AS part of measures to help open up job opportunities for unemployed youth in the country, the Government, in partnership with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has established an Employment and Investment Policy (EIP) to formulate a national policy in the use of labour-based technologies in the infrastructure sector.
Through the implementation of the policy, it is envisaged that more employment avenues would be opened up in the area of infrastructure development that would make use of labour intensive methods.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Stephen Nayina, announced this at a four-day technical training workshop for municipal and district engineers, administrators and technicians in Tamale.
It was organised by the ILO/Ghana project and sponsored by the Department for International Development (DFID).
The minister said the “Decent Work Project” being implemented by the Government was to ensure that people were engaged in honest jobs devoid of exploitation and harmful work conditions as part of the initiatives under the EIP.
Mr Nayina impressed upon stakeholders in the construction industry to adhere to the decent work strategy by adopting labour friendly methods and simple tools where possible, to ensure job creation to give meaning to the government’s “Better Ghana” slogan.
The National Programme Manager of the ILO-EIP, Mr Charles Kwarteng Asafo-Adjei, said a rural safety network programme would be inaugurated early next year to create employment for the people of the three northern regions where unemployment is very high. It would be funded by the World Bank.
He added that the EIPU was collaborating with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and some polytechnics to develop a curriculum to include labour intensive methods in the course structure for graduates and undergraduates in the universities and polytechnics.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
TAMALE, THE OPPOSITE OF FREIBURG (PAGE 18, DEC 5)
Currently, Tamale, the Northern Regional capital, is experiencing harmattan, a cold dry dusty weather that makes the skin dry and susceptible to crack, particularly on the lips.
It is that time of the year when most people experience cracks on their feet that can tear bed sheets. And it is that time of the year when the shea butter cream made from shea nut becomes the companion of the people, particularly those in rural communities.
That was, indeed, the weather condition before I left Tamale for my sojourn in Freiburg, the serene and beautiful city in Germany. Prior to the onset of the harmattan, there was a very sunny weather, with temperatures of about 40 degrees celsius or more sometimes.
The temperature on my arrival at the Frankfurt Airport was different; less than seven degrees. And not only was the weather very cold, it had also just begun raining.
And did I shiver? Indeed, I fluttered like a wet chicken. My colleague, Mrs Julia Littmann, who had earlier spent some weeks with me in Tamale, finally came to my aid with some warm clothes that she had acquired with her very supportive husband, Andrea.
I had ignore the caution to carry some warm clothes along and I paid the price for my recalcitrance.
Upon arrival at the Frankfurt Airport, my colleague and I were welcomed by her husband and a companion, Ms Lena, with warm concentrated cups of coffee that provided me with some warmth for a short period after spending about eight hours in the air.
We were eventually driven by Andrea to Freiburg, a distance of 260 kilometres, on a four-lane asphalt road within about two hours 30 minutes. It certainly reminded me of the rough dreaded single-lane Kintampo-Accra road that continues to claim the lives of motorists.
When my colleague overheard me murmur to myself that my government should, as a matter of concern, also make sure that the Tamale-Accra road was designed into a dual carriageway, she asked, “Zak, don’t you think that could claim more lives?”
“Maybe,” was all I could say because of the recklessness on the part of some drivers back home. Indeed, Tamale is the opposite of Freiburg.
At lunch time, I tasted my first German food. They call it Spatzle in short. It is made of liquid flour dough mixed with eggs, meat, vegetables, berries and spices. I managed it for the rest of the day after gulping a glass of pineapple juice to wash it down.
And for the entire four-week period of my stay in this serene, well laid out city, I knew I surely would taste various German foods for the first time. And, frankly, I was already missing my favourite Tuo Zaafi (T.Z.) and waatche and hot pepper. Do not pity me. I have simply refused to learn how to cook and so I could not utilise the small kitchen attached to my room, where I spent the rest of the day to warm myself into the unfriendly and strange weather.
My presence in Freiburg formed part of an exchange programme dubbed “Nahaufnahme-Close-Up” meant for practising journalists from some selected countries. Under the programme, editorial journalists from Germany exchange their workplaces with journalists abroad for three to six weeks.
They join the editorial teams of the respective partner offices of daily newspapers and will be involved in the local journalism work. During their stay, the participating journalists produce articles (in their own language) for the medium in their host country, which will regularly publish them (after translation by the Goethe-Institut).
During my stay, I will be working with the editorial team of Badische Zeitung. An editor of the daily paper, Mrs Julia Littmann, is already back home after working in the editorial office of the Daily Graphic in Tamale in November.
The programme is organised by the Goethe-Institut, the German cultural institution operating world-wide. It promotes the study of the German language abroad and also encourages international cultural exchange and relations.
It is that time of the year when most people experience cracks on their feet that can tear bed sheets. And it is that time of the year when the shea butter cream made from shea nut becomes the companion of the people, particularly those in rural communities.
That was, indeed, the weather condition before I left Tamale for my sojourn in Freiburg, the serene and beautiful city in Germany. Prior to the onset of the harmattan, there was a very sunny weather, with temperatures of about 40 degrees celsius or more sometimes.
The temperature on my arrival at the Frankfurt Airport was different; less than seven degrees. And not only was the weather very cold, it had also just begun raining.
And did I shiver? Indeed, I fluttered like a wet chicken. My colleague, Mrs Julia Littmann, who had earlier spent some weeks with me in Tamale, finally came to my aid with some warm clothes that she had acquired with her very supportive husband, Andrea.
I had ignore the caution to carry some warm clothes along and I paid the price for my recalcitrance.
Upon arrival at the Frankfurt Airport, my colleague and I were welcomed by her husband and a companion, Ms Lena, with warm concentrated cups of coffee that provided me with some warmth for a short period after spending about eight hours in the air.
We were eventually driven by Andrea to Freiburg, a distance of 260 kilometres, on a four-lane asphalt road within about two hours 30 minutes. It certainly reminded me of the rough dreaded single-lane Kintampo-Accra road that continues to claim the lives of motorists.
When my colleague overheard me murmur to myself that my government should, as a matter of concern, also make sure that the Tamale-Accra road was designed into a dual carriageway, she asked, “Zak, don’t you think that could claim more lives?”
“Maybe,” was all I could say because of the recklessness on the part of some drivers back home. Indeed, Tamale is the opposite of Freiburg.
At lunch time, I tasted my first German food. They call it Spatzle in short. It is made of liquid flour dough mixed with eggs, meat, vegetables, berries and spices. I managed it for the rest of the day after gulping a glass of pineapple juice to wash it down.
And for the entire four-week period of my stay in this serene, well laid out city, I knew I surely would taste various German foods for the first time. And, frankly, I was already missing my favourite Tuo Zaafi (T.Z.) and waatche and hot pepper. Do not pity me. I have simply refused to learn how to cook and so I could not utilise the small kitchen attached to my room, where I spent the rest of the day to warm myself into the unfriendly and strange weather.
My presence in Freiburg formed part of an exchange programme dubbed “Nahaufnahme-Close-Up” meant for practising journalists from some selected countries. Under the programme, editorial journalists from Germany exchange their workplaces with journalists abroad for three to six weeks.
They join the editorial teams of the respective partner offices of daily newspapers and will be involved in the local journalism work. During their stay, the participating journalists produce articles (in their own language) for the medium in their host country, which will regularly publish them (after translation by the Goethe-Institut).
During my stay, I will be working with the editorial team of Badische Zeitung. An editor of the daily paper, Mrs Julia Littmann, is already back home after working in the editorial office of the Daily Graphic in Tamale in November.
The programme is organised by the Goethe-Institut, the German cultural institution operating world-wide. It promotes the study of the German language abroad and also encourages international cultural exchange and relations.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
20 STUDENTS AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS (PAGE 26, DEC 2)
Electrical contractors have been advised to keep abreast of the most advanced systems and technologies used in installing electrical cables to enhance quality service delivery.
The Assistant Marketing Manager of Nexans Kabelmetal, Mr Mahama B. Dollah, who gave the advice, said it was equally important for them to build their capacity in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to enable them to appreciate modern ways of sourcing for business and build partnerships with other companies.
At a seminar in Kumasi to sensitise the members of the Ashanti Regional branch of the Electrical Contractors Association to the need for them to source for quality electrical cables that met the requirements of contractors in particular and their clients in general, Mr Dollah noted that the use of substandard cables undermined quality work because the cables could easily catch fire to destroy lives and properties.
About 120 members attended the seminar, which also sought to introduce members to the products of Nexans Kabelmetal, one of the leading cable manufacturers in the country.
Mr Dollah charged the members to strictly adhere to specifications in installing outdoor and underground cables, as well as those specified for earth wires, conductors and binding wires.
He also educated the participants on the technology of cables and took them through the various types, their uses, characteristics and safety measures that should be taken to prevent cables from catching fire.
He said his company, which is affiliated to the Volta River Authority (VRA), the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and other renowned companies in the country, was conscious of the danger of using substandard electrical cables any constructional work and would extend its educational campaign to other regional capitals to sensitise members of the industry to appreciate the need to use only quality electrical cables.
He called on electricians who had not joined the association to do so to enable them to share ideas and experiences on how to improve upon their work “to enable you to overcome every challenge you encounter in the industry”.
The Assistant Marketing Manager of Nexans Kabelmetal, Mr Mahama B. Dollah, who gave the advice, said it was equally important for them to build their capacity in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to enable them to appreciate modern ways of sourcing for business and build partnerships with other companies.
At a seminar in Kumasi to sensitise the members of the Ashanti Regional branch of the Electrical Contractors Association to the need for them to source for quality electrical cables that met the requirements of contractors in particular and their clients in general, Mr Dollah noted that the use of substandard cables undermined quality work because the cables could easily catch fire to destroy lives and properties.
About 120 members attended the seminar, which also sought to introduce members to the products of Nexans Kabelmetal, one of the leading cable manufacturers in the country.
Mr Dollah charged the members to strictly adhere to specifications in installing outdoor and underground cables, as well as those specified for earth wires, conductors and binding wires.
He also educated the participants on the technology of cables and took them through the various types, their uses, characteristics and safety measures that should be taken to prevent cables from catching fire.
He said his company, which is affiliated to the Volta River Authority (VRA), the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and other renowned companies in the country, was conscious of the danger of using substandard electrical cables any constructional work and would extend its educational campaign to other regional capitals to sensitise members of the industry to appreciate the need to use only quality electrical cables.
He called on electricians who had not joined the association to do so to enable them to share ideas and experiences on how to improve upon their work “to enable you to overcome every challenge you encounter in the industry”.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
RAPE SUSPECT TO FACE PROSECUTION (PAGE 11, NOV 28)
A Chemistry teacher of the Tamale Girls Senior High (TAGISS), Mr Mohammed Sadick, is to be prosecuted for allegedly raping a 16-year-old female student of the school.
The suspect, who had been remanded in prison custody, was alleged to have invited the girl into the school’s computer laboratory around 7:30p.m. on October 12, 2009 he tried to coerce her to agree to his sexual advances.
When the victim, (name withheld), however, refused Saddick’s advances, the suspect overpowered and raped her.
It was the victim’s wailing after she had been pinned to the bare floor that attracted some students including the girl’s prefect. They managed to save the girl.
The matter was later reported to the school authorities who also informed the Tamale Metropolitan Directorate of Education where the suspect was released to, after the former had formed a committee to look into the matter.
Upon hearing of the case from other sources, however, the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Northern Regional Police Command wrote to the education directorate and requested that the suspect be brought before the unit for the necessary action.
According to an official of the unit, Mr Sab Tetteh, “rape is a criminal act and only the Police Service has the mandate to investigate and prosecute in such matters.”
This is the second time the suspect has allegedly been involved in a rape case.
He was allegedly involved in a similar case at the Yendi Senior High School from where he was transferred and reposted to the TAGISS.
The suspect, who had been remanded in prison custody, was alleged to have invited the girl into the school’s computer laboratory around 7:30p.m. on October 12, 2009 he tried to coerce her to agree to his sexual advances.
When the victim, (name withheld), however, refused Saddick’s advances, the suspect overpowered and raped her.
It was the victim’s wailing after she had been pinned to the bare floor that attracted some students including the girl’s prefect. They managed to save the girl.
The matter was later reported to the school authorities who also informed the Tamale Metropolitan Directorate of Education where the suspect was released to, after the former had formed a committee to look into the matter.
Upon hearing of the case from other sources, however, the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Northern Regional Police Command wrote to the education directorate and requested that the suspect be brought before the unit for the necessary action.
According to an official of the unit, Mr Sab Tetteh, “rape is a criminal act and only the Police Service has the mandate to investigate and prosecute in such matters.”
This is the second time the suspect has allegedly been involved in a rape case.
He was allegedly involved in a similar case at the Yendi Senior High School from where he was transferred and reposted to the TAGISS.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
MURDER SUSPECT GRABBED (SPREAD, NOV 17)
THE prime suspect in connection with the murder of the People’s National Convention (PNC) parliamentary candidate for the Nalerigu Constituency in the 2008 general election is in police grips.
The suspect, Salifu Tia, aka Salifu Zongo Naaba, a 31-year-old farmer and native of Nalerigu in the East Mamprusi District, was arrested at the weekend at his hideout at Gulugu in the Gushiegu District of the Northern Region.
A locally manufactured pistol and a military belt were among the items retrieved from him.
He is currently in police custody awaiting prosecution.
Also in police custody are seven suspects who were apprehended at Nasia on the Tamale-Bolga road. Their names were not disclosed for security reasons.
They are at the moment assisting the police in their investigations into the murder of Mr Moses Alando Banaba last Thursday evening when he was on his way home from work at the Baptist Medical Centre at Nalerigu where he worked as a pharmacist.
The remains of the deceased, who was allegedly shot in the thigh with an AK 47 rifle, have since been deposited at the morgue of the Tamale Teaching Hospital for autopsy.
At a press conference in Tamale yesterday, the Northern Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Angwubutoge Awuni, said Naaba was apprehended through the assistance of the chief and some Good Samaritans of Gulugu after a tip-off.
He said the police had earlier been prevented by a crowd from effecting Naaba’s arrest at Nalerigu where he had been spotted at a lorry station attempting to flee the area.
They had again been denied the opportunity to apprehend him by residents of two other communities in the East Mamprusi District until he was gripped at Gulugu.
“We are treating this case purely as a criminal one and will surely get to the bottom of this matter,” Mr Awuni indicated.
While the commander could not immediately explain the motive for the murder, he said, “We suspect that the feuding factions in Bawku are importing the conflict to the Northern Region.”
He expressed the readiness of the police to deal with any eventuality but appealed to the chiefs and people of the area to assist the police in their work by co-operating fully in investigations to get rid of miscreants to ensure peaceful and harmonious co-existence.
The suspect, Salifu Tia, aka Salifu Zongo Naaba, a 31-year-old farmer and native of Nalerigu in the East Mamprusi District, was arrested at the weekend at his hideout at Gulugu in the Gushiegu District of the Northern Region.
A locally manufactured pistol and a military belt were among the items retrieved from him.
He is currently in police custody awaiting prosecution.
Also in police custody are seven suspects who were apprehended at Nasia on the Tamale-Bolga road. Their names were not disclosed for security reasons.
They are at the moment assisting the police in their investigations into the murder of Mr Moses Alando Banaba last Thursday evening when he was on his way home from work at the Baptist Medical Centre at Nalerigu where he worked as a pharmacist.
The remains of the deceased, who was allegedly shot in the thigh with an AK 47 rifle, have since been deposited at the morgue of the Tamale Teaching Hospital for autopsy.
At a press conference in Tamale yesterday, the Northern Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Angwubutoge Awuni, said Naaba was apprehended through the assistance of the chief and some Good Samaritans of Gulugu after a tip-off.
He said the police had earlier been prevented by a crowd from effecting Naaba’s arrest at Nalerigu where he had been spotted at a lorry station attempting to flee the area.
They had again been denied the opportunity to apprehend him by residents of two other communities in the East Mamprusi District until he was gripped at Gulugu.
“We are treating this case purely as a criminal one and will surely get to the bottom of this matter,” Mr Awuni indicated.
While the commander could not immediately explain the motive for the murder, he said, “We suspect that the feuding factions in Bawku are importing the conflict to the Northern Region.”
He expressed the readiness of the police to deal with any eventuality but appealed to the chiefs and people of the area to assist the police in their work by co-operating fully in investigations to get rid of miscreants to ensure peaceful and harmonious co-existence.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
WORKSHOP ON DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS ENDS IN TAMALE (NOV 14, PAGE 13)
A two-day workshop to sharpen the skills of officials of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies on the efficient and effective disbursement and management of public funds has been held in Tamale.
Among the topics discussed were local level institutional arrangement for the disbursement and management of public funds, legal framework, accounting rules, concepts, policies and procedures in the public sector and internal controls and role of stakeholders among others.
The participants included district chief executives, co-ordinating directors, finance and budget officers, chairpersons of finance and administration subcommittees and local government inspectors from the 20 districts in the Northern Region.
The workshop was organised by the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) in Tamale.
The Head of the Education and Training of the ILGS, Mr Simon Bokor, mentioned waste and corruption, increasing public expenditure and the inability of public institutions to meet public needs as some of the areas that had contributed to inefficiency and lack of responsiveness in the public sector.
He, however, added “Of late, accountability, ethics and integrity have taken centre stage in public-private engagement with the understanding that the more responsive district assemblies become, the more local people are enabled to realise their rights and gain access to resources”.
Mr Bokor explained accountability to mean the rights and responsibilities that existed between people and the institutions that affect their lives such as governments, private enterprises and civil society.
He further suggested that for accountability to be effective, there should be free flow of information on decisions and actions taken, and the involvement of citizens in the business of local governance.
“It is the view of many that accountability must not only be an after-event activity but should be applied before, during and after the exercise of public authority”, Mr Bokor stated.
The officer in charge of accounting at the ILGS, Mr Eric Oduro Osei, said financial reforms were an integral part of the nation’s decentralisation policy and the new system of local government.
He explained that the reforms aimed at mobilising local resources and ensuring a prudent and judicious use of financial resources at the local level to ensure total national development.
According to Mr Osei, the misapplication of funds was detrimental to the overall national effort of reducing poverty through wealth creation.
He, therefore, indicated that by virtue of their position as facilitators of local development, district officials must be abreast of the demands of their office and work for the citizens to obtain value for money.
“It is, therefore, pertinent that they are continuously exposed to the laws, procedures, practices and internal controls in managing public funds in order that public funds will be well managed for improved standards of living in the localities”, Mr Osei stated.
Among the topics discussed were local level institutional arrangement for the disbursement and management of public funds, legal framework, accounting rules, concepts, policies and procedures in the public sector and internal controls and role of stakeholders among others.
The participants included district chief executives, co-ordinating directors, finance and budget officers, chairpersons of finance and administration subcommittees and local government inspectors from the 20 districts in the Northern Region.
The workshop was organised by the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) in Tamale.
The Head of the Education and Training of the ILGS, Mr Simon Bokor, mentioned waste and corruption, increasing public expenditure and the inability of public institutions to meet public needs as some of the areas that had contributed to inefficiency and lack of responsiveness in the public sector.
He, however, added “Of late, accountability, ethics and integrity have taken centre stage in public-private engagement with the understanding that the more responsive district assemblies become, the more local people are enabled to realise their rights and gain access to resources”.
Mr Bokor explained accountability to mean the rights and responsibilities that existed between people and the institutions that affect their lives such as governments, private enterprises and civil society.
He further suggested that for accountability to be effective, there should be free flow of information on decisions and actions taken, and the involvement of citizens in the business of local governance.
“It is the view of many that accountability must not only be an after-event activity but should be applied before, during and after the exercise of public authority”, Mr Bokor stated.
The officer in charge of accounting at the ILGS, Mr Eric Oduro Osei, said financial reforms were an integral part of the nation’s decentralisation policy and the new system of local government.
He explained that the reforms aimed at mobilising local resources and ensuring a prudent and judicious use of financial resources at the local level to ensure total national development.
According to Mr Osei, the misapplication of funds was detrimental to the overall national effort of reducing poverty through wealth creation.
He, therefore, indicated that by virtue of their position as facilitators of local development, district officials must be abreast of the demands of their office and work for the citizens to obtain value for money.
“It is, therefore, pertinent that they are continuously exposed to the laws, procedures, practices and internal controls in managing public funds in order that public funds will be well managed for improved standards of living in the localities”, Mr Osei stated.
DOCTORS' FAILURE TO ACCEPT POSTING TO NORTHERN GHANA...GMA is worried (PAGE 22, NOV 14)
THE Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has expressed concern about the continuous refusal of some of its members to accept posting to the three northern regions.
At the moment, the total number of doctors in the three regions is 99. The Northern Region has 51 while the Upper East and Upper West regions have 33 and 15 doctors, respectively. Figures in respect of other categories of health professionals follow similar trends.
The President of the association, Dr Emmanuel Adom Winful, attributed the attitude by such members partly to the perception that being posted to the north was punishment.
Dr Winful also mentioned the “enormous protocol pressure brought to bear on managers by ‘big men’ to keep their wards (doctors) in the cities” as another contributory factor to the problem.
These, coupled with the advantages of working in teaching hospitals in Accra and Kumasi where some doctors supplement their “incomes with private practice and enjoying all the good things that the cities provide,” discourage the doctors from accepting posting to northern Ghana.
On the way forward, the president, who was speaking at the 51st annual general meeting (AGM) in Tamale, suggested that a package of incentives that included a car, 50 per cent of basic salary, free adequate accommodation and utilities be offered members who would opt to work in deprived communities.
“In addition, the period spent working in deprived areas ought to count during selection for post-graduate training,” he added.
The four-day meeting, which is the first of its kind to be held in the Northern Region, was on the theme: “Towards a better health care for Ghana — the human resource challenges and solutions.”
Dr Winful further entreated the leadership of the health administration in the country, majority of who hail from the north at the moment, to collaborate and evolve effective measures to address the imbalance in the system.
He, however, expressed the hope that with the successful hosting of the meeting in Tamale “that has made it possible for many of our colleagues to have a feel of what it is like to travel up north, I hope postings up north will show a significant increase after this AGM”.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Vice President, Mr John Mahama, urged the association to help find ways of addressing the needs and challenges of the health sector to evolve a better healthcare for a better Ghana.
He stated that the commitment by the government to improve the health sector was borne out of their campaign promises to the people.
According to him, the government would not renege on its pledge to increase the budgetary allocation and also improve on infrastructure development for the sector, and therefore, called for the individual commitment of the GMA in that direction.
“Together, through dialogue, the government and the GMA can develop workable synergies for the betterment of the health sector,” Mr Mahama stated.
For his part, the Minister of Health designate, Dr Benjamin Kumbour, urged district assemblies and traditional rulers, particularly those in northern Ghana, to create an enabling environment that could attract and encourage doctors and other health professionals to accept posting to deprived communities.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Steven Nayina, expressed the preparedness of the regional co-ordinating councils in the three regions to offer accommodation and other incentives to doctors who would accept posting to the area in order to motivate them to stay.
At the moment, the total number of doctors in the three regions is 99. The Northern Region has 51 while the Upper East and Upper West regions have 33 and 15 doctors, respectively. Figures in respect of other categories of health professionals follow similar trends.
The President of the association, Dr Emmanuel Adom Winful, attributed the attitude by such members partly to the perception that being posted to the north was punishment.
Dr Winful also mentioned the “enormous protocol pressure brought to bear on managers by ‘big men’ to keep their wards (doctors) in the cities” as another contributory factor to the problem.
These, coupled with the advantages of working in teaching hospitals in Accra and Kumasi where some doctors supplement their “incomes with private practice and enjoying all the good things that the cities provide,” discourage the doctors from accepting posting to northern Ghana.
On the way forward, the president, who was speaking at the 51st annual general meeting (AGM) in Tamale, suggested that a package of incentives that included a car, 50 per cent of basic salary, free adequate accommodation and utilities be offered members who would opt to work in deprived communities.
“In addition, the period spent working in deprived areas ought to count during selection for post-graduate training,” he added.
The four-day meeting, which is the first of its kind to be held in the Northern Region, was on the theme: “Towards a better health care for Ghana — the human resource challenges and solutions.”
Dr Winful further entreated the leadership of the health administration in the country, majority of who hail from the north at the moment, to collaborate and evolve effective measures to address the imbalance in the system.
He, however, expressed the hope that with the successful hosting of the meeting in Tamale “that has made it possible for many of our colleagues to have a feel of what it is like to travel up north, I hope postings up north will show a significant increase after this AGM”.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Vice President, Mr John Mahama, urged the association to help find ways of addressing the needs and challenges of the health sector to evolve a better healthcare for a better Ghana.
He stated that the commitment by the government to improve the health sector was borne out of their campaign promises to the people.
According to him, the government would not renege on its pledge to increase the budgetary allocation and also improve on infrastructure development for the sector, and therefore, called for the individual commitment of the GMA in that direction.
“Together, through dialogue, the government and the GMA can develop workable synergies for the betterment of the health sector,” Mr Mahama stated.
For his part, the Minister of Health designate, Dr Benjamin Kumbour, urged district assemblies and traditional rulers, particularly those in northern Ghana, to create an enabling environment that could attract and encourage doctors and other health professionals to accept posting to deprived communities.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Steven Nayina, expressed the preparedness of the regional co-ordinating councils in the three regions to offer accommodation and other incentives to doctors who would accept posting to the area in order to motivate them to stay.
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