Story: Albert K. Salia in Accra, Zakaria Alhassan in Tamale
TWO security analysts have described the action of the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Nayina, of sacking the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Ofosu Mensah-Gyeabour, out of a Regional Security Council meeting, as wrong and an abuse of office.
Dr Kwesi Aning, who is the Head of the Conflict Prevention Management and Resolution Department of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, and Mr Emmanuel Sowatey, a small arms expert, said even if the regional minister had a problem with the police commander, walking him out was not the best.
They wondered whether Mr Nayina had earlier complained to the Interior Minister and the acting Inspector-General of Police about any problems he (Nayina) was having with DCOP Mensah-Gyeabour.
The security experts were speaking in reaction to the dismissal of the Northern Regional Police Commander from a Regional Security Council meeting in Tamale on April 14, 2009 and his subsequent withdrawal by the Interior Minister and the acting IGP.
DCOP Mensah-Gyeabour was walked out of the meeting when it was discovered that he took the wind out of the sail of the regional minister to brief the media about some decisions taken to extend a one-month moratorium given all residents of Tamale to surrender their weapons.
Dr Aning said while the removal of the police commander could have been politically correct, it did not hold the key to the long-standing tension in the region.
He said the conduct of the regional minister so far clearly demonstrated his lack of understanding of the complex issues of security and suggested that Mr Nanyina be dismissed for gross incompetence in dealing with security issues in the region.
According to him, keeping the regional minister in office would not only make the work of the President difficult, but was also likely to escalate the tensions and unsettle the situation in the region.
He expressed regret that civil authority had been so abused that a competent police officer should be withdrawn from post.
According to him, the minister had failed and should be sacked.
Mr Sowatey explained that the position of the Regional Police Commander on the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) was mandated by the National Security and Intelligence Agencies Act, Act 526.
Mr Sowatey said Mr Ofosu-Gyeabour’s reputation and career had been dented by the action, which would make every minister or his subordinates not to trust him in whatever position.
He wondered whether prior to the incident, Mr Nayina had complained to the Interior Minister or the Inspector-General of Police about the conduct of Mr Ofosu-Gyeabour and what their reactions were.
Mr Sowatey wondered whether the minister’s anger about the police commander was because he (police boss) was the first to break the news about weapons-buy-back programme or REGSEC had not taken any firm decision on it.
He said if it was not time for the news to be made public then Mr Nayina had a genuine reason to be bitter but his approach of resolving the problem was wrong.
Meanwhile, Zakaria Alhassan reports from Tamale that there had been mixed reactions in Tamale over the incident.
While some people accused the minister of acting in bad faith, others described the action by the commander as unethical.
According to a retired military officer, Capt. Malik, “the manner in which the minister acted was not appropriate; he could have been more diplomatic and still has his way through. On the part of the police commander, I think he should have channelled his grievances through the appropriate quarters in the service and not be on the airwaves the manner he acted”.
A teacher, Mrs Comfort Abu, was not happy about the way the issue was managed. “The matter bordered on the security of the region and so the minister and the commander should have handled it more maturely than the way they did. It sends bad signals to the youth.”
“For me, the commander did not act professionally by disclosing to the press matters the REGSEC had discussed and agreed to unveil to the public the following day; he took the wind out of the sail of the minister and that might have angered the latter,” Abdul-Rahman Kadir opined.
A student, Hamdiya Mohammed, was also not glad that the minister “openly embarrassed the police boss in the midst of his colleagues; Mr Nayina could have handled it in a more diplomatic way”.
“The minister’s action was long overdue; the commander should have been transferred from the region after the election since some people in the metropolis have been suspecting his loyalty to the current government,” a trader, Alhaji Mumuni Bashiru, claimed.
Although the commander did not deny talking to the press when the Daily Graphic contacted him, he claimed that the action by the minister was premeditated.
According to him, the minister had since his assumption of office, chastised him at the least opportunity.
He mentioned a number of issues including an accusation by the minister, during a visit to Tamale by the Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, that the police were partly responsible for the tension that had generated during the trial of the suspects connected to the last two months’ disturbances in the metropolis for levelling the same charges against all the suspects.
Mr Mensah-Gyeabour also referred to a recent case in which his men arrested somebody with two guns and a knife during a hearing of the Bimbilla Chieftaincy case at the House of Chiefs in Tamale.
He alleged that when he subsequently went to the minister’s office, he was asked by Mr Nayina to go back and find a third gun that his men allegedly confiscated from the suspect because he the minister’s information was that the guns were three and not two.
The commander further claimed that during this year’s Damba festival, the minister allegedly asked him to confiscate the drums of one of the factions in the Dagbon Chieftaincy dispute.
However, when the minister was contacted, he denied some of the allegations and added, “I never asked him to go and confiscate anybody’s drum; that is his own fabrication.”
Thursday, April 30, 2009
VEEP BEMOANS CONFLICTS (APRIL 27, PAGE 3)
THE Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, has described as unfortunate the protracted conflicts that continue to draw back development in the northern part of the country.
He, however, expressed the government’s determination to ensure sustainable peace to attract the necessary development initiatives to the area.
He noted that the only way to guarantee peace in the area was to ensure even handedness in matters relating to breaches of the peace, for which reason the government “will hold people personally responsible for their actions, irrespective of their ethnic or political affiliations”.
Mr Mahama mentioned the National Peace Council, civil society organisations and traditional authorities as some of the stakeholders the government intended to involve in its peace drive enterprise.
He reminded the people that all the interventions by the government to ensure the accelerated development of the north, such as the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) initiative, would not produce the needed impact if there was no harmony among the people.
Mr Mahama, who was speaking at the investiture of the Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Tamale, the Most Reverend Philip Naameh, in Tamale at the weekend, lauded the Catholic Church for its tolerance of other religious denominations over the years.
“There is the need for people to learn from this illustrious example of coexistence and religious tolerance and extend such virtues to their communities and towns,” he admonished.
The new Archbishop, who was born at Nandom in the Upper West Region in 1948, is taking over from the Most Rev Gregory Kpiebaya, who is now retired.
Archbishop Naameh was, until his installation, the Bishop of the Damongo Diocese. He is also the Episcopal Chairman for Catholic Education in the country and a member of the Ghana Education Service Council.
The ceremony, which took place at the Jubilee Park, attracted a large congregation made up of the clergy and laymen and women from within and outside the country.
Also present were chiefs, members of the Council of State, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament and metropolitan and district chief executives.
The Vice-President also commended the church for its immeasurable service to humanity and described Archbishop Naameh as approachable, sincere and hardworking.
Archbishop Naameh noted that the existing conflicts in the area were partly the result of the deep-seated suspicion, bitterness and hatred among the feuding factions.
He also mentioned the high levels of illiteracy and ignorance as some of the reasons behind the disturbances, noting that “unity and peace are only possible if we allow ourselves to be guided by God’s spirit. It is only when God’s spirit guides us that we can heal our wounds, forgive one another and chart a progressive course for ourselves”.
The Archbishop further indicated that after 51 years of independence, the people could not continue to blame the colonial masters for their under-development and that what was needed was a strong political will to accelerate the socio-economic development of the north.
He entreated politicians from the area to unite for the common good of the people they represented and proposed that a percentage of the Value Added Tax be channelled into the SADA to ensure its sustainability.
He, however, expressed the government’s determination to ensure sustainable peace to attract the necessary development initiatives to the area.
He noted that the only way to guarantee peace in the area was to ensure even handedness in matters relating to breaches of the peace, for which reason the government “will hold people personally responsible for their actions, irrespective of their ethnic or political affiliations”.
Mr Mahama mentioned the National Peace Council, civil society organisations and traditional authorities as some of the stakeholders the government intended to involve in its peace drive enterprise.
He reminded the people that all the interventions by the government to ensure the accelerated development of the north, such as the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) initiative, would not produce the needed impact if there was no harmony among the people.
Mr Mahama, who was speaking at the investiture of the Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Tamale, the Most Reverend Philip Naameh, in Tamale at the weekend, lauded the Catholic Church for its tolerance of other religious denominations over the years.
“There is the need for people to learn from this illustrious example of coexistence and religious tolerance and extend such virtues to their communities and towns,” he admonished.
The new Archbishop, who was born at Nandom in the Upper West Region in 1948, is taking over from the Most Rev Gregory Kpiebaya, who is now retired.
Archbishop Naameh was, until his installation, the Bishop of the Damongo Diocese. He is also the Episcopal Chairman for Catholic Education in the country and a member of the Ghana Education Service Council.
The ceremony, which took place at the Jubilee Park, attracted a large congregation made up of the clergy and laymen and women from within and outside the country.
Also present were chiefs, members of the Council of State, Ministers of State, Members of Parliament and metropolitan and district chief executives.
The Vice-President also commended the church for its immeasurable service to humanity and described Archbishop Naameh as approachable, sincere and hardworking.
Archbishop Naameh noted that the existing conflicts in the area were partly the result of the deep-seated suspicion, bitterness and hatred among the feuding factions.
He also mentioned the high levels of illiteracy and ignorance as some of the reasons behind the disturbances, noting that “unity and peace are only possible if we allow ourselves to be guided by God’s spirit. It is only when God’s spirit guides us that we can heal our wounds, forgive one another and chart a progressive course for ourselves”.
The Archbishop further indicated that after 51 years of independence, the people could not continue to blame the colonial masters for their under-development and that what was needed was a strong political will to accelerate the socio-economic development of the north.
He entreated politicians from the area to unite for the common good of the people they represented and proposed that a percentage of the Value Added Tax be channelled into the SADA to ensure its sustainability.
MEDIA PRACTIONERS URGED TO BE CIRCUMSPECT (PAGE 29)
A Communication specialist and director of the Centre for Development Communication (CEDCOM),Mr Ibrahim Gariba, has cautioned media practitioners and FM stations in the Tamale metropolis to avoid creating unnecessary tension in the metropolis.
Instead, he said, they should unite residents to promote the development of the area.
“Media practitioners and FM stations must avoid focusing on religious, ethnic and chieftaincy issues to the detriment of promoting the development agenda of the metropolis,” he stressed.
Mr Gariba, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic in Tamale, noted that journalism in Ghana had since independence gone through different periods, adding that “we focus on the practice of development journalism in the era in which we are now ”.
He, however, singled out some journalists in the metropolis, who he said, had exhibited a lot of professionalism over the years, and advised the up and coming ones to emulate the more experienced practitioners.
The director further urged the practitioners to uphold the ethics of the profession and be circumspect when reporting on security matters to sustain the prevailing peace in the metropolis.
“A journalist is not a politician or corporate communications practitioner or a spokesperson for profit-making entities: In effect, some journalists have gleefully and shamelessly entered the pockets of corporate Ghana,” Mr Garb indicated.
He also urged media practitioners “to be responsible towards the ordinary citizen who has his or her own power and rights in the society”.
Instead, he said, they should unite residents to promote the development of the area.
“Media practitioners and FM stations must avoid focusing on religious, ethnic and chieftaincy issues to the detriment of promoting the development agenda of the metropolis,” he stressed.
Mr Gariba, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic in Tamale, noted that journalism in Ghana had since independence gone through different periods, adding that “we focus on the practice of development journalism in the era in which we are now ”.
He, however, singled out some journalists in the metropolis, who he said, had exhibited a lot of professionalism over the years, and advised the up and coming ones to emulate the more experienced practitioners.
The director further urged the practitioners to uphold the ethics of the profession and be circumspect when reporting on security matters to sustain the prevailing peace in the metropolis.
“A journalist is not a politician or corporate communications practitioner or a spokesperson for profit-making entities: In effect, some journalists have gleefully and shamelessly entered the pockets of corporate Ghana,” Mr Garb indicated.
He also urged media practitioners “to be responsible towards the ordinary citizen who has his or her own power and rights in the society”.
FAN MILK IMPROVES FACILTIES IN TAMALE (PAGE 29)
FANMILK Limited has, within the last six months, invested $1 million to improve its infrastructure in Tamale to serve the three northern regions.
It intends to invest an additional $500,000 to turn its depot in Tamale into a modern storage and distribution retail centre in the northern sector.
The Sales and Marketing Manager of Fanmilk, Mr Kwasi Attuah, said this after presenting a number of litter bins to the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly in Tamale on Monday.
The donation was in response to an earlier appeal by the assembly to companies in the area to donate towards keeping the city clean in connection with President Atta Mills’s call to rid the cities of filth.
Mr Attuah said the gesture was part of the company’s social responsibility to help address the sanitation needs of cities and towns in the country.
“Fanmilk has, over the past 15 years, also assisted a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to embark on clean-up exercises in various parts of the country,” he said.
According to him, the company had earlier presented similar bins to the University for Development Studies Medical School in Tamale, adding that its next stop would be the Yendi municipality.
He announced that 24 schools in the Tamale metropolis would soon benefit from the company’s sensitisation programme under which a film on the proper disposal of waste would be shown to the beneficiary schools.
The MCE of Tamale, who received the items, expressed appreciation to the benefactors and appealed to other companies and organisations to also extend support to the assembly in its sanitation and development drive.
He said the fast-growing metropolis had become cosmopolitan, was generating more waste and grappling with additional development challenges that needed the intervention of both the government and other stakeholders to address.
He noted that contrary to the negative perception some people had of the metropolis, Tamale was the hub of the proverbial Ghanaian hospitality, with a multiplicity of valued cultures and traditions.
He, therefore, urged potential investors and visitors alike not to hesitate in relocating to the city to enjoy its warmth and the business opportunities that it offered.
It intends to invest an additional $500,000 to turn its depot in Tamale into a modern storage and distribution retail centre in the northern sector.
The Sales and Marketing Manager of Fanmilk, Mr Kwasi Attuah, said this after presenting a number of litter bins to the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly in Tamale on Monday.
The donation was in response to an earlier appeal by the assembly to companies in the area to donate towards keeping the city clean in connection with President Atta Mills’s call to rid the cities of filth.
Mr Attuah said the gesture was part of the company’s social responsibility to help address the sanitation needs of cities and towns in the country.
“Fanmilk has, over the past 15 years, also assisted a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to embark on clean-up exercises in various parts of the country,” he said.
According to him, the company had earlier presented similar bins to the University for Development Studies Medical School in Tamale, adding that its next stop would be the Yendi municipality.
He announced that 24 schools in the Tamale metropolis would soon benefit from the company’s sensitisation programme under which a film on the proper disposal of waste would be shown to the beneficiary schools.
The MCE of Tamale, who received the items, expressed appreciation to the benefactors and appealed to other companies and organisations to also extend support to the assembly in its sanitation and development drive.
He said the fast-growing metropolis had become cosmopolitan, was generating more waste and grappling with additional development challenges that needed the intervention of both the government and other stakeholders to address.
He noted that contrary to the negative perception some people had of the metropolis, Tamale was the hub of the proverbial Ghanaian hospitality, with a multiplicity of valued cultures and traditions.
He, therefore, urged potential investors and visitors alike not to hesitate in relocating to the city to enjoy its warmth and the business opportunities that it offered.
TAMALE GETS NEW MCE (PAGE 29)
THE Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TAMA) now has a new chief executive in the person of Alhaji Abdulai Harruna Friday.
Alhaji Friday comes to the assembly with much experience, having been a former District Chief Executive for Savelugu/Nanton in the late 1990s.
It is because of his track record and admirable interpersonal relationships that majority of residents of the metropolis have welcomed his confirmation as MCE.
The process for his confirmation last Tuesday attracted a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters, including some prominent chiefs in the metropolis. And at the close of voting, 69 out of the 72 members present, representing 96 per cent, voted in favour of Alhaji Friday, while the rest of the ballots were spoilt.
According to the people, Alhaji Friday was not only mature and experienced as a former DCE but also had the temperament to address people’s concerns.
“Tamale has become cosmopolitan and we need such mature and experienced people to manage the affairs of the metropolis. For that matter, I think President Mills made the right choice,” Iddi Mumuni, a student, opined.
Tamale is undoubtedly one of the emerging cities in the country with much potential for accelerated growth. Indeed, it is among the fastest growing cities in the West African sub-region.
It has, unfortunately, also attracted bad press following the political and chieftaincy disturbances in the area for some time now.
It is for this reason that anybody who is offered the privilege of managing the affairs of the area should not only be tolerant and patient but must also be a unifier and team player.
The existing differences in the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis is the stumbling block to the attainment of lasting peace in the area.
It, therefore, behoves Alhaji Friday to work assiduously to ensure peace in the area for accelerated development.
It was refreshing to hear him assure members of the assembly, “I will use consultation and fairness as the hallmarks of my administration and will consult honourable members on all issues that demand consultation and collective decision- making and taking.”
Another area of interest is how to control the growing levels of impunity and indiscipline that have been allowed to fester in the metropolis over the years.
The MCE promised to operate an open administration and would liaise with all stakeholders to help in restoring the battered image of the metropolis.
Alhaji Friday comes to the assembly with much experience, having been a former District Chief Executive for Savelugu/Nanton in the late 1990s.
It is because of his track record and admirable interpersonal relationships that majority of residents of the metropolis have welcomed his confirmation as MCE.
The process for his confirmation last Tuesday attracted a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters, including some prominent chiefs in the metropolis. And at the close of voting, 69 out of the 72 members present, representing 96 per cent, voted in favour of Alhaji Friday, while the rest of the ballots were spoilt.
According to the people, Alhaji Friday was not only mature and experienced as a former DCE but also had the temperament to address people’s concerns.
“Tamale has become cosmopolitan and we need such mature and experienced people to manage the affairs of the metropolis. For that matter, I think President Mills made the right choice,” Iddi Mumuni, a student, opined.
Tamale is undoubtedly one of the emerging cities in the country with much potential for accelerated growth. Indeed, it is among the fastest growing cities in the West African sub-region.
It has, unfortunately, also attracted bad press following the political and chieftaincy disturbances in the area for some time now.
It is for this reason that anybody who is offered the privilege of managing the affairs of the area should not only be tolerant and patient but must also be a unifier and team player.
The existing differences in the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis is the stumbling block to the attainment of lasting peace in the area.
It, therefore, behoves Alhaji Friday to work assiduously to ensure peace in the area for accelerated development.
It was refreshing to hear him assure members of the assembly, “I will use consultation and fairness as the hallmarks of my administration and will consult honourable members on all issues that demand consultation and collective decision- making and taking.”
Another area of interest is how to control the growing levels of impunity and indiscipline that have been allowed to fester in the metropolis over the years.
The MCE promised to operate an open administration and would liaise with all stakeholders to help in restoring the battered image of the metropolis.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
PARENTS URGED TO TAKE PROPER CARE OF CHILDREN (PAGE 20)
THE future of every nation depends largely on the proper upbringing of and care for its younger generation, majority of whom are less privileged and therefore vulnerable.
Indeed, it is not enough to just give birth to an innocent child, if you are not in the position to take proper care of the basic needs of the child such as food, clothing, health and education.
It is as a result of concerns for such susceptible children that a development consultant, Mrs Sylvia Hinson-Ekong, has entreated parents to be more responsible towards the upbringing of their wards in order that the children do not waste away to become liabilities to society.
She described as most unfortunate the tendency of some parents to shirk their responsibilities in the proper upbringing of their children and observed that such irresponsible behaviours also accounted for the increasing child labour and abuse in the country.
Mrs Hinson-Ekong further observed that the growing practice of nurturing, particularly that of inter-family fostering of children in some communities in the country, was being abused.
“The protection of a child by the parents is first and foremost; a child can only be fostered when the parent is abusive, mentally unbalanced or deceased, among other reasons,” she further explained.
Mrs Hinson-Ekong, therefore, reminded the people that the law on the protection of children still existed for which reason those who went contrary to it could be prosecuted.
The consultant was speaking at a three-day capacity building programme for stakeholders on child labour, prevention and integration in Tamale. The participants included trustees, management and field staff of the Regional Advisory, Information and Network Systems (RAINS), a Tamale-based non-governmental organisation (NGO).
The programme formed part of the “Next Generation” project of RAINS that aims at combating child trafficking with particular focus on fostering and inter-family fostering practices in the country.
The project is being implemented in the Savelugu/Nanton and West Mamprusi districts in the Northern Region.
In most communities in the region young girls under 10 years of age are sent to their aunties or other family members for grooming instead of being sent to schools.
In some cases, the girls are maltreated and molested, forcing them to flee home to southern Ghana to engage in menial jobs to earn income to buy their personal effects and also acquire vocational skills.
The Programme Manager of RAINS, Mr Alhassan Musah, explained that his outfit was now shifting its focus into building the capacity of stakeholders to support in stemming the tide.
Indeed, it is not enough to just give birth to an innocent child, if you are not in the position to take proper care of the basic needs of the child such as food, clothing, health and education.
It is as a result of concerns for such susceptible children that a development consultant, Mrs Sylvia Hinson-Ekong, has entreated parents to be more responsible towards the upbringing of their wards in order that the children do not waste away to become liabilities to society.
She described as most unfortunate the tendency of some parents to shirk their responsibilities in the proper upbringing of their children and observed that such irresponsible behaviours also accounted for the increasing child labour and abuse in the country.
Mrs Hinson-Ekong further observed that the growing practice of nurturing, particularly that of inter-family fostering of children in some communities in the country, was being abused.
“The protection of a child by the parents is first and foremost; a child can only be fostered when the parent is abusive, mentally unbalanced or deceased, among other reasons,” she further explained.
Mrs Hinson-Ekong, therefore, reminded the people that the law on the protection of children still existed for which reason those who went contrary to it could be prosecuted.
The consultant was speaking at a three-day capacity building programme for stakeholders on child labour, prevention and integration in Tamale. The participants included trustees, management and field staff of the Regional Advisory, Information and Network Systems (RAINS), a Tamale-based non-governmental organisation (NGO).
The programme formed part of the “Next Generation” project of RAINS that aims at combating child trafficking with particular focus on fostering and inter-family fostering practices in the country.
The project is being implemented in the Savelugu/Nanton and West Mamprusi districts in the Northern Region.
In most communities in the region young girls under 10 years of age are sent to their aunties or other family members for grooming instead of being sent to schools.
In some cases, the girls are maltreated and molested, forcing them to flee home to southern Ghana to engage in menial jobs to earn income to buy their personal effects and also acquire vocational skills.
The Programme Manager of RAINS, Mr Alhassan Musah, explained that his outfit was now shifting its focus into building the capacity of stakeholders to support in stemming the tide.
ACCIDENTS CLAIM MORE LIVES IN NORTHERN REGION (PAGE 20)
ACCIDENTS are largely caused by human errors. It takes some patience and carefulness and God’s intervention to steer clear of accidents that continue to claim the lives of many, maim others and cause misery to thousands of households.
The Northern Region Secretariat of the National Road Safety Committee has therefore expressed concern over the increasing spate of road accidents in the area and called on road users to exercise maximum restraint while driving, particularly on the highways.
Within the first quarter of this year, more than 64 people have lost their lives in road accidents as compared to 70 for the whole of last year in the region.
During the same period, about 130 people sustained various degrees of injury in the accidents.
The Northern Regional Co-ordinator of the committee, Mr Sumani Mbo, described the accident figures as “very worrying and unprecedented in the region’s history”.
The latest accident occurred around Kukobila near Walewale where six members of the Fountain Gate Chapel, including the two daughters of the Head Pastor of the church, Rev Eastwood Anaba, lost their lives in a crash.
A couple of months ago, a similar accident along the Walewale Road claimed more than 35 lives when two passenger vehicles collided.
Mr Mbo attributed the accidents mainly to human error and advised road users to strictly abide by road traffic regulations and also exercise patience in their haste to reach their destinations.
Among the blunders identified as part of the causes of accidents in the region were speeding, illegal parking, intermittent break of the traffic lights and drug and alcohol abuse.
Other problems include the plying of the roads with faulty and rickety vehicles, lack of adequate road signs, inaction by law enforcement agencies to duly apprehend and prosecute road traffic offenders and the lack of co-ordination among various stakeholders on road safety.
The Northern Region Secretariat of the National Road Safety Committee has therefore expressed concern over the increasing spate of road accidents in the area and called on road users to exercise maximum restraint while driving, particularly on the highways.
Within the first quarter of this year, more than 64 people have lost their lives in road accidents as compared to 70 for the whole of last year in the region.
During the same period, about 130 people sustained various degrees of injury in the accidents.
The Northern Regional Co-ordinator of the committee, Mr Sumani Mbo, described the accident figures as “very worrying and unprecedented in the region’s history”.
The latest accident occurred around Kukobila near Walewale where six members of the Fountain Gate Chapel, including the two daughters of the Head Pastor of the church, Rev Eastwood Anaba, lost their lives in a crash.
A couple of months ago, a similar accident along the Walewale Road claimed more than 35 lives when two passenger vehicles collided.
Mr Mbo attributed the accidents mainly to human error and advised road users to strictly abide by road traffic regulations and also exercise patience in their haste to reach their destinations.
Among the blunders identified as part of the causes of accidents in the region were speeding, illegal parking, intermittent break of the traffic lights and drug and alcohol abuse.
Other problems include the plying of the roads with faulty and rickety vehicles, lack of adequate road signs, inaction by law enforcement agencies to duly apprehend and prosecute road traffic offenders and the lack of co-ordination among various stakeholders on road safety.
NGO DONATES TO NEEDY SCHOOLCHILDREN (PAGE 20)
SOME needy pupils of the Tingoli Roman Catholic Primary School in the Tolon/Kumbungu district in the Northern Region, have been presented with learning materials to support them in their studies.
The items included exercise books, pens and pencils, school bags and uniforms and some candies.
A local non-governmental organisation (NGO), Rural Needy Family Empowerment Project (RNFEP), in collaboration with its partners, the TLGMI International Group of Missions, Ghana, donated the items to the beneficiaries in the deprived community.
The occasion was also used to formally inaugurate the RNFEP, whose main focus is to support and encourage non-schooling needy children through the provision of teaching and learning materials including food items.
According to the Group Director of Missions of the TLGMI, Apostle Alphonsus O. Azoji, the long-term goal of the project was to ensure that the children were not only motivated to attend school, but also did it on regular basis.
“This will ensure that they excel in their examinations at the end of the day to prepare them for greater achievements in future. We believe that investing in the welfare of children and their education represents an important investment any nation can make,’’ he added.
The Project Manager of the RNFEP, Mr Nurudeen A. Lansah described education in northern Ghana as a daunting task that needed the immediate intervention of all stakeholders.
He, however, stated that, the government and donor inputs would not by themselves produce quality education, but that, ‘‘the supervisory role, particularly of parents and communities were essential to ensure improved education.’’
The headmaster of the school, Mr Abdallah M. Alhassan who received the items on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed appreciation to the benefactors for the gesture.
He further appealed to other individuals and organisations to also come to the aid of the school that is among the most deprived in the region.
The items included exercise books, pens and pencils, school bags and uniforms and some candies.
A local non-governmental organisation (NGO), Rural Needy Family Empowerment Project (RNFEP), in collaboration with its partners, the TLGMI International Group of Missions, Ghana, donated the items to the beneficiaries in the deprived community.
The occasion was also used to formally inaugurate the RNFEP, whose main focus is to support and encourage non-schooling needy children through the provision of teaching and learning materials including food items.
According to the Group Director of Missions of the TLGMI, Apostle Alphonsus O. Azoji, the long-term goal of the project was to ensure that the children were not only motivated to attend school, but also did it on regular basis.
“This will ensure that they excel in their examinations at the end of the day to prepare them for greater achievements in future. We believe that investing in the welfare of children and their education represents an important investment any nation can make,’’ he added.
The Project Manager of the RNFEP, Mr Nurudeen A. Lansah described education in northern Ghana as a daunting task that needed the immediate intervention of all stakeholders.
He, however, stated that, the government and donor inputs would not by themselves produce quality education, but that, ‘‘the supervisory role, particularly of parents and communities were essential to ensure improved education.’’
The headmaster of the school, Mr Abdallah M. Alhassan who received the items on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed appreciation to the benefactors for the gesture.
He further appealed to other individuals and organisations to also come to the aid of the school that is among the most deprived in the region.
REGIONAL MINISTER ADVISES ABUDU, ANDANI GATES (PAGE 20)
THE Northern Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Sumani Nayina, has entreated the leadership of both the Andani and Abudu Royal Gates in the Dagbon Chieftaincy stalemate to demonstrate more commitment, sincerity and cooperation during their discussions with the eminent chiefs to help find an amicable and sustainable solutions to the protracted impasse.
The minister expressed concern over the stalled meetings at the Manhyia Palace for sometime now, as a result of the hard-line stands by the two protagonists, but was hopeful that, the meeting would be reconvened after the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s 10th anniversary celebrations were over.
Mr Nayina, who gave the assurance at a meeting with the leadership of the Abudu royal family in Tamale, also reminded the chiefs and people of Dagbon that the continuous stalemate on the matter was making the kingdom, which is one of the oldest in the country lose its hard won esteem.
“We are honourable people who rightly deserve respect from our fellow countrymen; please, help me find permanent solution to this nagging problem; when that happens, we will be making history, and we will be grateful to Allah for His blessings”, he stressed.
The meeting was called at the instance of the Abudu family to formally welcome the new regional minister and his team to the region. The eight-member team was led by the Nanton Naa, Alhassan Sulemana.
The other members included the Mion Lana A.A. Ziblim, Mba Dugu Iddi and Gbingbali Naa Alhassan Bukari. The rest were the Bamvim Lana Mahama Abdulai, Gbogim Dana A.B. Haruna and Zo-Sali Lana Tia Sulemana.
The regional minister pledged his neutrality in the matter and pledged to be objective to all sides in their quests to arrive at a lasting solution, adding, “In this case, whatever decision the committee arrives at, is what we shall implement and I assure you that I will be fair and firm in its implementation.”
Mr Nayina commended the people in the region for the prevailing peace in the area but urged them not to be complacent but strive harder to ensure that calm existed at all times to pave way for the accelerated development of the region.
The Nanton Naa wished the regional minister Allah’s guidance and protection and assured him of their unflinching support and cooperation during his tenure.
For his part, the Bamvim Lana congratulated President Atta Mills on his victory at the 2008 general election.
He described the President as a man of peace and expressed the hope that he would use his experience and wisdom in helping to restore lasting peace in Dagbon.
The chief further expressed the confidence of the Abudus in the eminent chiefs and urged all sides to abide by the road map to peace fashioned out by the committee.
The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu heads the three-member committee that includes the paramount chiefs of the Mamprusi and Gonja Traditional Areas, Nayiri, Na Bohigu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga and the Yagbowura Bawa Doshie.
The minister expressed concern over the stalled meetings at the Manhyia Palace for sometime now, as a result of the hard-line stands by the two protagonists, but was hopeful that, the meeting would be reconvened after the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu’s 10th anniversary celebrations were over.
Mr Nayina, who gave the assurance at a meeting with the leadership of the Abudu royal family in Tamale, also reminded the chiefs and people of Dagbon that the continuous stalemate on the matter was making the kingdom, which is one of the oldest in the country lose its hard won esteem.
“We are honourable people who rightly deserve respect from our fellow countrymen; please, help me find permanent solution to this nagging problem; when that happens, we will be making history, and we will be grateful to Allah for His blessings”, he stressed.
The meeting was called at the instance of the Abudu family to formally welcome the new regional minister and his team to the region. The eight-member team was led by the Nanton Naa, Alhassan Sulemana.
The other members included the Mion Lana A.A. Ziblim, Mba Dugu Iddi and Gbingbali Naa Alhassan Bukari. The rest were the Bamvim Lana Mahama Abdulai, Gbogim Dana A.B. Haruna and Zo-Sali Lana Tia Sulemana.
The regional minister pledged his neutrality in the matter and pledged to be objective to all sides in their quests to arrive at a lasting solution, adding, “In this case, whatever decision the committee arrives at, is what we shall implement and I assure you that I will be fair and firm in its implementation.”
Mr Nayina commended the people in the region for the prevailing peace in the area but urged them not to be complacent but strive harder to ensure that calm existed at all times to pave way for the accelerated development of the region.
The Nanton Naa wished the regional minister Allah’s guidance and protection and assured him of their unflinching support and cooperation during his tenure.
For his part, the Bamvim Lana congratulated President Atta Mills on his victory at the 2008 general election.
He described the President as a man of peace and expressed the hope that he would use his experience and wisdom in helping to restore lasting peace in Dagbon.
The chief further expressed the confidence of the Abudus in the eminent chiefs and urged all sides to abide by the road map to peace fashioned out by the committee.
The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu heads the three-member committee that includes the paramount chiefs of the Mamprusi and Gonja Traditional Areas, Nayiri, Na Bohigu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga and the Yagbowura Bawa Doshie.
COURT ADJOURNS ALHAJI MOBILA'S CASE (PAGE 3)
THE Tamale High Court yesterday adjourned the case in which the former Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Alhaji Issah Mobilla, was allegedly tortured to death at the Kamina Barracks in Tamale.
The next hearing of the case has been fixed for June 3, this year.
At its sitting yesterday, defence counsel had prayed the court for time to adequately study the case, a request which the court granted.
However, the three suspects in the trial who are said to be in the custody of the Military Command in Tamale did not appear in court.
The court had, on Tuesday, March 24, ordered the Military Command at the 6th Battalion (Kamina Barracks) in Tamale to ensure the transfer of the three soldiers to the Tamale Prison.
The suspects are Corporal Appiah Yaw, Private Eric Modzaka and Private Seth Gokah, who are all with the 6BN in Tamale.
The former CPP chairman was said to have died in military custody a couple of weeks after the 2004 general election. That was after he had presented himself to the police after he had been informed that he was being sought for.
The deceased’s arrest was in connection with claims that he was in possession of weapons. However, upon searches in his car and residence by the police, no weapons were found.
The deceased was alleged to have subsequently been transferred from the Central Police Station to the Military Barracks, where he was allegedly tortured to death by the suspects.
Even though the police had earlier claimed that Alhaji Mobilla had died from an illness, an autopsy report on the deceased by a pathologist from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi later indicated that he died from multiple internal injuries as a result of torture.
The matter has been of much public interest since 2004, compelling family members and sympathisers of the late Mobilla to appeal for government intervention to ensure justice in the matter.
During the campaigns towards the 2008 general election and later in his last address to Parliament, President John Evans Atta Mills promised the people he would ensure justice in the matter.
The next hearing of the case has been fixed for June 3, this year.
At its sitting yesterday, defence counsel had prayed the court for time to adequately study the case, a request which the court granted.
However, the three suspects in the trial who are said to be in the custody of the Military Command in Tamale did not appear in court.
The court had, on Tuesday, March 24, ordered the Military Command at the 6th Battalion (Kamina Barracks) in Tamale to ensure the transfer of the three soldiers to the Tamale Prison.
The suspects are Corporal Appiah Yaw, Private Eric Modzaka and Private Seth Gokah, who are all with the 6BN in Tamale.
The former CPP chairman was said to have died in military custody a couple of weeks after the 2004 general election. That was after he had presented himself to the police after he had been informed that he was being sought for.
The deceased’s arrest was in connection with claims that he was in possession of weapons. However, upon searches in his car and residence by the police, no weapons were found.
The deceased was alleged to have subsequently been transferred from the Central Police Station to the Military Barracks, where he was allegedly tortured to death by the suspects.
Even though the police had earlier claimed that Alhaji Mobilla had died from an illness, an autopsy report on the deceased by a pathologist from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi later indicated that he died from multiple internal injuries as a result of torture.
The matter has been of much public interest since 2004, compelling family members and sympathisers of the late Mobilla to appeal for government intervention to ensure justice in the matter.
During the campaigns towards the 2008 general election and later in his last address to Parliament, President John Evans Atta Mills promised the people he would ensure justice in the matter.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
VEEP LAUNCHES $104m AGRIC PROJECT FOR THE NORTH (1B)
A $104 million project to support the building up of agricultural and food value chains in the three northern regions was inaugurated by the Vice-President, Mr John Mahama, in Tamale yesterday.
The new agriculture initiative, dubbed the Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP), is aimed at achieving sustainable agricultural and rural livelihoods and food security for the rural poor in northern Ghana, with high potential, financial viability and outreach for the poor and vulnerable, particularly women and the youth.
Among the products to be considered are grains and oil seeds, animal-based commodities and fruits and vegetables for both domestic and export markets.
The five-year programme takes off immediately. An estimated three million people in 32 districts in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and parts of the Brong Ahafo regions will benefit from the project.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the African Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Ghana are co-financing the project.
The Vice-President advised the people in the area to form viable farmer organisations to enable them to benefit from more government interventions, stressing that “as long as the focus is on an individual farmer, the economy of scale that a group will benefit from will continue to elude them”.
He also called for more research activities in agriculture, which findings, he said, should always be made public for the benefit of farmers to improve on their yields.
Mr Mahama underscored the important role agricultural extension officers could play in the education of farmers, particularly those in rural communities, on best agricultural practices and, therefore, urged managers of the project to build the capacities of the officers in that regard.
“While interventions in many areas are all likely to lead to improvement in the economic well-being of people in the northern savannah regions, interventions in the agricultural sector, leading to new ways of farming, stand the best chance of generating significant improvement in productivity and incomes,” he indicated.
Mr Mahama further noted that poverty was the major cause of conflicts in northern Ghana and that disputes arising from chieftaincy, land and ethnicity often took the headlines because the poverty factor “seems remote, yet very real”.
“Therefore, any programme which seeks to promote rural growth, both economic and social, will ultimately contribute to conflict mitigation,” he stated.
The IFAD Country Director, Mr Mohammed Mansouri, announced that so far his outfit had financed 15 poverty reduction projects in Ghana totalling $184 million, thereby making Ghana the second largest portfolio in West Africa.
On the NRGP, he said IFAD was providing a $22 million loan on highly concessional terms and a $400,000 grant, adding that the organisation would continue to work closely with the government in accelerating the development of the country.
For his part, the Resident Representative of the ADB, Mr Alieu Jeng, disclosed that the bank, which started its operations in the country in 1973, had, as of the close of last year, expended $1.7 billion on 78 projects in the country.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Sumani Nayina, on behalf of the chiefs and people, expressed appreciation to the government and the development partners for their immense support.
He entreated the people to ensure that the prevailing peace in the area was sustained to attract more development initiatives.
The new agriculture initiative, dubbed the Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP), is aimed at achieving sustainable agricultural and rural livelihoods and food security for the rural poor in northern Ghana, with high potential, financial viability and outreach for the poor and vulnerable, particularly women and the youth.
Among the products to be considered are grains and oil seeds, animal-based commodities and fruits and vegetables for both domestic and export markets.
The five-year programme takes off immediately. An estimated three million people in 32 districts in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and parts of the Brong Ahafo regions will benefit from the project.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the African Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Ghana are co-financing the project.
The Vice-President advised the people in the area to form viable farmer organisations to enable them to benefit from more government interventions, stressing that “as long as the focus is on an individual farmer, the economy of scale that a group will benefit from will continue to elude them”.
He also called for more research activities in agriculture, which findings, he said, should always be made public for the benefit of farmers to improve on their yields.
Mr Mahama underscored the important role agricultural extension officers could play in the education of farmers, particularly those in rural communities, on best agricultural practices and, therefore, urged managers of the project to build the capacities of the officers in that regard.
“While interventions in many areas are all likely to lead to improvement in the economic well-being of people in the northern savannah regions, interventions in the agricultural sector, leading to new ways of farming, stand the best chance of generating significant improvement in productivity and incomes,” he indicated.
Mr Mahama further noted that poverty was the major cause of conflicts in northern Ghana and that disputes arising from chieftaincy, land and ethnicity often took the headlines because the poverty factor “seems remote, yet very real”.
“Therefore, any programme which seeks to promote rural growth, both economic and social, will ultimately contribute to conflict mitigation,” he stated.
The IFAD Country Director, Mr Mohammed Mansouri, announced that so far his outfit had financed 15 poverty reduction projects in Ghana totalling $184 million, thereby making Ghana the second largest portfolio in West Africa.
On the NRGP, he said IFAD was providing a $22 million loan on highly concessional terms and a $400,000 grant, adding that the organisation would continue to work closely with the government in accelerating the development of the country.
For his part, the Resident Representative of the ADB, Mr Alieu Jeng, disclosed that the bank, which started its operations in the country in 1973, had, as of the close of last year, expended $1.7 billion on 78 projects in the country.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Sumani Nayina, on behalf of the chiefs and people, expressed appreciation to the government and the development partners for their immense support.
He entreated the people to ensure that the prevailing peace in the area was sustained to attract more development initiatives.
Friday, April 24, 2009
TAMALE ASSEMBLY CONFIRMS ALHAJI FRIDAY (PAGE 17)
The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly has confirmed Alhaji Abdulai Harruna Friday as the Mayor of the metropolis in a peaceful and cordial election that was witnessed by a large number of residents, including some traditional rulers.
Out of the 72 members present, 69 members, representing 96 per cent voted in favour of Alhaji Friday. The rest of the ballots were spoilt.
The Northern Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Mr Sylvester Kanyi, led a team of officers to supervise the voting on Wednesday, while a Circuit Court Judge, Gabriel Mate-Tay, administered the Oaths of Office.
In his acceptance speech, the mayor expressed appreciation to the chiefs and people for their unflinching support and pledged to use his rich experience to bear on the fortunes of the assembly.
“Let me assure you that I will use consultations and fairness as a hallmark of my administration style and will consult honourable members in all issues that demand consultations and collective decision-making and taking,” he stated.
On business, the mayor said he appreciated ingenuity of the people and promised to pay much attention to that sector to ensure its growth.
Alhaji Friday also expressed his commitment to run an administration of consensus building and, therefore, said he would liaise with all stakeholders to help sustain the prevailing peace in the metropolis.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr Hanan Gundaa-doo, commended members for the confidence reposed in Alhaji Friday and urged them to support and cooperate with him in his work.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Sumani Nayina, noted that by the confirmation of chief executive, the assembly was now duly constituted.
He further observed that the task ahead of them was enormous and, therefore, urged members to give good account of themselves by cooperating with the mayor to facilitate the accelerated development of the metropolis.
Out of the 72 members present, 69 members, representing 96 per cent voted in favour of Alhaji Friday. The rest of the ballots were spoilt.
The Northern Regional Director of the Electoral Commission, Mr Sylvester Kanyi, led a team of officers to supervise the voting on Wednesday, while a Circuit Court Judge, Gabriel Mate-Tay, administered the Oaths of Office.
In his acceptance speech, the mayor expressed appreciation to the chiefs and people for their unflinching support and pledged to use his rich experience to bear on the fortunes of the assembly.
“Let me assure you that I will use consultations and fairness as a hallmark of my administration style and will consult honourable members in all issues that demand consultations and collective decision-making and taking,” he stated.
On business, the mayor said he appreciated ingenuity of the people and promised to pay much attention to that sector to ensure its growth.
Alhaji Friday also expressed his commitment to run an administration of consensus building and, therefore, said he would liaise with all stakeholders to help sustain the prevailing peace in the metropolis.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr Hanan Gundaa-doo, commended members for the confidence reposed in Alhaji Friday and urged them to support and cooperate with him in his work.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Sumani Nayina, noted that by the confirmation of chief executive, the assembly was now duly constituted.
He further observed that the task ahead of them was enormous and, therefore, urged members to give good account of themselves by cooperating with the mayor to facilitate the accelerated development of the metropolis.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
HIGH TURNOUT AT TAMALE EASTER PICNIC (PAGE 29)
THIS year’s Easter picnic at the Kamina Barracks in Tamale recorded one of the highest turnouts in the metropolis.
The usual serene atmosphere at the entrance of the barracks attracted various youth groups and people from all walks of life who converged to socialise, feast, dance and sing after the previous Sunday’s church activities.
Various organised ethnic groups pitched camps at different locations at the barracks where they exhibited their dexterity in their traditional drumming and dancing.
Indeed, the Borborbor group from the E.P Church in Tamale attracted one of the largest crowds as members wriggled their waists and waved their handkerchiefs in the air to the sounds of throbbing drums and trumpets.
The occasion is usually used by the youth, particularly ladies, to make fashion statements. And this year’s picnic was not different.
The event was adorned with feminine beauty and charm. Indeed, almost every lady looked beautiful. Some were in skimpy dresses that made necks to twirl and eyes spin.
Jeans and Khaki trousers and shorts seemed to be the formal dress code for majority of the gentlemen and ladies on the day.
Some elderly ladies were also spotted in their best intricately and fittingly sewn Kaba cloths with immaculately intertwined headgears and beautifully designed footwear to match.
They appeared in different sizes, shapes and colour - slim, fat, tall, short and medium.
Nature also fell in love with the revellers last Monday as an earlier downpour turned the usual hot temperatures in the area to that of a chilly and refreshing atmosphere.
A student, Ms Gloria Kpedor, described the annual picnic event as “refreshing and memorable day because we come to socialise, drink, eat and dance after the previous day’s church activities.”
A teacher, Mr Julius Dery, said he met his current wife, Comfort, at the 2006 picnic event at the barracks during his rounds at the various group spots.
The day is not only meant for Christians as a lot of Muslim youth were encountered sharing the joy of the day with their Christian brethren.
“I have always been here every year to feast my eyes on the beautiful ladies and also make friends and be merry,” Ibrahim Seidu, a resident, indicated.
A Pastor, Alex Gyimah, explained that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ focused on forgiveness, reconciliation and repentance, and therefore, appealed to the people of the north to use the significance of Easter to forgive each other and unite for the accelerated development of the area.
“We must do well not to harbour ill-feelings against each other, we must eschew all forms of animosity to attract the full blessings of God in our endeavours,” he intimated.
The VRA Club House and other open spots at some institutions also attracted large patronage of revellers who expressed their joy over the successful celebrations.
The usual serene atmosphere at the entrance of the barracks attracted various youth groups and people from all walks of life who converged to socialise, feast, dance and sing after the previous Sunday’s church activities.
Various organised ethnic groups pitched camps at different locations at the barracks where they exhibited their dexterity in their traditional drumming and dancing.
Indeed, the Borborbor group from the E.P Church in Tamale attracted one of the largest crowds as members wriggled their waists and waved their handkerchiefs in the air to the sounds of throbbing drums and trumpets.
The occasion is usually used by the youth, particularly ladies, to make fashion statements. And this year’s picnic was not different.
The event was adorned with feminine beauty and charm. Indeed, almost every lady looked beautiful. Some were in skimpy dresses that made necks to twirl and eyes spin.
Jeans and Khaki trousers and shorts seemed to be the formal dress code for majority of the gentlemen and ladies on the day.
Some elderly ladies were also spotted in their best intricately and fittingly sewn Kaba cloths with immaculately intertwined headgears and beautifully designed footwear to match.
They appeared in different sizes, shapes and colour - slim, fat, tall, short and medium.
Nature also fell in love with the revellers last Monday as an earlier downpour turned the usual hot temperatures in the area to that of a chilly and refreshing atmosphere.
A student, Ms Gloria Kpedor, described the annual picnic event as “refreshing and memorable day because we come to socialise, drink, eat and dance after the previous day’s church activities.”
A teacher, Mr Julius Dery, said he met his current wife, Comfort, at the 2006 picnic event at the barracks during his rounds at the various group spots.
The day is not only meant for Christians as a lot of Muslim youth were encountered sharing the joy of the day with their Christian brethren.
“I have always been here every year to feast my eyes on the beautiful ladies and also make friends and be merry,” Ibrahim Seidu, a resident, indicated.
A Pastor, Alex Gyimah, explained that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ focused on forgiveness, reconciliation and repentance, and therefore, appealed to the people of the north to use the significance of Easter to forgive each other and unite for the accelerated development of the area.
“We must do well not to harbour ill-feelings against each other, we must eschew all forms of animosity to attract the full blessings of God in our endeavours,” he intimated.
The VRA Club House and other open spots at some institutions also attracted large patronage of revellers who expressed their joy over the successful celebrations.
Monday, April 20, 2009
NGO EQUIPS KAYAYEI WITH EMPLOYABLE SKILLS (PAGE 29)
AS part of efforts to empower women in the Tamale metropolis with the acquisition of employable skills, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO), Partnership Action for Development (PAD), has offered training to some women groups in the making of batik, tie-dye.
The beneficiaries were mainly former head porters (Kayayei) who had returned home after a long sourjoun down south where they engaged in menial jobs for survival.
Known as the Zisung women’s group, the beneficiaries are being trained in two batches of 15 each.
The training programme is being funded by the African Women Development Fund.
The chief executive officer of PAD, Mr Issah Iddrisu, explained that the exercise was aimed at equipping the participants with employable skills in order that they were not encouraged to go back to their former vocation.
He said since the establishment of the organisation, it had supported some women’s groups in micro financing and also initiated some health, agriculture and environmental programmes in its operational areas of Yendi, Gushegu, Karaga and peri-urban Tamale.
Mr Iddrisu, however observed that it was not enough to provide skills to unemployed people, and therefore, appealed to financial institutions to compliment the efforts of the NGO by supporting the beneficiaries with some credit facilities to enable them to establish their own businesses.
He also entreated development partners and parliamentarians from the north to do more in attracting investors to the area to accelerate the development of the people.
The beneficiaries were mainly former head porters (Kayayei) who had returned home after a long sourjoun down south where they engaged in menial jobs for survival.
Known as the Zisung women’s group, the beneficiaries are being trained in two batches of 15 each.
The training programme is being funded by the African Women Development Fund.
The chief executive officer of PAD, Mr Issah Iddrisu, explained that the exercise was aimed at equipping the participants with employable skills in order that they were not encouraged to go back to their former vocation.
He said since the establishment of the organisation, it had supported some women’s groups in micro financing and also initiated some health, agriculture and environmental programmes in its operational areas of Yendi, Gushegu, Karaga and peri-urban Tamale.
Mr Iddrisu, however observed that it was not enough to provide skills to unemployed people, and therefore, appealed to financial institutions to compliment the efforts of the NGO by supporting the beneficiaries with some credit facilities to enable them to establish their own businesses.
He also entreated development partners and parliamentarians from the north to do more in attracting investors to the area to accelerate the development of the people.
Friday, April 17, 2009
TAMALE WELCOMES PRESIDENT'S NOMINEE (PAGE 29)
MOST residents of Tamale have welcomed the choice of Alhaji Abdulai Haruna Friday as the President’s nominee for the position of the Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive.
According to most of the residents, Alhaji Friday is not only matured and experienced as a former district chief executive but also had the temperament to address people’s concerns.
“Tamale has become cosmopolitan and we need such matured and experienced people to manage the affairs of the metropolis and for that matter I think President Mills made the right choice,” Mr Iddi Mumuni, a student opined.
A trader, Hajia Fati Yakubu, however expressed a different view. “For me, the position should have gone to a fresh and younger person with good initiatives that can unite and accelerate the development of this growing city.”
Party executives in the Chereponi Constituency have also described the nomination of Alhaji Mohammed Seidu Issah Abah as appropriate in view of his commitment to the party over the years.
In a statement signed by the constituency secretary of the party, Moses Iddrisu Kofi-Ka, it indicated that “in view of his rich experience in governance, coupled with his excellent human relations, Alhaji Abah would be able to chart the development path of our young district forward in the right direction.”
There have however been protestations in some districts in the Northern Region since the announcement of the nomination of district chief executives for those areas.
Notable among the nominees whose selection has generated some controversies are those of Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo, Karaga, Bole and the Gushiegu districts.
At Bunkpurugu, the supporters on Tuesday morning embarked on a demonstration on the major streets of the town to express their grievances.
They accused the nominee, Abdulai, of not playing any active role in the activities of the party, especially during the last general elections.
They threatened to continue with the demonstrations and also destroy the NDC party office if their concerns were not addressed and the nomination of Mr Siibli as the DCE withdrawn.
At Karaga, some members of the party also described the nomination of one Mr Mohammed Amin as unfortunate.
According to them, the nominee was from Tamale and was, therefore, not known to a majority of people in the area.
Supporters of the NDC at Bole also accused the nominee, Mr Seidu Abudu, of being temperamental, not a team player and, therefore, would not be able to manage the affairs of the district well.
Some of the supporters have threatened to lobby their assembly members to vote against the President’s nominees if their concerns were not addressed.
According to most of the residents, Alhaji Friday is not only matured and experienced as a former district chief executive but also had the temperament to address people’s concerns.
“Tamale has become cosmopolitan and we need such matured and experienced people to manage the affairs of the metropolis and for that matter I think President Mills made the right choice,” Mr Iddi Mumuni, a student opined.
A trader, Hajia Fati Yakubu, however expressed a different view. “For me, the position should have gone to a fresh and younger person with good initiatives that can unite and accelerate the development of this growing city.”
Party executives in the Chereponi Constituency have also described the nomination of Alhaji Mohammed Seidu Issah Abah as appropriate in view of his commitment to the party over the years.
In a statement signed by the constituency secretary of the party, Moses Iddrisu Kofi-Ka, it indicated that “in view of his rich experience in governance, coupled with his excellent human relations, Alhaji Abah would be able to chart the development path of our young district forward in the right direction.”
There have however been protestations in some districts in the Northern Region since the announcement of the nomination of district chief executives for those areas.
Notable among the nominees whose selection has generated some controversies are those of Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo, Karaga, Bole and the Gushiegu districts.
At Bunkpurugu, the supporters on Tuesday morning embarked on a demonstration on the major streets of the town to express their grievances.
They accused the nominee, Abdulai, of not playing any active role in the activities of the party, especially during the last general elections.
They threatened to continue with the demonstrations and also destroy the NDC party office if their concerns were not addressed and the nomination of Mr Siibli as the DCE withdrawn.
At Karaga, some members of the party also described the nomination of one Mr Mohammed Amin as unfortunate.
According to them, the nominee was from Tamale and was, therefore, not known to a majority of people in the area.
Supporters of the NDC at Bole also accused the nominee, Mr Seidu Abudu, of being temperamental, not a team player and, therefore, would not be able to manage the affairs of the district well.
Some of the supporters have threatened to lobby their assembly members to vote against the President’s nominees if their concerns were not addressed.
Monday, April 13, 2009
SIX FOUNDATION GATE CHAPEL MEMBERS DIE IN CAR CRASH (PAGE 23)
SIX members of the Fountain Gate Chapel, including two daughters of the Head Pastor of the church, Rev. Eastwood Anaba, died in a road crash at Kukuobila near Walewale in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region last Thursday.
The elder of the two children of the head pastor who died in the accident, Amanda Anaba, is a 20-year old Pharmacy student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi while her younger sister, Audrey, is a 15-year-old student of the Tema Senior High School.
They are two of Reverend Anaba’s four children. The other two are males.
The other deceased included a Pastor of a branch of the Church in the Brong Ahafo Region and another female member of the church from Accra.
The deceased were picked from the Tamale Airport for the national headquarters of the church at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region for an Easter Convention.
According to the Tamale Police, on reaching a spot around Kukuobila, a rear tyre of the vehicle burst resulting in the vehicle somersaulting a number of times before finally hitting a tree.
News of the death of the members of the church was met with grief and sorrow by the entire congregation who had converged at Bolgatanga for the annual International Extra Oil Conference, reports Benjamin Xorman Glover.
When the Daily Graphic arrived at the conference venue, at about 6 p.m., some grieving members had gathered in small groups discussing the accident.
Later, Pastor Anaba urged the congregation to remain steadfast in the Lord.
Exhuding great courage and confidence, Pastor Anaba for nearly 30 minutes, exhorted the congregation to remain prayerful and explained that he saw the tragedy as a challenge and a test of his faith.
He explained that the tragedy that had befallen the church would not shift its focus from doing God’s work, adding that “the devil has committed a terrible mistake”.
Pastor Anaba, who has stepped down as the Chairman of the International Presbytery of the Church after 20 years in that capacity declared that the convention would continue according to plan and “nothing is going to disrupt our programme”
“After all, when it happens to others, who I call my children because they are God’s Children, I preach, so why should I refuse to preach when it happens along my blood line?” he asked.
True to his words, the conference, on the theme "Two are better than one" proceeded and saw the induction of Pastor Clement Anchebah on Saturday as the new Chairman of the International Presbytery of the Fountain Gate Chapel.
Rev. Ancheba takes over the administrative functions of the church from the founder, Pastor Eastwood Anaba.
The elder of the two children of the head pastor who died in the accident, Amanda Anaba, is a 20-year old Pharmacy student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi while her younger sister, Audrey, is a 15-year-old student of the Tema Senior High School.
They are two of Reverend Anaba’s four children. The other two are males.
The other deceased included a Pastor of a branch of the Church in the Brong Ahafo Region and another female member of the church from Accra.
The deceased were picked from the Tamale Airport for the national headquarters of the church at Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region for an Easter Convention.
According to the Tamale Police, on reaching a spot around Kukuobila, a rear tyre of the vehicle burst resulting in the vehicle somersaulting a number of times before finally hitting a tree.
News of the death of the members of the church was met with grief and sorrow by the entire congregation who had converged at Bolgatanga for the annual International Extra Oil Conference, reports Benjamin Xorman Glover.
When the Daily Graphic arrived at the conference venue, at about 6 p.m., some grieving members had gathered in small groups discussing the accident.
Later, Pastor Anaba urged the congregation to remain steadfast in the Lord.
Exhuding great courage and confidence, Pastor Anaba for nearly 30 minutes, exhorted the congregation to remain prayerful and explained that he saw the tragedy as a challenge and a test of his faith.
He explained that the tragedy that had befallen the church would not shift its focus from doing God’s work, adding that “the devil has committed a terrible mistake”.
Pastor Anaba, who has stepped down as the Chairman of the International Presbytery of the Church after 20 years in that capacity declared that the convention would continue according to plan and “nothing is going to disrupt our programme”
“After all, when it happens to others, who I call my children because they are God’s Children, I preach, so why should I refuse to preach when it happens along my blood line?” he asked.
True to his words, the conference, on the theme "Two are better than one" proceeded and saw the induction of Pastor Clement Anchebah on Saturday as the new Chairman of the International Presbytery of the Fountain Gate Chapel.
Rev. Ancheba takes over the administrative functions of the church from the founder, Pastor Eastwood Anaba.
TAMALE TEACHING HOSPITAL TO GET NEUTOSURGICAL CENTRE (PAGE 29)
THE Tamale Teaching Hospital is to establish a neurosurgical unit to help in the treatment of diseases associated with the nerves.
A German trained Ghanaian Neurosurgeon, Dr Abass Adam, will head the specialised unit. Already, a 20-footer container of neurosurgical equipment and supplies, the shipment of which Dr Adam facilitated has arrived in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, Dr Ken Sagoe, who announced this in Tamale at the weekend indicated that the neurosurgeon was scheduled to report at the hospital to take up his assignment in June this year.
The CEO was speaking during the presentation of medical equipment and items to the hospital by the Rotary Club of Tamale.
The GH¢ 1million worth of items were donated by Sister Rotarians in Canada, USA and the UK.
Currently, there are only 36 medical doctors working at the hospital instead of the required number of 120.
As a result, Dr Sagoe said the hospital was constrained in providing certain services during the night, since there was not enough staff to offer such services.
“Also, we are unable to undertake some basic surgeries since we lack those specialists,” he stated.
The CEO expressed optimism that the number of medical doctors would increase to 60 by the close of the year.
On the long awaited renovation of the hospital, which structures have deteriorated over the years, the deputy Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Mabengba, indicated that major rehabilitation work on the facility would commence soon.
He entreated the health personnel posted to the region to endeavour to accept such postings to ensure efficient health care in the region.
The minister also appealed to all feuding factions in the area to allow sanity to prevail to ensure lasting peace in the region to attract the needed professionals.
For his part, the Northern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Akwasi Twumasi, said in connection with the intentions of the government, the consultants of the rehabilitation project had been given up to April 14, 2009 to submit the necessary documents on the present status of the hospital.
The hospital is the third teaching hospital in the country after the Korle Bu and Komfo Anokye hospitals.
It was established in 1974 to serve as a referral centre for the Northern, Upper East and West regions.
A German trained Ghanaian Neurosurgeon, Dr Abass Adam, will head the specialised unit. Already, a 20-footer container of neurosurgical equipment and supplies, the shipment of which Dr Adam facilitated has arrived in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, Dr Ken Sagoe, who announced this in Tamale at the weekend indicated that the neurosurgeon was scheduled to report at the hospital to take up his assignment in June this year.
The CEO was speaking during the presentation of medical equipment and items to the hospital by the Rotary Club of Tamale.
The GH¢ 1million worth of items were donated by Sister Rotarians in Canada, USA and the UK.
Currently, there are only 36 medical doctors working at the hospital instead of the required number of 120.
As a result, Dr Sagoe said the hospital was constrained in providing certain services during the night, since there was not enough staff to offer such services.
“Also, we are unable to undertake some basic surgeries since we lack those specialists,” he stated.
The CEO expressed optimism that the number of medical doctors would increase to 60 by the close of the year.
On the long awaited renovation of the hospital, which structures have deteriorated over the years, the deputy Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Mabengba, indicated that major rehabilitation work on the facility would commence soon.
He entreated the health personnel posted to the region to endeavour to accept such postings to ensure efficient health care in the region.
The minister also appealed to all feuding factions in the area to allow sanity to prevail to ensure lasting peace in the region to attract the needed professionals.
For his part, the Northern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Akwasi Twumasi, said in connection with the intentions of the government, the consultants of the rehabilitation project had been given up to April 14, 2009 to submit the necessary documents on the present status of the hospital.
The hospital is the third teaching hospital in the country after the Korle Bu and Komfo Anokye hospitals.
It was established in 1974 to serve as a referral centre for the Northern, Upper East and West regions.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
PAY MORE ATTENTION TO ORGANIC TOMATOES (PAGE 40)
THE organic mangoes out-growers association in the Savelugu/Nanton district in the Northern Region has appealed to the government to pay more attention to the sector.
According to the association, when offered the needed support, the sector could provide jobs for a majority of the unemployed youth in the region and also earn some foreign exchange for the country, since there was both local and foreign demand for the product.
Following the collapse of rice farming in northern Ghana, most people have been encouraged to go into organic mango plantation. They are, however, faced with the difficulties of lack of credit facilities and inputs and competitive price for the product.
The administrator of the association in the district, Mr Issahaku Iddrisu, who made the appeal at Savelugu, said but for the contribution of the private sector to the out-growers, most people would not have been able to engage in the plantations.
Meanwhile, Mr Iddrisu has welcomed the appointment of the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Sumani S. Nayina.
He described the regional minister as an executive member of the association who had demonstrated his commitment to it over the years.
“We are not surprised over your appointment as minister for this region because of the commitment and diligence you, as an executive, have exhibited towards the growth of the sector,” Mr Iddrisu stated.
The administrator, therefore, appealed to the people in the area to give the regional minister the necessary support to enable him to put his experience and expertise to bear on the accelerated development of the region that is among the least developed in the country.
According to the association, when offered the needed support, the sector could provide jobs for a majority of the unemployed youth in the region and also earn some foreign exchange for the country, since there was both local and foreign demand for the product.
Following the collapse of rice farming in northern Ghana, most people have been encouraged to go into organic mango plantation. They are, however, faced with the difficulties of lack of credit facilities and inputs and competitive price for the product.
The administrator of the association in the district, Mr Issahaku Iddrisu, who made the appeal at Savelugu, said but for the contribution of the private sector to the out-growers, most people would not have been able to engage in the plantations.
Meanwhile, Mr Iddrisu has welcomed the appointment of the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Sumani S. Nayina.
He described the regional minister as an executive member of the association who had demonstrated his commitment to it over the years.
“We are not surprised over your appointment as minister for this region because of the commitment and diligence you, as an executive, have exhibited towards the growth of the sector,” Mr Iddrisu stated.
The administrator, therefore, appealed to the people in the area to give the regional minister the necessary support to enable him to put his experience and expertise to bear on the accelerated development of the region that is among the least developed in the country.
DEFILED VICTIMS IN NR FAIL TO REPORT CASES (PAGE 40)
IN spite of the fact that there has been an increase in defilement cases in the Northern Region, most victims still feel reluctant to report such cases, including rape, to the appropriate authorities for redress.
The victims normally want to avoid the guilt and “shame” usually associated with the experience, coupled with ignorance and pressure from family members.
According to the Northern Regional Co-ordinator of Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), Madam Saratu Mahama, the victims also refused to report cases because they were afraid to be ridiculed and become objects of vicious rumour.
“Most girls are blamed for being the cause of the rape—either they are told that their dressing has provoked the attack or they are asked what they wanted within the premises within where the rape occurred,” she further stated.
Statistics from the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service in the region indicate that defilement cases increased 100 per cent from eight in 2007 to 18 last year in the region. Rape cases, however, reduced from nine in 2007 to eight last year.
This came to light during this year’s celebration of the International Women’s Day that was observed at Bimbilla. It was on the theme: “Women and men united to end violence against women and girls.”
Madam Saratu added that the practice by some families to give out their teenage daughters and wards in marriage to older men without the consent of such children contributed to the high levels of illiteracy in the region.
She further observed that abuse of women’s rights in whichever form it took impeded the progress of women, which eventually affected the family, the community, the region and the nation at large.
“FIDA-Ghana will continue to strengthen productive partnership with NGOs and other stakeholders to increase access to justice of women and girls with the ultimate aim of promoting equitable human development and growth,” the co-ordinator stated.
The Northern Regional Director of the Department of Women of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Mr I.P.S. Zakaria, explained that the celebration of the IWD began as struggle against the exploitation of women in a garment factory in the USA in 1908 but had since evolved over the years to include other forms of violence. The UN subsequently declared March 8 every year as the day the IWD should be celebrated.
According to him, the day was used to celebrate the achievements of women without regard to national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political divisions.
“The day is also used to reflect on the past struggles and accomplishments of women and for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women,” Mr Zakaria further elaborated.
The Regional Population Officer, Bomahe-Naa Alhassan Issahaku Amadu, attributed domestic violence in families and communities partly to irresponsibility on the part of some men.
“They live irresponsible lives and use projections and rationalisation to make up for their shortcomings,” he alleged.
Naa Amadu, therefore, called on “men and boys to wake up to the call and contribute to ending gender-based violence”.
The victims normally want to avoid the guilt and “shame” usually associated with the experience, coupled with ignorance and pressure from family members.
According to the Northern Regional Co-ordinator of Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), Madam Saratu Mahama, the victims also refused to report cases because they were afraid to be ridiculed and become objects of vicious rumour.
“Most girls are blamed for being the cause of the rape—either they are told that their dressing has provoked the attack or they are asked what they wanted within the premises within where the rape occurred,” she further stated.
Statistics from the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service in the region indicate that defilement cases increased 100 per cent from eight in 2007 to 18 last year in the region. Rape cases, however, reduced from nine in 2007 to eight last year.
This came to light during this year’s celebration of the International Women’s Day that was observed at Bimbilla. It was on the theme: “Women and men united to end violence against women and girls.”
Madam Saratu added that the practice by some families to give out their teenage daughters and wards in marriage to older men without the consent of such children contributed to the high levels of illiteracy in the region.
She further observed that abuse of women’s rights in whichever form it took impeded the progress of women, which eventually affected the family, the community, the region and the nation at large.
“FIDA-Ghana will continue to strengthen productive partnership with NGOs and other stakeholders to increase access to justice of women and girls with the ultimate aim of promoting equitable human development and growth,” the co-ordinator stated.
The Northern Regional Director of the Department of Women of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Mr I.P.S. Zakaria, explained that the celebration of the IWD began as struggle against the exploitation of women in a garment factory in the USA in 1908 but had since evolved over the years to include other forms of violence. The UN subsequently declared March 8 every year as the day the IWD should be celebrated.
According to him, the day was used to celebrate the achievements of women without regard to national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political divisions.
“The day is also used to reflect on the past struggles and accomplishments of women and for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women,” Mr Zakaria further elaborated.
The Regional Population Officer, Bomahe-Naa Alhassan Issahaku Amadu, attributed domestic violence in families and communities partly to irresponsibility on the part of some men.
“They live irresponsible lives and use projections and rationalisation to make up for their shortcomings,” he alleged.
Naa Amadu, therefore, called on “men and boys to wake up to the call and contribute to ending gender-based violence”.
ROTARY DONATES TO TAMALE HOSPITAL (PAGE 54)
THE Rotary Club of Tamale has presented a large quantity of medical equipment and consumables to the Tamale Teaching Hospital to help improve health delivery in the region.
The items which were contained in two 40-footer containers included X-Ray machines, Electrocardiogram machine, Keratometer for the eye clinic and scanners.
The rest were beds, wheel chairs, scanners, incubators, microscopes, dental chairs and accessories, wheel chairs and trolleys. The items were all valued at GH¢1 million.
It was acquired through the collaborative efforts of sister Rotary clubs in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.
The President of the Tamale Rotary club, Mr Joseph Mumuni who handed over the items to th Deputy Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Mabengba at the hospital over the weekend, said the club was on track in its development agenda for the region.
According to him, the club’s contribution to the development of the area was evident in the investment made in the provision of potable water through the digging of wells and other social amenities for deprived people in some of the districts.
“The beneficiaries include districts in the three northern regions including some parts of the Brong Ahafo Region and the provision of water has particularly contributed immensely to eradicating the debilitating guinea worm disease,” he indicated.
Mr Mumuni also spoke of the role of Rotary Club International towards the global Polio Immunisation programme and other equally important initiatives they had undertaken.
The deputy regional minister commended the members of the club in Tamale and their international benefactors for their immense contribution to humanity.
The Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Dr Ken Sagoe, described the donation as one of the biggest presentations ever made to the hospital.
He expressed appreciation to their benefactors and pledged to put the items to judicious use to benefit the patients.
The items which were contained in two 40-footer containers included X-Ray machines, Electrocardiogram machine, Keratometer for the eye clinic and scanners.
The rest were beds, wheel chairs, scanners, incubators, microscopes, dental chairs and accessories, wheel chairs and trolleys. The items were all valued at GH¢1 million.
It was acquired through the collaborative efforts of sister Rotary clubs in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.
The President of the Tamale Rotary club, Mr Joseph Mumuni who handed over the items to th Deputy Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Mabengba at the hospital over the weekend, said the club was on track in its development agenda for the region.
According to him, the club’s contribution to the development of the area was evident in the investment made in the provision of potable water through the digging of wells and other social amenities for deprived people in some of the districts.
“The beneficiaries include districts in the three northern regions including some parts of the Brong Ahafo Region and the provision of water has particularly contributed immensely to eradicating the debilitating guinea worm disease,” he indicated.
Mr Mumuni also spoke of the role of Rotary Club International towards the global Polio Immunisation programme and other equally important initiatives they had undertaken.
The deputy regional minister commended the members of the club in Tamale and their international benefactors for their immense contribution to humanity.
The Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Dr Ken Sagoe, described the donation as one of the biggest presentations ever made to the hospital.
He expressed appreciation to their benefactors and pledged to put the items to judicious use to benefit the patients.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
FORMER REGIONAL MINISTER GIVES TO DAKPENA (PAGE 29)
THE immediate past Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, has donated 50 bags of cement to the Dapkema, Naa Mohammed Alhassan Dawuni, Chief of Tamale for the renovation of his palace.
Alhaji Idris described the chief as a visionary and diligent traditional leader and when offered the necessary support, he could help accelerate the development of the metropolis.
He, therefore, urged the people to rally behind the Dakpema and unite to fast track the achievement of the development agenda of the chief.
The Dakpema expressed appreciation to the former minister, who he said, was an illustrious son of the area.
He entreated other individuals and groups to emulate the exemplary leadership qualities of Alhaji Idris and also contribute their quota to the development of the metropolis.
The 56-year-old chief was introduced in Tamale on Friday, February 6, 2009. The occasion was marked with pomp and pageantry amidst the display of customary rites and cherished values of Dagbon.
Until his enskinment, Dapkema Dawuni worked with the Plant Protection and Quarantine Unit of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Tamale. He is also a farmer.
The chief said peace and unity, education and job creation were some of the issues he intended to tackle during his reign.
He called for peaceful co-existence and advised the indigenes, especially the youth to channel their energies towards productive ventures and not engage in violent acts at the least provocation.
His predecessor, the late Dakpema, Richard Alhassan, died in September 2007 at the age of 81 after a short illness. Born in Tamale in August 1926, the late Dakpema was enskinned on February 20, 1967 and ruled for 40 years.
Alhaji Idris described the chief as a visionary and diligent traditional leader and when offered the necessary support, he could help accelerate the development of the metropolis.
He, therefore, urged the people to rally behind the Dakpema and unite to fast track the achievement of the development agenda of the chief.
The Dakpema expressed appreciation to the former minister, who he said, was an illustrious son of the area.
He entreated other individuals and groups to emulate the exemplary leadership qualities of Alhaji Idris and also contribute their quota to the development of the metropolis.
The 56-year-old chief was introduced in Tamale on Friday, February 6, 2009. The occasion was marked with pomp and pageantry amidst the display of customary rites and cherished values of Dagbon.
Until his enskinment, Dapkema Dawuni worked with the Plant Protection and Quarantine Unit of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Tamale. He is also a farmer.
The chief said peace and unity, education and job creation were some of the issues he intended to tackle during his reign.
He called for peaceful co-existence and advised the indigenes, especially the youth to channel their energies towards productive ventures and not engage in violent acts at the least provocation.
His predecessor, the late Dakpema, Richard Alhassan, died in September 2007 at the age of 81 after a short illness. Born in Tamale in August 1926, the late Dakpema was enskinned on February 20, 1967 and ruled for 40 years.
VODAFONE DONATES TO EDUCATIONAL FUND (PAGE 29)
IN response to the recently inaugurated Dakpema Education Fund to help improve education standards in the Tamale metropolis, the management of Vodafone Ghana has presented a cheque for GH¢3,000 to the fund.
The fund was established during this year’s annual Damba festival by the Chief of Tamale, Dakpema Mohammed Alhassan Dawuni, who was enskinned a couple of months ago.
Another initiative taken by the chief was the establishment of a Peace Fund to promote unity and harmony in the metropolis for accelerated development.
The Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana, Mr David Venn, who made the presentation at the palace of the chief in Tamale, explained that the company took immense pride in contributing to the development of communities.
He announced that the company would soon launch the Vodafone Ghana Foundation in the country to share the benefits of the development in mobile communications technology as widely as possible.
“We will help to protect the natural environment and also support the local communities in which our customers, employees, investors and suppliers live,” the CEO intimated.
According to Mr Venn, an initial investment of £200,000 had already been earmarked for the programme and that the company would be advertising for proposals from the public in due course.
He also indicated that “we have always maintained a special relationship with Northern Ghana. When no network was prepared to serve the people of the north, we stepped forward and provided mobile communication services for the people,” Mr Venn CEO.
He added that the company intended to deepen such special relationship with people of the north by enhancing their services through the laying of a fibre optic cable through some of the major cities in the area.
Mr Venn further stated that from a humble beginning in 1982, Vodafone had now grown to become the world’s largest telecommunications company, with operations in 26 countries and partner networks in 40 countries and over 290 million customers worldwide.
He indicated that the company was also working towards the deployment and introduction of new technologies and world class products on the Ghanaian market.
The Dakpema expressed appreciation to the management of the company for the support and entreated other corporate bodies in the area to also contribute their quota and assist him in his quest to ensure lasting peace in the metropolis.
“This is the only way we can assist brilliant needy pupils and students, particularly the females and also attain permanent peace towards nation building,” he added.
The Dakpema further observed that majority of the energetic youth in the metropolis were without jobs and appealed to the government to consider implementing laudable initiatives that would occupy the minds and energies of the people.
“I am, therefore, using this opportunity to appeal to the government to effectively implement viable agricultural policies that would entice the youth to go back to the land,” he stated.
The fund was established during this year’s annual Damba festival by the Chief of Tamale, Dakpema Mohammed Alhassan Dawuni, who was enskinned a couple of months ago.
Another initiative taken by the chief was the establishment of a Peace Fund to promote unity and harmony in the metropolis for accelerated development.
The Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana, Mr David Venn, who made the presentation at the palace of the chief in Tamale, explained that the company took immense pride in contributing to the development of communities.
He announced that the company would soon launch the Vodafone Ghana Foundation in the country to share the benefits of the development in mobile communications technology as widely as possible.
“We will help to protect the natural environment and also support the local communities in which our customers, employees, investors and suppliers live,” the CEO intimated.
According to Mr Venn, an initial investment of £200,000 had already been earmarked for the programme and that the company would be advertising for proposals from the public in due course.
He also indicated that “we have always maintained a special relationship with Northern Ghana. When no network was prepared to serve the people of the north, we stepped forward and provided mobile communication services for the people,” Mr Venn CEO.
He added that the company intended to deepen such special relationship with people of the north by enhancing their services through the laying of a fibre optic cable through some of the major cities in the area.
Mr Venn further stated that from a humble beginning in 1982, Vodafone had now grown to become the world’s largest telecommunications company, with operations in 26 countries and partner networks in 40 countries and over 290 million customers worldwide.
He indicated that the company was also working towards the deployment and introduction of new technologies and world class products on the Ghanaian market.
The Dakpema expressed appreciation to the management of the company for the support and entreated other corporate bodies in the area to also contribute their quota and assist him in his quest to ensure lasting peace in the metropolis.
“This is the only way we can assist brilliant needy pupils and students, particularly the females and also attain permanent peace towards nation building,” he added.
The Dakpema further observed that majority of the energetic youth in the metropolis were without jobs and appealed to the government to consider implementing laudable initiatives that would occupy the minds and energies of the people.
“I am, therefore, using this opportunity to appeal to the government to effectively implement viable agricultural policies that would entice the youth to go back to the land,” he stated.
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