of the Upper West Regional Police Command during which almost all the victims were raped, maimed or killed with impunity.
Naa Loggah said the first incident involved a Controller and Accountant General vehicle returning from official duties in Accra which was attacked and the driver shot dead, other persons on board suffered serious injuries from gun shots and severe beatings on the Wa–Bambo–Techiman highway.
“The second incident which also occurred in May, this year, involved students from tertiary educational institutions in the region. One girl was raped, a colossal amount of money as well as mobile phones were seized on the Tumu–Bolga highway,” he added.
Naa Loggah identified the cause of floods in the region as farming along river banks, building on water courses and use of drains as garbage dumps.
On food security, he attributed the situation to smuggling of farm inputs to neighbouring Burkina Faso, lack of storage facilities, among others.
Naa Loggah suggested preventive measures such as the establishment of emergency operation centres to patrol Tinga and its environs, the Wa–Bamboi-Techiman, Wa–Hamile, Wa–Bolgatanga and Sawla – Damango Fulfuso highways, to address the situation.
He suggested that “There must be joint military/police patrols in the Upper West, Upper East and the Northern Regions while installation communication masts within Maluwe–Tinga and Tumu–Nakong catchment areas must be installed by telecommunication companies.”
Naa Loggah also urged the government to come out with a land use policy to include village planning and a design of structures to withstand windstorms by encouraging the round structures and use of appropriate building materials.
He called for the establishment of a disaster fund to be started by the government, while information sharing must be encouraged.
Naa Loggah expressed the hope that the concerns raised would promptly be responded to by the government and other organisations in the country since “disaster management is everybody’s business.”
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