WHOSE DUTY IS IT TO KEEP THE ENVIRONMENT CLEAN?...Views from Bolga (MIRROR, Saturday, February 28,2009.PAGE 25)

Joseph Kpenka
Dindiok,
Outgoing DCE,
Garu-Tempane
District Assembly

For us to have a very sustainable system of managing our environment, we need to reflect on our history. We will realise that in the past, be it a military junta or civilian government attempts were made to ensure that the environment was always clean. This was done by way of organising clean up campaigns. Unfortunately, most of such initiatives have become a mirage.
What needs to be done this time round, is to adopt an approach that will revolutionise the whole system starting from the grassroots through to the top.
We may also have to inculcate the teaching of keeping proper sanitation in our educational curricular to ensure that children imbibe the principle of keeping the environment clean.
Measures should also be put in place to sanction persons who indiscriminately throw away sachet water wrappers and in the process pollute the environment.
It is important that a critical look is taken at efforts towards preventing people from polluting the environment in the first place before putting in place other remedies that go to ensure cleanliness of our localities.
To prevent people from littering, sanitation bins must be made readily available in all cities, towns and villages and placed at vantage points that are easily accessible by all.
Sanitation laws should also be enforced so that whoever breaches the law will become culpable and made to pay for violating the regulations. This I believe will serve as a deterrent for others and will go a long way to make our environment very clean.

Daud James
Abang-Gos,
Regional Director, National Youth
Council

Keeping a clean environment is a collective responsibility for all Ghanaians. Every citizen has a role to play in ensuring that the environment is very clean at all times.
Communities are made up of homes, therefore if every household is kept clean, this will translate to the community and in the long run the entire society will be kept clean.
But I must quickly add that, it is one thing collecting refuse from homes and another thing dumping it at the designated refuse collection points.
The assemblies must also live up to their responsibility of ensuring that refuse generated and sent to the collection points are regularly lifted and sent to the disposal sites.
The disposal sites should be efficiently managed to ensure that refuse sent there are properly disposed off.
This way, our environment will be clean and community and national health bill would be reduced.
It is important that the public is also educated and made aware of the negative consequences of not keeping the environment clean. When this is done they will appreciate the need to keep a clean environment.

Cyprian Tengabo,
GNAT

Efforts aimed at ensuring sustainability of the environment will be possible primarily through education. Though, a lot of moves have been made over the years to make sure that our environment is clean, the situation rather seems to be getting out of hand and this is because, governments over the years have only paid lip service to sanitation efforts.
Though some little successes have been achieved over time, the problem still persists due to the fact that the people who generate the mess are far removed from the policy makers.
The difficulty can basically be traced to the lack of appreciation of sanitation messages and programmes.
Of course, we clean our homes everyday, so why can't we clean our surroundings? This means there is something lacking. Policy makers should come out with pragmatic education programmes.
Indeed, agencies such as the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Information Services Department (ISD) and all other agencies that relay information to the people must evolve measures that can be sustained and educate the public on the need to clean their environment.

Madam Mariama
Yayaha, Regional
Director, Department of Children

I think that the best way to sustain a clean environment is to ensure awareness creation among the citizenry on the harmful effects of insanitary conditions.
There should be continuous campaigns on cleanliness of the environment. That way we would be awaken to the need to keep the environment clean.
This will encourage everyone to do his or her part to ensure a clean and healthy environment.
Many people have resorted to indiscriminate littering of the environment because they have not been enlightened enough about the negative consequences that an unclean environment can bring about.
On the other hand while making people aware of the negative consequences of insanitary conditions, they should also be made to appreciate the positive side of ensuring cleanliness.
In most homes, it is the children who mostly do the house hold chores and sent to dispose of rubbish.
It will therefore be of great benefit if children and young adults would be targeted and educated about the need to keep the environment clean as they are the future leaders of the country.
Most District and Municipal Assemblies have bye-laws on sanitation, but unfortunately these laws are poorly enforced or not at all.
I think that the assemblies must first set the ball rolling by putting in place structures that would go to ensure good sanitation, by designating places for rubbish disposal as well as rubbish bins placed at vantage points to avoid indiscriminate littering.
Many of the diseases that afflict us as a municipality and by extension the nation, including malaria, can be avoided if only we would keep our environment clean.

Alex Ayetah,
Regional Road
Safety Coordinator

For me, the best way to go about ensuring a clean environment is to carry the message to the schools. If children are taught about the essence of keeping the environment clean they will carry the message home and even influence their parents.
Teachers should be organised and equipped with the needed skills to enable them impart knowledge on the environment to their pupils and students.
In this struggle to ensure a clean environment, it is important that every single Ghanaian is encouraged to get on board and join hands with the government in its attempt to keep a clean Ghana.
The District Assemblies and more especially, the assembly members must also play their role as leaders of their electoral areas and educate their people on the need to keep a clean environment.
The government's target to achieve a clean environment in its first 100 days in office, should not be a difficult task to achieve if we are all sincere and serious about the problem at hand.
The media has a role to play by focusing their lenses on the environment, rather than on politics. That way they will be contributing towards ensuring a clean and healthy environment.

BOLGA POLY HOSTEL ON FIRE (D/G Monday, February 23, 2009 Pg 49)

A hostel at the Bolgatanga Polytechnic at Sumbrungu in the Upper East Region has been destroyed by fire. Items belonging to the students which are yet to be quantified were destroyed in the fire which broke out last Saturday. The one-storey, 12-room apartment was originally meant to be a classroom block but was converted into a residential facility to accommodate more students at the polytechnic. Eight rooms out of the 12 were completely razed down by the inferno, which was attributed to an electrical fault which was subsequently fuelled by the explosion of gas cylinders which were being kept in the rooms. Each room had at least two gas cylinders, while one of the rooms on the upper floor had as many as 12 cylinders in it. In addition, a number of coal-pots, table-top gas cookers and electric stoves were found in the debris. Items destroyed included personal effects, academic materials, desktop and laptop computers, television sets, entertainment gadgets, cash. No casualty was, however, recorded. The President of the Students Representative Council (SRC), Mr Solomon Awariya, said the fire started from one of the rooms on the ground floor around 1 p.m. on Saturday and before long it spread to the upper floor and all efforts by some students to retrieve their belongings proved unsuccessful. He said an emergency call was made to the Ghana National Fire Service in Bolgatanga and firemen were sent to help put out the fire. He regretted the loss of vital documents in the blaze, adding that just recently the SRC renovated the Junior Common Room at the cost of GH¢2,100, only for it to lose everything to the fire. He added that among the items destroyed was a brand new public address system, purchased at the cost of GH¢1,500, which was being kept in one of the rooms that got burnt. Asked why they failed to utilise the fire extinguishers provided on the floors during the initial stages of the fire, Mr Awariya retorted that ever since they reported to campus, no student had been given the necessary training to handle the fire extinguishers. A Senior Hall Tutor, Mr Emmanuel Akanpaadgi, expressed regret at the incident and said in the interim, management had made available two structures to serve as temporary accommodation for the weekend pending management decision later. He disclosed that the authorities were arranging for food for the students, since most of them had lost everything. Queried as to why the authorities permitted the students to live in their rooms with explosive items such as gas cylinders, Mr Akanpaadgi said though management did not approve of that practice, it had to allow it based on some reasons offered by the students. He said management was in the process of providing a permanent common place for the students to do their cooking when the incident occurred.

ALAGSKOMAH ASPIRES TO BECOME BOLGA MCE (D/G Saturday, February 21, 2009. PAGE 13)

MR Michael N. Asakeya Alagskomah, a former Assemblyman for the Zaare electoral area in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region, who is also aspiring to become the municipal chief executive has said he would implement an aggressive sanitation programme to restore the city to its former glory and make it one of the best cities in the country.
Speaking in an interview with Daily Graphic at Bolgatanga, Mr Alagskomah, a Pharmacy Technologist in charge of the Bolgatanga municipal health centre, said that should he get the nod, he would work very hard together with his administrators to put the city in good shape and make it clean once again.
“Apart from constructing more public places of convenience, we will also embark on sustainable clean-up campaigns. It shouldn’t be once in a month or when a dignitary is coming then we run helter-skelter to put the place in order. People should learn to keep the environment decent at all times and this I intend to make through public education to make part and parcel of us,” he said.
Mr Alagskomah said he believed that when the people were healthy, they would increase productivity, adding that a clean environment would go a long way to reduce the health bill.
He noted that community hygiene was lacking in the Bolgatanga municipality, adding that when given the mandate, he intended to launch an education campaign and provide all the requisite resources to facilitate a clean environment.
Born in 1955 in Zaare, a suburb of Bolgatanga, Mr Alagskomah served during the PNDC era as a cadre in various organs and was one time chairman of the Investigation and complaints committee and head of projects and programmes.
In the recent past, he served as an assembly member for the Zaare electoral area from 1998-2002 during which period he was the chairman of the health subcommittee of the Bolgatanga municipal assembly
He said besides tackling issues of the environment, he intended to address the numerous economic challenges facing the people in the municipality.
“I am not a reservoir of total knowledge. We are blessed in this municipality with technocrats and professionals that I will bring together to see how we can look at the economic policies of the party and how to tackle the numerous development challenges facing the people,” he said.
“I believe that when we come together, we will certainly project the municipality and that will benefit all of us,” he added.
Touching on other areas of concern, he said apart from confronting the issue of sanitation and economic challenges, he intended to encourage farmers in the municipality to boost their agricultural activity and indicated that rain-fed agriculture had not been helpful over the past years.

KSM goes north for Valentine(Graphic Showbiz, Thursday, Feb 12-18, 2009. Page 8)

Celebrity Night Club and Entertainment Centre in the Upper East Region will host Ghana’s King of Satire, Kwaku Sintim-Misa also known as KSM on Valentine's Day.
KSM who is heading up north for his first ever stage performance in that part of the country.
He is expected to treat his numerous fans in the northern part of the country to a rare performance of what he is best known for.
KSM who hosts a prime time TV show on Metro TV, “Thank God is Friday”, has won the hearts of a large number of fans in the Upper East Region and is adored by numerous fans.
A management member of Celebrity Night Club and Entertainment Centre, Mr. Abdulai Issaka in an interview with the Graphic Showbiz said KSM’s trip to the Upper East Region is in two folds.
According to him, the first part of KSM’s visit will see the artists holding motivational talk sessions for students of the Navrongo campus of the University for Development, as well as their counterparts at the Bolgatanga Polytechnic campus on Friday, February 13, 2009.
He added that the trip will be capped with a live stage performance at the Bolco Hotel, which also hosts the plush celebrity night club on Saturday February 14, 2009.
Mr. Issaka reiterated that he motive for bringing down KSM was not for monetary gains but afford the people quality entertainment never witnessed before.
He disclosed that a number of prizes will be doled out to couples who patronized the event. He assured that fans who turn up at the event will never regret as in house DJs have all geared up to dish out good music at the after party inside the club.
Mr. Issaka promised that his outfit would go the extra mile to satisfy them and live a lasting impression stressing that Celebrity Entertainment Centre will make good its promise to contributing positively to the growth of the entertainment industry in the Upper East Region.
KSM on in a special radio jingle built to hype the event assured the people of Bolgatanga of a wonderful session on Valentine’s Day.
A night with KSM is being sponsored by SWAP Restaurant, Sinant Minat Hotel, Premier Lodge, Lesken Enterprises, Extee Crystal Hotel, Ghana Telecom, and Fongo Venture.

POLICE COMMANDER WARNS CRIMINALS (D/G Wednesday February 18, 2009. PAGE 40)

THE Upper East Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, has warned that criminals who intend to take the relative calm prevailing in Bawku to perpetuate crime will not have it easy.
He said the Regional Police Command had intensified its patrols and was firmly on the ground to deal with any criminal activity.
DCOP Mahama said this in an interview with the Daily Graphic on Sunday after meeting with various opinion leaders in Bawku in the wake of the death of a sanitary inspector last Saturday.
While calling on all those with information that could lead the police to arrest the perpetrators of crime in the municipality, he also gave the assurance that the people would be protected to enable them to go about their normal duties freely.
The 48-year-old Mr Sayibu Adam Sunka was shot in the head and killed while travelling from Garu to Bawku last Saturday at about 5pm.
Information had it that the deceased, a sanitary inspector, who had earlier in the day responded to a call to examine an animal meant for slaughtering, was killed while returning home after performing that task.
Police investigations revealed that on reaching a community called Lalsaa, near Bugri, he was shot and hacked to death, while his black Sukida motorbike with registration number NR 3764 X and a mobile phone were taken away.
A search of the crime scene, a river bed, by the police investigation team revealed one spent AA cartridge.
Meanwhile, the Bawku Municipal Security Committee has called on residents of Bawku to remain calm while the police and related security agencies take steps to resolve the issue.
Members of the MUSEC made the appeal when they visited the bereaved family to console them .
The MP for Bawku Central, Mr Adamu Daramani, appealed to the youth to remain calm and trust the security agencies as they had all that it took to investigate the matter. “We cannot afford to go back to those dark days,” he said.
Members of MUSEC together with the MP later visited the crime scene. The deceased has since been buried in line with Islamic beliefs.

SUIT AGAINST ME IS DIVISIVE...Says MP for Bawku Central (D/G Tuesday February 17,2009. PAGE 16)

The Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mr Adamu Daramani, has described the recent suit filed against him at the High Court in Accra by a Bawku-based cattle dealer for allegedly holding a British passport as more divisive than reconciliatory.
He said “Given our recent history, the fallout from the court proceedings might not be too good for our people.”
He, however, expressed confidence that he would emerge victorious after the case had been dealt with by the courts.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview he appealed to the people of Bawku to unite and rally behind him in the effort to transform the Bawku Municipality and put the local economy on sound footing.
Speaking after his first interaction with his constituents since he was sworn in as MP on January 7, 2009, Mr Daramani said politics was about development and therefore asked the people to bury their differences and gear their efforts towards the development of the constituency.
His arrival in Bawku was characterised by a carnival amidst tooting of horns and mass jubilation by his supporters some of whom displayed motorbike riding skills through the main streets of Bawku.
He extended his gratitude to the party agents, supporters and others in the constituency for ensuring his victory in the recent elections.
He thanked them for electing him and promised that he would respond to the needs of the people in the constituency to ensure the accelerated development of the constituency.
He disclosed that he had taken delivery of 100 pieces of street lights and that they would be handed over to the municipal assembly.
He expressed the hope that the lights when installed would contribute to enhancing the security of the area.
Mr Daramani appealed to the youth in particular to refrain from any act that could disturb the peace of the area and urged them to have confidence in the security services.

CATTLE DEALER STEALS CATTLE (The Mirror Saturday February 14,2009PAGE 35)

From Benjamin Xornam Glover,
Bolgatanga

A 48-year-old cattle dealer, Musah Aduni, has been remanded in prison custody by the Bolgatanga Circuit Court, for possessing seven cattle valued at GH¢4,500 belonging to one Amadu Jallo.
Musah who pleaded not guilty, would reappear on February 25, 2009.
Also to reappear in court are two of Musah's daughters, (names withheld), aged 18 and 17, both students. They have been charged with aiding and abetting their father to commit crime.
The two girls were granted bail in the sum of GH¢20,000 each with a surety each.
Police Detective Inspector, John Agyuah Chief, told the court, presided over by Mr William Boampong, that on February 4, 2009, the complainant, Amadu Jallo, a cattle herdsman returned to his village Kajolo, near Paga with his cattle after the day’s grazing and allowed the animals to hang around his hut.
The prosecutor said at about 6:30 p.m., Amadu asked his son, Issah, to drive the animals into the kraal. He said in doing so, Issah observed that 10 cattle were absent.
According to the prosecutor, Issah drew the attention of his father, who immediately embarked on a search within the neighbourhood.
Inspector Agyuah said Amadu later reported the matter to the owner of the cattle, one Azupero Parachana, who also joined the search party.
He said on February 5, 2009, the search party continued with the search of the animals and in the process, Issah detected the signs indicating the movement of the cattle and alerted other members of the team.
Mr Agyuah said the team followed the prints and ended up in the house of the accused persons.
He said when confronted, Musah confirmed that the cattle were in his possession but added that they were brought to him by some Fulani man he did not immediately identify.
He said the accused persons later led the search party to his living room where the animals were being kept.
The prosecutor said the complainant saw seven cows which he identified as his.
According to Inspector Agyuah, the accused person pleaded with the complainant to take the seven animals away, explaining that if he had known the cattle belonged to him, he would not have accepted them from the said Fulani man.
Inspector Agyuah said the complainant objected to the offer and sent word to the Chairman of the Paga Cattle Dealers Association, who arrived later with some police men who arrested Amadu.
The prosecutor said it was at this point that the accused person pleaded alibi, claiming he had passed the night with the wife at Kajolo village and had just arrived in the house.
He said further investigation conducted into the matter led to the arrest of the two daughters who when cautioned, gave contradictory statements all in an attempt to support the plea of alibi by their father.

UE NPP REGIONAL EXECUTIVE MUST GO — MORT (D/G, Saturday, February 14, 2009 PAGE 14)

A Leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region, Mr Yaw Mort, has called for the resignation of the entire regional executive of the party.
In a statement issued to the press in Bolgatanga, Mr Mort, a former constituency chairman for Nabdam, alleged that the current regional executive had failed to live up to expectation, adding that party members in the region had lost total confidence in them.
In his statement which was also copied to the national, regional and constituency secretariats of the party, as well as to regional elders of the party, Mr Mort accused the regional executive for failing to keep the party intact and coherent since the last presidential and parliamentary primaries, which preceded the 2008 general election.
He also fingered the entire regional executive body for what he described as lacking vision, effective leadership style and efficient strategies for the party in the region.
Mr Mort also alleged that the regional executive committee exhibited high level greed, self-centredness and lack of transparency in the application of party resources during the 2008 general election.
“Their failure to co-ordinate, monitor and evaluate the activities of party functionaries and foot soldiers within the various constituencies before, during and after the 2008 elections was a blow to the party,” he alleged.
Mr Mort also charged the leaders of the party in the region for their failure or refusal to motivate foot soldiers adequately during the 2008 campaign. He also blamed the regional executive for their inability to set up a counter-intelligence machinery to monitor and check the secret and diabolical activities of some opposition elements.
He further alleged that members of the executive committee adopted a ‘skirt and blouse’ campaign strategy against some parliamentary candidates in the region during the 2008 elections.
According to him, another reason why the entire executive should step aside is the fact that they have constantly kept the regional secretariat of the party office closed since the declaration of the 2008 election results, adding that since the declaration of the results, the executives have gone into hiding.
“For their refusal or inability to re-group and appreciate the various stakeholders of the party, such as party elders and foot soldiers in the various constituencies after the defeat of the party, they must all resign,” he said.
Mr Alex Ayatah, Deputy Regional Secretary of the NPP, and one of the executive members, who Mr Mort accused of non-performance, dismissed the allegations outright, describing them as blatant lies.
“I take a strong exception to all the allegations raised by Mr Mort. We must all be sober and put aside all emotions. If we begin to massacre ourselves in the media, the party will be the loser at the end of the day,” Mr Ayatah said.
He described as rather unfortunate attempts by Mr Mort and others who have resolved to destroy the image of the party.
“I want to urge Mr Mort and others who think along same line as him to put a stop to that. Maturity must prevail. We have just emerged from a painful defeat and the appropriate thing to do is rather to scientifically analyse and review our performance. That way, we can come out with appropriate antidote,” he said.

BAWKU ARSON SUSPECTS FOR COURT FEBRUARY 27 (D/G Saturday February 14,2009 PAGE 23)

THE four persons who are alleged to have conspired and killed a pregnant woman in Bawku on January 23, 2009, will reappear before the Bolgatanga Circuit Court on February 27, 2009.
This decision was reached after the presiding judge, Mr William Boampong, turned down a plea for bail put in by their counsel, Mr Douglas Seidu, at the court’s sitting on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.
The four, Mustapha Sani, 33; Rahaman Yayaha, 38, both businessmen; Yakubu Abubakari, 22, and Safianu Issifu, 39, have been slapped with a provisional charge of conspiracy to commit crime, causing unlawful damage and murder.
When the case was called, the four whose plea was not taken during the court’s first sitting two weeks ago, were absent. However, the prosecution indicated that they were in lawful custody.
This brought the counsel, Mr Seidu for the accused persons, to his feet. Quoting several authorities, he prayed the court to grant his clients bail insisting that there was nothing like a provisional charge of murder.
However, the prosecutor, Detective Inspector John Agyuah, argued that based on the prevailing tension in Bawku, it would be prudent to remand the accused persons in lawful custody while the police investigated the case.
He contended that granting the accused persons bail could jeopardise the security situation in Bawku and, therefore, pleaded with the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody.
The facts of the case, as presented by Detective Inspector Agyuah, were that all the four suspects lived and worked in Bawku where the complainant, a businessman, also lives.
He said at about 10 p.m. on January 23, 2009 the complainant was sitting in his sitting room with his wife, Fatima Majeed, when they heard the sound of motorbikes approaching their house.
According to the prosecution, out of fear and suspicion, the complainant and his wife sneaked onto a veranda in the house and took cover. From their hideout, the complainant saw six men, two armed with rifles and four unarmed, enter their compound.
He said the accused moved straight to the front of one of the rooms belonging to the complainant’s younger brother, sprinkled petrol there and set the place ablaze.
Inspector Agyuah told the court that the suspects later proceeded to set the complainant’s room also on fire through the window.
He said the complainant and his wife, now deceased, raised an alarm after the departure of the suspects, drawing many people, including Fire Service officers to the scene and they helped to put out the fire.
Inspector Agyuah said the complainant’s wife, who was four months pregnant, was trapped in the room and was burnt to death, adding that the value of property damaged was yet to be ascertained.
He told the court that the complainant, who was able to identify four out of the six suspects, reported the matter to the police, adding that investigations led to the arrest of the accused persons.

Committee makes findings on unwholesome maize(D/G, Monday, February 9,2009. Page 32)

Findings of a five member committee, which investigated the alleged sale of unwholesome maize for human consumption in the Upper East Region has been made public in Bolgatanga.
The Committee, was set up by the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council late last year by the then Regional Minister, Mr. Alhassan Samari to delve into the circumstance under which maize which were being kept in the stores of the RCC and had allegedly gone bad found its way unto the open market.
The Committee was tasked to; first, determine the circumstances leading to the sale of the unwholesome maize and second how the maize got into the market. They were also to determine the beneficiaries of the alleged sale of the maize and any other matter relating to the sale and disposal of the maize.
Some of the findings of the Committee' which was chaired by Mr. Evans Kluste, the Sector Commander of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service, are as follows:
That the maize and some rice declared unwholesome was sold by the Storekeeper without seeking authority from any of her superiors.
Again none of the unwholesome food items was sold in the market for human consumption. All who had access to the food items were adequately informed that the food items were not good for human consumption but only for livestock and poultry. The allegations that the food items were found in the market was therefore purely speculative.
That the maize was not part of the consignment of food items brought in 2007 to mitigate the sufferings of flood disaster victims. Poor management of RCC stores due to ineptitude of the storekeeper.
The storekeeper lacks the practical and requisite experience to manage the RCC’s stores independently.
There is an element of collusion between the Storekeeper and Mr. Charles Ayando, one of the beneficiaries of the sale of the food items.

The Regional Minister was not aware of the presence of the unwholesome food items in the stores as at the time the press conference was held.
The Committee said it viewed the action of the Principal Storekeeper of the RCC as very grievous and this has indeed tarnished the reputation of the RCC, especially the Regional Minister and the Chief Director.
The Committee said in line with the code of conduct for Civil Servants, the Principal Storekeeper’s behavior constituted a gross misconduct which could attract the severest penalty of dismissal.
“However, the Committee tampering justice with mercy and taking into account her newness into the Civil Service without adequate orientation and training, hereby recommend that she should be given fourteen days suspension with commensurate loss of pay.
Again she should be posted out of the RCC to work under a more experienced officer in the stores and Inspectorate Division of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning.
Again the Committee said it has taken a serious view of the poor management of the RCC stores and has therefore recommended that a more experienced storekeeper should be posted to take charge of the stores and quarterly stock-taking should be done to ensure expiry of certain store items.
“The committee is convinced that none of the food items was sent into the market for sale to unsuspecting buyers as was alleged and therefore dismisses the claim”.
As part of the recommendation the committee said it is of the view that the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) should be tasked to conduct further investigation into the issue and any one found culpable should be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the country.
The Chief Director and Regional Coordinating Director, Mr. Samuel N’lary who read out the finding of the Committee said the RCC after a careful study of the committee’s report said the out gone Regional Minister has accepted the report of the committee and directed that its recommendation be implemented.
He added that the alleged sale of the so-called unwholesome maize for human consumption has practically been proven to be false emphasizing that all who bought the maize including the President of Northern Patriots for Research and Advocacy, (NORPRA), Mr. Bismarck Adongo who first raised the issue were told in advance by the storekeeper that they were not good for human consumption but only for poultry and livestock.
Mr. N’lary insisted that the consignment of maize that went bad and found on the open market did not formed part of the relief package brought in in the wake of the flood disaster but were sent by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to mitigate the suffering of the people.
Mr. N’lary the committee interviewed or cross-examined several persons in connection with the allegation. Some of the key persons, who appeared before the Committee included the Principal Storekeeper, some RCC members of staff who bought the maize and the Chief Director and Head of administration of the RCC.

TOWARDS LASTING PEACE IN BAWKU: PEACE COUNCIL DISPATCHES RESEARCHERS (D/G, Monday, February 9,2009. PAGE 15)

THE National Peace Council (NPC) has dispatched a team of researchers to Bawku and its environs in its bid to ensure peace in the area.
The team, headed by the officer in charge of research at the NPC, Mr Emmanuel Sowatey, has been interacting with key players on the ground to assess the situation.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at Bawku, Mr Sowatey said the visit was to enable the delegation to learn at first hand how the elections went.
It was also to know the impact of the work done by the NPC through negotiations and workshops held there and how they had contributed to peace in the area.
“We have also come here to see what lessons have been learnt that can help the NPC to bring durable peace to Bawku”, he said.
While in Bawku, the team spoke to the local staff of the National Commission for Civic Education, heads of security agencies, opinion leaders, representatives of the Bawku Naba, youth leaders, and women groups and other key actors.
Mr Sowatey disclosed that as part of its programme to ensure lasting peace, the NPC had instituted a programme dubbed “Youth Ambassadors for Peace” whereby a selected number of youth were sent to Accra and trained on peace.
These students, numbering 35, were chosen from the Bawku Secondary Technical School, Bawku Senior High School, Bawku Technical Institute and Gbewaa Teacher Training College in Pusiga,together with some staff of NCCE were sent to Accra for training on issues of conflict and peace.
“We believe that the youth though form a key constituency in any activity within the conflict, security and development interface, they are often marginalized, hence the institution of this training to help expose them to a whole lot of issues on conflict and peace building.”
According to him “it was a fantastic platform for bonding between these youth from the various tribes in the area, adding that most headmasters have testified that the training has been very useful.
He said most of the beneficiaries have initiated plans to form their own youth groups through which they would transfer what ever lessons they had learnt to their colleagues.
He disclosed that the NPC intended to expand the training programme by reaching out to the drop -outs and women groups in the Bawku area, who would also benefit from similar training programmes in Accra with the view to ensuring that prolonged peace returned to Bawku.
“Without doubt people are saying that our intervention have been one of the contributory factors to the peaceful out come of the elections in Bawku and we intend to continue until there is total peace in Bawku,” he said.
He commended the security agencies as well as other civil society organisations in Bawku for the yeoman role they had played by restoring peace in Bawku.

UPPER EAST PNC JOYOUS AT NOMINATION (D/G, Saturday February 7,2009. PAGE 14)

THE Upper East Regional Secretariat of the People’s National Convention (PNC) has expressed its joy at the nomination of Mr Alhassan Azong, the party’s Member of Parliament for the Builsa South Constituency, to the position of Minister of State at the Presidency.
A statement issued at Bolgatanga and signed by the Regional Secretary of the party, Mr Henry Fatchu, commended the President, Professor J.E.A, Mills and the NDC for the honour and the opportunity given to the PNC.
“It is our hope and belief that the appointment committee of parliament will give Mr Azong the nod to enable him serve in the Mills administration. We have no doubt in our minds that Mr Azong will work hard to justify the confidence reposed in him by his constituents and President Mills,” the statement said.
The statement also said the party still believed that the NDC and the President would still see more competent people from the PNC who would share similar vision with him towards the development of mother Ghana and the total transformation of the many Ghanaians that voted the NDC into power.
Mr Azong contested the Builsa South seat on the ticket of the PNC and managed to wrest the seat from the NDC parliamentary candidate, Mr Roger Abolimbisah Akantagriwen.
In the presidential run-off, however, Mr Azong joined forces with the NDC to campaign for Professor Mills and his nomination is regarded as an appreciation of his efforts.
In another development, the Bolgatanga Polytechnic branch of the Kassena-Nankana Students Union (KANASU), has also commended the President for nominating Mr Mark Woyongo as the Upper East Regional Minister.
A statement issued by the union at Bolgatanga said it was its prayer that the nominee would go through the vetting process successfully, adding that “we know that he will be a minister for all and not only people from the NDC”.
While wishing Mr Woyongo success at the vetting, the union also tasked him to unite the various parties in the region.
They also expressed the hope that his administration will ensure transparency, accountability and a bright future for the Upper East Region in particular and Ghana in general.

NDEBUGRE ENDORSES PACKAGE FOR FORMER PRESIDENTS (PAGE 14)

A former Member of Parliament, Mr John A. Ndebugre, has endorsed the retirement package for former presidents as proposed by the Chinery-Hesse Committee, emphasising that he sees nothing wrong with the former President going away with six vehicles.
Mr Ndebugre, the immediate past MP for Zebilla in the Upper East Region said the proposal as put forth by the committee was adequate to enable the retiring head of state function effectively in his new role.
He also condemned the demonstration by members of the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) over the ex gratia issue, stressing that the action by the pressure group would be merely to make itself relevant.
“The CJA is redundant so they are trying to make themselves relevant. What the CJA should do is to demand the reduction of fuel prices as promised by the President during the campaign trail.
“They must start monitoring the activities of the new government and ensure that the government discharges its mandate according to the promises the NDC made”, he added.
There have been intense public debate and controversy over the retirement package ever since it was made public almost three weeks ago.
The committee recommended that former Presidents be given fully furnished residences that befit them at a place of their choice — one in Accra and another out of the national capital. A former President would be entitled, among other privileges, to six fully maintained comprehensively insured, fuelled and chauffeur-driven cars to be replaced every four years. The fleet comprises three saloon cars, two cross country vehicles and one all-purpose vehicle. The houses would be maintained by the state but would not revert to the state when the former President dies.
According to the report, the former President and spouse are entitled to overseas travel once a year with a maximum duration of 45 days, but if he has served two consecutive terms, he would be entitled to 65 days.
The former first couple, in addition to their privileges, will travel on diplomatic passports and courtesies accompanied by three professional and personal assistants and adequate security. The ex-President will have 24-hour security services, entertainment package for his leisure, among other provisions, at the expense of the state.
The committee also recommended that the former President receive a non-taxable ex gratia equivalent to 12 months’ consolidated salary for each full year of service but where the President serves a second consecutive term, an additional non-taxable resettlement grant representing six months’ consolidated salary for each full year of service or pro rata would be paid together with non-taxable ex gratia of 12 months’ consolidated salary for each year in office.
But Mr Ndebugre, a member of the last Parliament which saw the bill through, said although there was poverty in Ghana just as in other parts of the world, Ghanaians must learn to treat holders of the high office of the land in dignity, for “these are not things for personal aggrandisement”, he argued.
“To say that the immediate former President should be treated the way ex-President Limann was treated where his run-down pickup was pushed on the streets of Accra, is not a good suggestion.
“We should find out what the six cars are actually meant for and not condemn the proposals in a blanket manner. I have not read in detail what these cars are meant for but I can imagine that the former President will have two saloon cars to himself, another saloon car for his wife, two cross-country vehicles for long haul travels, one for the former President’s use and the other for his security detail, in addition to a pickup vehicle for carrying goods for the President’s family and others. These are not things for personal aggrandisement”, he posited.
According to Mr Ndebugre, considering all the criticisms over the ex gratia, it could happen that in future decent people would decline to go into public service and allow rabble-rousers to take over and run down the system.
“I do not have a problem with ex gratia because it is an entitlement”, he reiterated.
On whether he would stage a comeback, he said it was too early to tell, adding that those who had been elected must be given the chance to discharge their mandate.
“When it becomes critical and my constituents think that I should come back, I will rely on the counsel of the good people and give it a try. But I have also said I am getting old. I have children and other young men who have given me their support and if they also wish to try their hands at becoming MP, why not, I will give them the chance”, he added with finality.

INCREASE IN MINIMUM CAPITAL, A DISINCENTIVE (PAGE 20)

A Research conducted into the operations of rural and commercial banks, especially those in the northern sector of the country, has revealed that increase in the minimum capital requirements and secondary reserve ratio by the Bank of Ghana (BoG) will weigh down the operations of rural and community banks (RCBs).
The research, conducted by two firms, Pinnacle Investment and Trade Aid Integrated, was commissioned by the north-eastern chapter of the Association of Rural Banks, with support from the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund.
The main objective of the study was to examine the effect of the two key policies on the operation of rural banks in Ghana, with special focus on rural banks in northern Ghana.
The finding of the research was presented to operators of RCBs at a sensitisation forum held in Bolgatanga.
While conceding that the minimum capital requirement was a major factor determining the establishment of new RCBs and maintaining existing ones, the study suggested that the wholesale increase from GH¢50,000 to GH¢150,000 without the corresponding measures to support distressed RCBs could result in the demise of a number of rural banks, particularly those in northern Ghana.
“This finding takes full account of the spatial inequality in the distribution of income, which, for now, is dangerously disadvantageous to the northern sector of Ghana,” it said.
Touching on the secondary reserve ratio, which is currently 30 per cent, the study said it posed another problem, in that it would be a barrier to rural banking, especially the banks in the three northern regions, because it would reduce their working capital which would in turn reduce the amount and number of loans that could be advanced to their customers, thereby hampering their productivity.
The study indicated that most of RCBs in the northern sector found it difficult to pay dividends, which is a disincentive to investment and which would affect the ability of RCBs to raise further capital.
The study recommended that the current minimum capital requirement be maintained, at least, for three more years and any increase should not be more than double of the existing amount.
It recommended that if the minimum capital requirement must be increased at all cost, it should be accompanied by additional policy measures that could seek to support distressed RCBs to meet the new requirement.
It also supported the view of the BoG to scrap the secondary reserve ratio and asked that it should be sped up.
The study recommended that northern sector rural banks be allowed to continue to open agencies, whilst they strived to meet the minimum required capital and also be allowed to pay dividends to shareholders, whilst organising to meet the minimum capital.
The President of the North Eastern Chapter of the Association of Rural Banks, Mr John Asabigi, appealed to the appropriate authorities, especially the BoG, to implement the recommendations of the research to enable RCBs to undertake their activities, since it was a major sector for addressing the poverty of the people.

BOLGATANGA NTC PLEADS FOR RESOURCES (PAGE 22)

The Principal of the Bolgatanga Nursing Training College,(BNTC) Mr Moonin Musah, has appealed to the Ministry of Health to adequately resource the college to ensure quality education for accelerated national development.
He noted that facilities at the college, which was currently housed in temporary structures, were woefully inadequate hence the need for the government's urgent intervention.
Mr Musah told the Daily Graphic in Bolgatanga that the college needed to be upgraded in view of the high number of students who sought admission there.
“We have been in temporary structures since 1990 and so people tend to think this is the school but the truth of the matter is that we do not have a school yet,” he said.
According to Mr Musah, the college had been on the drawing board for expansion for a very long time, but it appeared successive governments had ignored the plight of the college and this was having a toll on the effective running of the institution.
He said professional nursing training started in the region in 1954 at the current Midwifery Training School, but had to relocate to its present site in 1990, as a result of increased enrolment, but expressed regret that “since then everybody has forgotten about us”.
He explained that the present site being occupied by the college was originally small laboratory cubicles that were set up by the Ministry of Education for use as Regional College for Arts, Science and Technology but because that project stalled, the government taught it wise to convert into a training institution for professional nurses due to its closeness to the hospital.
“In modifying this place for use, we developed some structural defects and this posses a challenge to us,” he said.
He indicated that four years ago, the college was billed for expansion but that plan did not materialise because the Ministry of Health’s policy was then on preventive health care so funds meant for expansion were channelled to the Community Health Training School.
"Last year, we were assured that we will go on board for expansion, but then again, the policy was directed at maternal and child health care, so the resource was diverted to expanding the Midwifery Training School," the principal said.
He, however, expressed the hope that attention would be focused on the college this time round to ameliorate the challenges it faced.
Pointing to the foundation of what seems to be the permanent structures for the college, Mr Musah said the original plan, which had been on the drawing board since 1974, when executed could provide enough classrooms and other facilities for the training of professional nurses.
Mr Musah said some problems facing the college were lack of classrooms, means of transport for clinical programmes and inadequate security.
"We are deep in a community which endorses pilfering and even when we chase people who are in possession of our items into the community, members of the community are able to hide them,” he said.
He was, however, grateful to the Regional Health Directorate for its support and other kind-spirited individuals who continually put in a voice for the college.
Responding to charges of exorbitant fees, Mr Musah said health training institutions did not fix fees.
He said it was rather the Ministry of Health that determined how much students should pay.
Fees in the college recently shot up from GH¢350 to GH¢850 and this attracted some concerns from parents and students.

PEACE AND UNITY, PILLARS FOR DEVELOPMENT (PAGE 22)

PRESIDENT J.E.A. Mills recently released his next batch of Ministers of State who will assist him in the day-to-day running of government business.
Amongst them was Mr Mark Owen Woyongo, who is heading for the Upper East Region as the new Regional Minister.
Mr Woyongo retired recently as a Director of Finance and Administration at the Information Services Department, having risen through the ranks.
He contested the last parliamentary elections in the Navrongo Central Constituency on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) but lost out to the New Patriotic Party candidate, Mr Joseph Kofi Adda.
If confirmed by Parliament, Mr Woyongo will become the 25th regional minister to have served the region in that capacity since the creation of the region on July 1, 1960.
Previous Regional Ministers were Messrs Ayeebo Asunda (CPP), 1960-1966; J.W.O. Agyeman (NLC), 1966-1967, Imoro Lafia (NLC), 1966-1969; Imoro Salifu (PP), 19691972; Col. George Minyila (NRC), 1972-1973; Col. Acquaye Nortey (SMC), 1973-1975; Major Ofori Akuamoah (SMC), 1975-1978, and Wing Commander Samuel Gyabaah (SMC), 1978-1979.
Others were J.D. Cobbinah, who served in an acting capacity( AFRC), 1979-1980; George Nandzo (PNP), 1981; Dr Awudu Tinorga (PNDC), 1982; John Ndebugre (PNDC), 1982-1984; J. E. Sakyi (PNDC), 1984-1988; L. K. Molibilla (PNDC), 1988-1993; S. A. Gumah (NDC), 1993-1994, and Godfrey Abulu (NDC), 1994-1995.
The rest were Cletus Avoka (NDC), 1995 -1997; Donald Adabere (NDC), 1997-1998; Alhaji Sulemana Amidu (NDC), 1998-2000; David Osei-Wusu; Boniface Gambila (NPP) 2001–2007 and Alhassan Samari (NPP) 2007-2008.
The Regional Minister designate is not new to the region. He served as both the Regional Information Officer and Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association in the 1980s.
So what does he bring to the table? This was the question this reporter put to Mr Woyongo moments after his name was announced.
“My vision is to ensure that there is peace, unity and development. Without peace and unity there cannot be any meaningful development,” he said.
Nothing can be truer than what the Regional Minister designate said. With pockets of flashpoints emanating from chieftaincy, ethnic and land disputes spreading all over the region, it would only be appropriate that the man coming in works hard towards resolving these problems to put the region back on the path of accelerated development.
"I will want to work with all the stakeholders, traditional rulers, opinion leaders and all who matter to ensure that these flashpoints are addressed. We need to put all these divisions behind us so that we can live as one people," Mr Woyongo said.
“Our enemy is not the man from the opposite tribe; our enemy is not our political opponent; our enemy is poverty, ignorance, squalor, these are our common enemy in the region and we have to come together to fight these things,” he stressed.
In the view of the regional minister designate, he is to be seen as a unifier. That way he can strategise as to how best to address the yawing development gap between the northern and southern parts of Ghana.
According to Mr Woyongo, he intends to rely on the aegis of the government's Savannah Accelerated Development Programme to champion the growth of the region.
“As I speak, a team is working feverishly on the outline of the programme, and once this is done, government will implement it to rapidly address the challenges militating against the development of the region,” he said.
He said his administration would focus on agriculture, stressing that the government had already pledged to put premium on agriculture by reducing the price of fertiliser, provide more dams and dugouts to aid dry season farming, as well as provide markets for produce. “This is to ensure nothing goes to waste.”
Mr Woyongo promised an open-door administration, stressing, “I want to work with everybody. Whether you belong to the other side of the political divide or not once you have the expertise, we will work together.”
If confirmed by Parliament, Mr Woyongo would be assuming office at a time when several individuals are urging the government to revamp abandoned factories such as the Northern Star Tomato Factory, the Zuarungu Meat Factory, the Bolgatanga Rice Mills and several fishponds at Tono and Vea dams.
When he was asked to share his views on these concerns, Mr Woyongo said he hoped to contact the relevant bodies when confirmed as to how best these factories could be revitalised to serve as avenues for employment for the people, especially the youth.
For now, indications are that the regional minister designate enjoys greater acceptability among the people and it is only hoped that he lives up to the challenge by fast-tracking the development of the region and lifting its people out of poverty.
For now, it appears most people have endorsed his nomination and cannot wait to see him confirmed by Parliament for the real work to start.
Meanwhile, the Upper East Regional branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has congratulated Mr Woyongo on his nomination.
The association praised Mr Woyongo for his exemplary leadership as Regional Information Officer and GJA Chairman for the region.
These were contained in a statement signed by Mr Mohammed Nurudeen Issahaq, Regional Chairman of the association.
It said “given your administrative competence, international exposure and good personal relations, we have no doubt at all that you would be capable of dealing with the challenges confronting the Upper East and steering the region on to the path of prosperity”.
The statement said Mr Woyongo's nomination served as an honour and inspiration to journalists in the region, adding that the media in the region would support and co-operate with Mr Woyongo to enable him to discharge his duties successfully.

'Lawra/Nandom constituents express shock over Kumbour' (D/G, Monday, February 2, 2009. Pg 13)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga
SOME citizens from the Lawra/Nandom Constituency resident in the Upper East Region have expressed shock and dismay that the former Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Dr Benjamin Kumbuor, has not been nominated for any Cabinet Ministerial appointment.Consequently, they have cautioned that if Dr Kumbour is not given a Cabinet Ministerial position, it could lead to the decline of the strength of the NDC in the constituency in the coming years, adding that "we are ready to campaign against the NDC, come 2012 in the constituency."They were of the view that although Dr Kumbuor lost his seat, his contribution to the success of the party, both at constituency and national levels, considerably improved the NDC’s chances of winning the elections.A statement issued in Bolgatanga and signed by Messrs Edward Naasuzu and Maamino Gregory, leading members of the concerned citizens, said they were particularly unhappy about the exclusion of Dr Kumbuor from the list released by the President for vetting.It said Dr Kumbour performed his role well as a ranking member for Defence, the Interior and finally Finance and Economic Planning, and in all these positions, he articulated and defended the NDC’s positions at all times."In as much as it is the prerogative of the President to appoint people he can work with to realise his vision and policy, we feel that leaving out a personality such as Dr Benjamin Kumbour will be a big blow to the constituency, the region and Ghana at large," it said.It said Dr Kumbuor’s contribution to national issues endeared him to the hearts of many Ghanaians, both supporters and non-supporters of NDC, and also made him one of the leading members of the party.It noted that although Dr Kumbour lost the parliamentary seat, the NDC won in the constituency. Besides, Dr Kumbour had been a strong pillar in the party, especially in the constituency, ensuring that the NDC won massively in the constituency since 1992."We are of the view that the only way the President can appreciate the constituents for their hard work over the years is to consider Dr Kumbour for appointment as a Cabinet Minister," the statement said.The group cautioned that if Dr Kumbour was not given Cabinet Ministerial position, it could translate to the death of the NDC in the constituency in the coming years, adding that "we are ready to campaign against the party in the constituency come 2012."

Clean Ghana Campaign Launched in UE(D/G, Monday, February 2, 2009. Pg 32)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga
Government has directed Municipal and District Assemblies as well as Heads of Departments in the Upper East Region to as a matter of urgency initiate steps aimed at ensuring a clean environment.
This is in line with the President John Atta Mills' initiative to Keep Ghana Clean within the first 100 days of his administration.
The Chief Director at the Regional Coordinating Council, Mr. Samuel N’lary conveyed the directive from the Government’s Transitional Team to the Municipal and District Chiefs Executives and their respective Coordinating Directors from the various assemblies at an emergency meeting held at Bolgatanga last Tuesday.
Mr. N’lary disclosed as part of efforts to ensure that the directive is complied with; a team of monitors from the Transitional Team will arrive in the region on February 24, this year to evaluate the level of compliance.
He therefore encouraged the assemblies and the heads of departments to mobilize their staff to participate fully in the exercise to help keep the region in particular and Ghana as a whole clean, stressing that “any institution that fails to heed to the directive would be passing judgments on its performance.”
Mr. N’lary also called on the people in the region to participate in a special weekly exercise aimed at achieving the set target.
He emphasized that it was incumbent for every citizens of the region to lend a hand to the exercise since it would promote good health.
Meanwhile, a nine-member Regional Monitoring Task Force was later instituted to supervise the special clean-up exercise in the region.
Membership of the team was made up of representatives from the Regional Coordinating Council, Information Service Department, National Commission for Civic Education, and Zoom lion Ghana Limited, a private waste management company.
The rest are, Regional Environmental Health Directorate, Environmental Protection Agencies, Red Cross Society, Ghana Police Service, and the Town and Country Planning.

BAWKU ARSON: FOUR REMANDED IN PRISON CUSTODY (PAGE 14, JAN 30)

THE four persons alleged to have conspired to kill and killing a pregnant woman in Bawku have appeared before a Bolgatanga Circuit Court presided over by Mr William Boampong.
The pleas of Mustapha Sani, 33; Rahaman Yayaha, 38, both businessmen, Yakubu Abubakari, 22, and Safianu Issifu, 39, a trader, were not taken and were remanded in prison custody to appear again on February 11, this year.
They were provisionally charged with conspiracy to commit crime, causing unlawful damage and murder.
Prosecuting, Detective Inspector John Agyuah, said all the four suspects live and work in Bawku where the complainant, also a businessman, lives.
He said about 10 p.m. on January 23, 2009 the complainant was sitting in his sitting room with his wife, Fatima Majeed, when they heard the sound of motorbikes approaching their house.
According to the prosecution, out of fear and suspicion, the complainant and his wife sneaked onto a veranda within the house to take cover, adding that from their hideout, the complainant saw six men, two armed with rifles and four unarmed, enter their compound. He said the accused moved straight to the frontage of one of the rooms belonging to the complainant’s younger brother. He added that the suspects sprinkled petrol in the room and set it ablaze.
Inspector Agyuah told he court that the suspects later proceeded to set the complainant’s room also on fire through the window.
He said the complainant and his wife, now deceased, raised an alarm after the departure of the suspects, drawing many people, including fire service officers, to the scene to help put out the fire.
Inspector Agyuah said the complainant’s wife, who was four months pregnant, was trapped in the room and was burnt to death, adding that the value of property damaged was yet to be ascertained.
He told the court that the complainant, who was able to identify four out of the six suspects, reported the matter to the police, adding that investigations led to the arrest of the suspects.
He said the case was under investigation and, therefore, prayed the court to get the accused persons remanded in prison custody to enable the police to step up their investigations, a request which was granted by the court.

Four vie for Upper East slot(D/G Saturday, January 31, 2009. Pg 14)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga.
Four persons have filed their nomination papers to contest for Council of State membership in the Upper East Region. They are Mr. Robert Atuguba, Very Rev. Dr. Jacob Ayeebo, Madam Melanie Kasise and Madam Hilda J. Salifu.
The Deputy Upper East Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr. Godwin T. Okley who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in Bolgatanga said out of the 10 persons who picked up nominations forms, only the four named above submitted their forms at the close of nomination on Tuesday, January 27, 2009.
He said the EC was on course adding that all things being equal the election which had been scheduled for February 10, 2009 will come on.
Mr. Robert A. Atuguba, 69, hails from Mirigu in the Kassena-Nankana District of the Upper East Region. He is a retired educationist and was a former Regional Director of Education in the Upper East Region.
Very Rev. Dr. Jacob Ayeebo, 49, holds a PHD in Philosophy and a Minister of Religion with the Anglican Church. He is currently the Presiding Member of the Bawku West District Assembly. Rev. Dr. Ayeebo is also a Development Worker; presently he is the Executive Director of the Anglican Diocesan and Relief Organization, (ADDRO),
Next on the list is Madam Melanie Kasise, 74. She is also a Retired Educationist. Madam Kasise founded the Sirigu Women’s Organisation of Pottery and Art (SWOPA) in 1997. Under her leadership, SWOPA has become an internationally respected body, commanding visits by tourists and investors all over the world. In 2007, Melanie Kasise received a national Grand Medal award in recognition of her contributions to regional development.
She also represented women in the region in the consultative Assembly that drew up the 1992 Constitution, and was the first female presiding member of Kassena-Nankana District Assembly.
Madam Hilda J. Salifu, 63, completes the list of applicants for the job. Madam Salifu popularly known as ‘Madam Bolco’ is the first national vice chairperson of the NDC.
She is Cert A Teacher and presently a well known Business woman.