Daily Graphic Saturday, November 24, 2007 Page 23
Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Garu
THE Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG) in collaboration with IBIS, a non-governmental organization has convened a dialogue between citizens and their public officials as part of the Governance Issues Forum (GIF) in three districts of the Upper East Region.
The forum which was on the theme, ”Strengthening Civic Participation, Gender Mainstreaming and Public Accountability in Local Governance was aimed at strengthening and enhancing civic participation, women involvement and public accountability in local governance.
The first phase of the GIF programme was held between the years 2005 and 2006 and involved 26 districts in 7 of the 10 regions of the country.
They included four Popular Participation in Local Governance (PPLG) districts in the North.
The recent dialogues held in the Garu-Tempane, Bawku Municipality and Bawku West Districts brought citizens and their local authorities together, to build consensus on the allocation of district resources to issues of priority such as youth unemployment and basic social service delivery.
According to the Head of Training and Interface Unit of IDEG, Dr. Lee Tlou, Ghana's decentralization process was initiated with the aim of fostering popular participation in Governance, particularly at the local level.
She, however, stated that was a persisting perception of a lack of local ownership which has been attributed to low levels of civil society engagement in the planning and implementation process.
“It's against this backdrop that IDEG initiated the GIF program in 2004 which encompasses a number of strategies including public deliberation and skills training around the country”, she said.
Dr Lee noted that certain challenges in the system, including a weak institutional framework and a lack of an effective monitoring and evaluation framework, resulted in the inability of the GIF networks to effectively track and monitor the progress of district programs aimed at solving these identified social and economic problems.
She said IDEG has recorded some successes so far with the GIF program. They include the improvement of relations between state and non-state actors, the empowerment of citizens to proactively engage in the policy-making process, the decision for some GIF network members to contest district assembly elections decisions arrived at as a result of confidence gained through the program.
Presenting a position paper on basic social service delivery in the Gar-Tempane District, a member of GIFNET, Mr. Edward Daramani said though the assembly has done tremendously well, much more remains to be done to improve the lives o f the people.
Monday, 26 November 2007
Friday, 23 November 2007
Barclays Bank donates to Bolga Hospital
Daily Graphic Tuesday, November 20, 2007. Page 20
Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga
THE staff of the Bolgatanga branch of the Barclays Bank Ghana Ltd, have presented assorted items worth millions of cedis to the Children’s Ward of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital in the Upper East Region as part of this year’s “Make a difference Day,(MADD) celebration.
The bank has set the day aside to provide in each year assistance to needy institutions in communities where it operates.
The items included a refrigerator, a 21-inch colour television set, 4 ceiling fans, a detergents, disinfectants, hand gloves and packs of fruit drinks and biscuits.
Presenting the items, the Retail Manager of the bank, Mr. Robert Pusabaduap said the programme was organized by the bank in collaboration with Community Service Volunteers, a charitable organization to promote voluntary work.
“Barclays Bank is not only interested in only making profits but was also believes in the need to share whatever gains it has made with members of the community particularly those who are deprived,” he said.
The acting Matron of the hospital, Madam Valeria Kumile on behalf of the hospital management thanked the donors for the gesture.
In another development, the Bolgatanga Branch of Barclays Bank Ghana Ltd, has decided to financially assist a 12 year old boy on admission at the Children’s Ward of the hospital.
The patient, Matthew Azuure a Class Three pupil of Bolga Sirigu Primary School is paralyzed from the waist down to the feet, making him bed-ridden.
According to the Medical Officer in charge of the hospital, Dr. Nicholas N. Yembila, Matthew is suffering from Spinal Cord paralysis and needs to see a neurosurgeon at either the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, or the Komfo-Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Mr. Pusabaduap said the bank has asked management of the hospital to submit a detailed report to the bank for consideration.
He later led staff of the bank to conduct a clean-up exercise in the ward.
Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga
THE staff of the Bolgatanga branch of the Barclays Bank Ghana Ltd, have presented assorted items worth millions of cedis to the Children’s Ward of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital in the Upper East Region as part of this year’s “Make a difference Day,(MADD) celebration.
The bank has set the day aside to provide in each year assistance to needy institutions in communities where it operates.
The items included a refrigerator, a 21-inch colour television set, 4 ceiling fans, a detergents, disinfectants, hand gloves and packs of fruit drinks and biscuits.
Presenting the items, the Retail Manager of the bank, Mr. Robert Pusabaduap said the programme was organized by the bank in collaboration with Community Service Volunteers, a charitable organization to promote voluntary work.
“Barclays Bank is not only interested in only making profits but was also believes in the need to share whatever gains it has made with members of the community particularly those who are deprived,” he said.
The acting Matron of the hospital, Madam Valeria Kumile on behalf of the hospital management thanked the donors for the gesture.
In another development, the Bolgatanga Branch of Barclays Bank Ghana Ltd, has decided to financially assist a 12 year old boy on admission at the Children’s Ward of the hospital.
The patient, Matthew Azuure a Class Three pupil of Bolga Sirigu Primary School is paralyzed from the waist down to the feet, making him bed-ridden.
According to the Medical Officer in charge of the hospital, Dr. Nicholas N. Yembila, Matthew is suffering from Spinal Cord paralysis and needs to see a neurosurgeon at either the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, or the Komfo-Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Mr. Pusabaduap said the bank has asked management of the hospital to submit a detailed report to the bank for consideration.
He later led staff of the bank to conduct a clean-up exercise in the ward.
Assembly puts up Children’s Ward for hospital
Daily Graphic Tuesday, November 20, 2007. Page 20
Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bawku
The Bawku Municipal Assembly has committed GH c 60,000 (c 600 million) towards the construction of a new ward for the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital.
Similarly, Members of Parliament from the five constituencies in the Bawku area, namely, Bawku Central, Pusiga Polimakom, Binduri, Zebilla and Garu-Tempane, have contributed a total of GH c 2,500 (c25 million) towards the project.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Bawku, Mr. Abdul Rahman Gumah and the MP for Bawku Central, Mr. Mahama Ayariga announced this at Bawku on Saturday during the golden jubilee anniversary of Presbyterian management of the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital.
The anniversary, on the theme: “50 years of collaborative quality health care delivery: the way forward”, was to offer management and stakeholders the opportunity to thank God for the past 50 years of their stewardship in health care delivery in Bawku. They also mapped out strategies for the years ahead.
Citizens of Bawku from all walks of life, as well as expatiates who have served in the hospital over the years, attended the ceremony.
Speaking at the function, the MCE said though a municipal hospital, the facility lacks and do not receive the adequate support from the government in terms of resources because it was being manage by the Presbyterian Church.
He said the assembly would continue to use all available means to ensure that the necessary resources needed to enable the facility performed optimally for the benefit of the people.
The MP for Bawku Central, Mr. Mahama Ayariga praised the management of the hospital and the Presbyterian Church for their invaluable contribution to the health needs of the people of Bawku.
“Although a mission hospital operating in a predominately non-Christian environment, it has rendered its services without discrimination”, Mr. Ayariga said.
He said he and his colleague MPs in the Bawku area were prepared to constitute themselves into a powerful lobby group to advocate for increased funding for the hospital to enable it meet its obligation to the people.
Mr. Ayariga commended the various individuals including expatriate from Europe and Cuba who have defied all odds to serve the people of Bawku in addressing their health care needs.
He also praised the management of the Hospital for the introduction of the nursing training college which has brought about increase in the training of nurses.
The MP, however urged the authorities to review its admission policy by ensuring that many natives with the requisite qualification were enrolled.
He said further that that would encourage a large number of the nurses to stay back and serve their people since they better understood the needs of the people.
Mr. Ayariga stated that Bawku was now peaceful and debunked assertions that the area was conflict prone, stressing that the era of conflict has been relegated to the pages of history.
He warned that anybody who does anything to disturb the peace currently existing in the municipality will be dealt with by the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bawku
The Bawku Municipal Assembly has committed GH c 60,000 (c 600 million) towards the construction of a new ward for the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital.
Similarly, Members of Parliament from the five constituencies in the Bawku area, namely, Bawku Central, Pusiga Polimakom, Binduri, Zebilla and Garu-Tempane, have contributed a total of GH c 2,500 (c25 million) towards the project.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Bawku, Mr. Abdul Rahman Gumah and the MP for Bawku Central, Mr. Mahama Ayariga announced this at Bawku on Saturday during the golden jubilee anniversary of Presbyterian management of the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital.
The anniversary, on the theme: “50 years of collaborative quality health care delivery: the way forward”, was to offer management and stakeholders the opportunity to thank God for the past 50 years of their stewardship in health care delivery in Bawku. They also mapped out strategies for the years ahead.
Citizens of Bawku from all walks of life, as well as expatiates who have served in the hospital over the years, attended the ceremony.
Speaking at the function, the MCE said though a municipal hospital, the facility lacks and do not receive the adequate support from the government in terms of resources because it was being manage by the Presbyterian Church.
He said the assembly would continue to use all available means to ensure that the necessary resources needed to enable the facility performed optimally for the benefit of the people.
The MP for Bawku Central, Mr. Mahama Ayariga praised the management of the hospital and the Presbyterian Church for their invaluable contribution to the health needs of the people of Bawku.
“Although a mission hospital operating in a predominately non-Christian environment, it has rendered its services without discrimination”, Mr. Ayariga said.
He said he and his colleague MPs in the Bawku area were prepared to constitute themselves into a powerful lobby group to advocate for increased funding for the hospital to enable it meet its obligation to the people.
Mr. Ayariga commended the various individuals including expatriate from Europe and Cuba who have defied all odds to serve the people of Bawku in addressing their health care needs.
He also praised the management of the Hospital for the introduction of the nursing training college which has brought about increase in the training of nurses.
The MP, however urged the authorities to review its admission policy by ensuring that many natives with the requisite qualification were enrolled.
He said further that that would encourage a large number of the nurses to stay back and serve their people since they better understood the needs of the people.
Mr. Ayariga stated that Bawku was now peaceful and debunked assertions that the area was conflict prone, stressing that the era of conflict has been relegated to the pages of history.
He warned that anybody who does anything to disturb the peace currently existing in the municipality will be dealt with by the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Help Bawku Hospital to become centre of Excellence
Daily Graphic Tuesday, November 20, 2007. Page 20
Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bawku
THE MANAGEMENT of the Northern Presbyterian Health Services has renewed its appeal to the government and other stakeholders to be more committed and supportive of its resolve to making the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital a centre of excellence in healthcare delivery.
It said, “Since the hospital was constructed over 50 years ago, it has never seen any serious renovation except piece meal approach to painting the buildings.
“Another major challenge is the use of obsolete equipment such as anesthetic machines, distilling plants among others, which frequently break down”, the Management stated.
The Acting General Manager of the Northern Presbytery Health Services, Mr. John Abugri made the appeal at a special durbar to climax the hospital’s golden jubilee anniversary, which was on the theme: “Fifty years of collaborative quality health care delivery, the way forward”.
He said by virtue of its location, the hospital serves as a ‘sub-regional hospital’, because apart from attending to the health needs of the people of Bawku area and providing some specialist services to the entire Region, it also provides healthcare assistance to neighbors in Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.
Mr. Abugri said accommodation for doctors and other critical staff was also a big problem facing management and limit its efforts to engage more doctors and others critical staff., adding that bed capacity was also becoming inadequate.
He noted that after 50 years of existence, the hospital cannot boast of an administrative block, or a conference hall for in-service training and meetings. This has compelled managers to scatter in various rooms, some of which do not befit the status of an office.
The Acting General Manger observed that another area of concern to management was the collapsing fence wall, which has made security of property, and sometimes staff uncertain.
According to Mr. Abugri, in spite of the numerous problems, the hospital according to Mr. Abugri, has chalked many success in the areas of health care delivery and human resource development through the establishment of Bawku Nurses Training School and introduction of proactive human resource development policy through which staff were sponsored for further studies either locally or abroad.
“Guided by the policy of comprehensive healthcare, the hospital has over the years demonstrated this in various respects. Its services have been varied and extensive in coverage. These include specialist services such as eye care, orthopedics, physiotherapy, dental care, psychiatry and audiology, in addition to the general medical care and public health activities”, he said.
Mr. Abugri stated that bio-statistics of the hospital has within the past five years recorded a total of 505,304 out patient attendance and 92,573 admissions, 9,474 deliveries with 15,876 operations.
He said the number of eye patients during the same period was 98,726 out of which 12,445 underwent surgery to restore their sights, to mention a few.
Mr. Abugri stated that malaria was the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Bawku area.
He mentioned that out of the total number of out-patients attendance within the past five years, malaria cases accounted for 20 per cent of attendance, 40 per cent admissions and 22 per cent of all deaths.
He outlined a number of projects the hospital intended to execute as part of the church’s three-year health plan between 2007 and 2009. They included the construction of a modern operation theatre, a two-storey administrative block/conference hall as a jubilee project, refurbishment of the water and sanitation system as well as the pharmacy unit to produce some medicines locally.
The Minister of Health, Major (Rtd) Courage Quashiegah in a speech read on his behalf commended the management of Northern Presbyterian health Services and the staff of the Bawku Hospital as well as the Presbyterian Church for doing their best to maintain the hospital since it took over five decades ago.
“The government is very appreciative of what the churches are doing in education, health and other social services which the government alone could not have provided especially in the rural areas”, he said
Major Quashiegah commended the hospital authorities for implementing the National Health Insurance Scheme which had brought about increase in hospital attendance and urged all who matter to spread the good news of the scheme and to take advantage by enrolling in it.
He said health care was key to development and the Ministry would do everything possible to address the challenges enumerated to enhance health care delivery.
The health minister appealed to the people of Bawku to see the hospital as their property and contribute towards its sustenance.
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr. Yaw Frimpong- Manso in a speech read on his behalf by the Chairman of the Northern Presbytery Rev. Kwesi Addai-Naami said although the prime objective of Christianity is to win souls for Christ that can not be done without taking care o fthe social needs of the people.
“A rotten and unhealthy body may not be safe haven for the soul. Therefore it behoves all of us to remind ourselves about the dangers of sickness such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and other diseases which constitute a great threat to our society”, he advised.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Alhassan Samari, who was represented by the Municipal Chief Executive for Bawku, Mr. Abdul Rahman Gumah and the MP for Bawku Central, Mr. Mahama Ayariga all commended the management of the hospital and the Presbyterian Church for their contribution to the well being of the people.
Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bawku
THE MANAGEMENT of the Northern Presbyterian Health Services has renewed its appeal to the government and other stakeholders to be more committed and supportive of its resolve to making the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital a centre of excellence in healthcare delivery.
It said, “Since the hospital was constructed over 50 years ago, it has never seen any serious renovation except piece meal approach to painting the buildings.
“Another major challenge is the use of obsolete equipment such as anesthetic machines, distilling plants among others, which frequently break down”, the Management stated.
The Acting General Manager of the Northern Presbytery Health Services, Mr. John Abugri made the appeal at a special durbar to climax the hospital’s golden jubilee anniversary, which was on the theme: “Fifty years of collaborative quality health care delivery, the way forward”.
He said by virtue of its location, the hospital serves as a ‘sub-regional hospital’, because apart from attending to the health needs of the people of Bawku area and providing some specialist services to the entire Region, it also provides healthcare assistance to neighbors in Togo, Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.
Mr. Abugri said accommodation for doctors and other critical staff was also a big problem facing management and limit its efforts to engage more doctors and others critical staff., adding that bed capacity was also becoming inadequate.
He noted that after 50 years of existence, the hospital cannot boast of an administrative block, or a conference hall for in-service training and meetings. This has compelled managers to scatter in various rooms, some of which do not befit the status of an office.
The Acting General Manger observed that another area of concern to management was the collapsing fence wall, which has made security of property, and sometimes staff uncertain.
According to Mr. Abugri, in spite of the numerous problems, the hospital according to Mr. Abugri, has chalked many success in the areas of health care delivery and human resource development through the establishment of Bawku Nurses Training School and introduction of proactive human resource development policy through which staff were sponsored for further studies either locally or abroad.
“Guided by the policy of comprehensive healthcare, the hospital has over the years demonstrated this in various respects. Its services have been varied and extensive in coverage. These include specialist services such as eye care, orthopedics, physiotherapy, dental care, psychiatry and audiology, in addition to the general medical care and public health activities”, he said.
Mr. Abugri stated that bio-statistics of the hospital has within the past five years recorded a total of 505,304 out patient attendance and 92,573 admissions, 9,474 deliveries with 15,876 operations.
He said the number of eye patients during the same period was 98,726 out of which 12,445 underwent surgery to restore their sights, to mention a few.
Mr. Abugri stated that malaria was the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Bawku area.
He mentioned that out of the total number of out-patients attendance within the past five years, malaria cases accounted for 20 per cent of attendance, 40 per cent admissions and 22 per cent of all deaths.
He outlined a number of projects the hospital intended to execute as part of the church’s three-year health plan between 2007 and 2009. They included the construction of a modern operation theatre, a two-storey administrative block/conference hall as a jubilee project, refurbishment of the water and sanitation system as well as the pharmacy unit to produce some medicines locally.
The Minister of Health, Major (Rtd) Courage Quashiegah in a speech read on his behalf commended the management of Northern Presbyterian health Services and the staff of the Bawku Hospital as well as the Presbyterian Church for doing their best to maintain the hospital since it took over five decades ago.
“The government is very appreciative of what the churches are doing in education, health and other social services which the government alone could not have provided especially in the rural areas”, he said
Major Quashiegah commended the hospital authorities for implementing the National Health Insurance Scheme which had brought about increase in hospital attendance and urged all who matter to spread the good news of the scheme and to take advantage by enrolling in it.
He said health care was key to development and the Ministry would do everything possible to address the challenges enumerated to enhance health care delivery.
The health minister appealed to the people of Bawku to see the hospital as their property and contribute towards its sustenance.
The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr. Yaw Frimpong- Manso in a speech read on his behalf by the Chairman of the Northern Presbytery Rev. Kwesi Addai-Naami said although the prime objective of Christianity is to win souls for Christ that can not be done without taking care o fthe social needs of the people.
“A rotten and unhealthy body may not be safe haven for the soul. Therefore it behoves all of us to remind ourselves about the dangers of sickness such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and other diseases which constitute a great threat to our society”, he advised.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Alhassan Samari, who was represented by the Municipal Chief Executive for Bawku, Mr. Abdul Rahman Gumah and the MP for Bawku Central, Mr. Mahama Ayariga all commended the management of the hospital and the Presbyterian Church for their contribution to the well being of the people.
Resettlement and Reconstruction suspended
The Mirror, Saturday, November 17, 2007. Page 31
Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Sandema
Reconstruction of partially and completely collapsed mud and thatch houses in the flood hit areas of Sandema and other communities in the in the Builsa District has been put on hold till after the harvesting period.
Currently, displaced persons are putting up with friends while a few others have put up temporal structures with the view of receiving assistance from the government and other donors to reconstruct their homes.
This came to light when The Mirror conducted a tour of the area over the weekend, two months after the natural disaster hit the area.
Heavy torrential rains on the 24th and 25th of August this year caused floods throughout the Upper East Region and almost all the Districts in the Region were hit by the disaster as a result of the torrential rains, which hit the area.. The situation was aggravated by the opening of the spillway of the Bagre Dam in neighbouring Burkina Faso.
In the Builsa District official records have it that six persons lost their lives while a total of 5,052 houses collapsed. 15,000 people were rendered homeless while 6,000 hectares of farmlands were destroyed. About 2,180 tonnes of foodstuffs were destroyed while 27 bridges as well as 21 road network were damaged in the Sandema area Also destroyed are several hundreds of hectares of farmland, roads and bridges. Prominent among the collapsed bridges are the Kulungugu bridge on the Bawku-Burkina Faso main road, which links Ghana with neighbouring countries in the hinterland and the Tamne bridge on the Garu- Bawku road.
Following the disaster, the governments declared the region, as well as the Northern and Upper West Regions as disaster zone, while appeals were made to Government, charitable organizations, religious bodies and non-governmental organizations to make available emergency relief aid to victims of the floods in the region.
Based on these appeals, tonnnes of relief items including food and noon –food items have been pouring into region. While some people clamed they have had their fair share of the items, many other are contending that the items have not reached them.
During my rounds in the Sandema and its neighbouring communities over the weekend some locals were of the opinion that rebuilding of houses that collapse during the floods has not started, A few were of the opinion that rather than concentrating their energies on rebuilding, they prefer to give attention to salvaging what is left on their farms mainly groundnuts to feed themselves and their families.
“Basically the resources are not available to enable us reconstruct our houses and it will be appreciated if the government could come to our aid with cement and roofing sheets to enable us build firmer homes” Simon Atuk told this reporter.
Others who also spoke to the Daily Graphic said they were yet to receive any relief items from the government and related agencies. They said the items that they have received were from NGOs and religious organizations.
Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Sandema
Reconstruction of partially and completely collapsed mud and thatch houses in the flood hit areas of Sandema and other communities in the in the Builsa District has been put on hold till after the harvesting period.
Currently, displaced persons are putting up with friends while a few others have put up temporal structures with the view of receiving assistance from the government and other donors to reconstruct their homes.
This came to light when The Mirror conducted a tour of the area over the weekend, two months after the natural disaster hit the area.
Heavy torrential rains on the 24th and 25th of August this year caused floods throughout the Upper East Region and almost all the Districts in the Region were hit by the disaster as a result of the torrential rains, which hit the area.. The situation was aggravated by the opening of the spillway of the Bagre Dam in neighbouring Burkina Faso.
In the Builsa District official records have it that six persons lost their lives while a total of 5,052 houses collapsed. 15,000 people were rendered homeless while 6,000 hectares of farmlands were destroyed. About 2,180 tonnes of foodstuffs were destroyed while 27 bridges as well as 21 road network were damaged in the Sandema area Also destroyed are several hundreds of hectares of farmland, roads and bridges. Prominent among the collapsed bridges are the Kulungugu bridge on the Bawku-Burkina Faso main road, which links Ghana with neighbouring countries in the hinterland and the Tamne bridge on the Garu- Bawku road.
Following the disaster, the governments declared the region, as well as the Northern and Upper West Regions as disaster zone, while appeals were made to Government, charitable organizations, religious bodies and non-governmental organizations to make available emergency relief aid to victims of the floods in the region.
Based on these appeals, tonnnes of relief items including food and noon –food items have been pouring into region. While some people clamed they have had their fair share of the items, many other are contending that the items have not reached them.
During my rounds in the Sandema and its neighbouring communities over the weekend some locals were of the opinion that rebuilding of houses that collapse during the floods has not started, A few were of the opinion that rather than concentrating their energies on rebuilding, they prefer to give attention to salvaging what is left on their farms mainly groundnuts to feed themselves and their families.
“Basically the resources are not available to enable us reconstruct our houses and it will be appreciated if the government could come to our aid with cement and roofing sheets to enable us build firmer homes” Simon Atuk told this reporter.
Others who also spoke to the Daily Graphic said they were yet to receive any relief items from the government and related agencies. They said the items that they have received were from NGOs and religious organizations.
Saturday, 17 November 2007
Floods Cause More Havoc - 31 Now Perish In UER
Saturday, NOV 17, 2007
Story by Emmanuel Bonney
& Benjamin Glover
The death toll from the floods that recently hit the Upper East Region keeps escalating, with the figure soaring to 31 from an initial eight.
A total of 19,621 houses collapsed under the ravages of the floods, with 90,703 people from all the eight districts being rendered homeless.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Alhassan Samari, gave out the figures in Bolgatanga yesterday when he briefed members of a team, led by the Interior Minister, Mr Kwamena Bartels, which was in the region to evaluate the disaster situation.
The assessment team, on board two helicopters, conducted both aerial and land surveys to have firsthand information on the situation.
Also accompanying the team were officials from the UN system, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), religious bodies, the private sector and the media.
The Bawku municipality recorded the highest number of seven deaths, while the Bongo District saw the death of one person.
The Kassena-Nankana District recorded the highest figure of displaced persons of 43,205, with the Bongo having the least figure of 2,505.
Some of the displaced persons are currently being sheltered in schools and community centres, while others are staying with friends and relatives.
Briefing the team, Mr Samari said torrential rains in the region from August 24 to August 30, this year, coupled with the opening of the spillway of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso into the White and Black Volta, and to a lesser extent human and economic activities, caused the flooding.
He said the situation had affected agriculture and food security in the region, the road network, shelter, health, water supply and the environment.
In the area of agriculture, Mr Samari said 12,220.72 hectares of farmland, with an estimated production figure of 13,880.55 metric tonnes of various crops, including rice, maize, groundnuts, millet, guinea corn, sweet potato and cowpea, had been submerged in the flood waters.
He added that 10,724 livestock, including goats, sheep, cattle, poultry and donkeys were either lost or washed away in the disaster.
He told the delegation that 39 dams, including 13 in the Talensi-Nabdam District, had been damaged as a result of the floods.
The regional minister said 29 highways, with a total distance of 427.4 kilometres, and 54 feeder roads were either washed away or partly damaged, adding that “the Garu-Tempane District is virtually cut off from the rest of the region”.
Mr Samari said the health of the people had also been adversely affected, especially the displaced persons at Sandema and Wiaga.
“Women and children are particularly vulnerable, in view of the fact that they are exposed to the elements. The situation can give rise to pneumonia, diarrhoea, typhoid, among others,” he said adding though that no report on those diseases had been received.
Mr Samari appealed for support for dry season irrigated crop production, which commences from next month to May 2008.
“Irrigation farmers will urgently need support in terms of fertiliser and seed for the their farming activities,” he pointed out.
Story by Emmanuel Bonney
& Benjamin Glover
The death toll from the floods that recently hit the Upper East Region keeps escalating, with the figure soaring to 31 from an initial eight.
A total of 19,621 houses collapsed under the ravages of the floods, with 90,703 people from all the eight districts being rendered homeless.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Alhassan Samari, gave out the figures in Bolgatanga yesterday when he briefed members of a team, led by the Interior Minister, Mr Kwamena Bartels, which was in the region to evaluate the disaster situation.
The assessment team, on board two helicopters, conducted both aerial and land surveys to have firsthand information on the situation.
Also accompanying the team were officials from the UN system, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), religious bodies, the private sector and the media.
The Bawku municipality recorded the highest number of seven deaths, while the Bongo District saw the death of one person.
The Kassena-Nankana District recorded the highest figure of displaced persons of 43,205, with the Bongo having the least figure of 2,505.
Some of the displaced persons are currently being sheltered in schools and community centres, while others are staying with friends and relatives.
Briefing the team, Mr Samari said torrential rains in the region from August 24 to August 30, this year, coupled with the opening of the spillway of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso into the White and Black Volta, and to a lesser extent human and economic activities, caused the flooding.
He said the situation had affected agriculture and food security in the region, the road network, shelter, health, water supply and the environment.
In the area of agriculture, Mr Samari said 12,220.72 hectares of farmland, with an estimated production figure of 13,880.55 metric tonnes of various crops, including rice, maize, groundnuts, millet, guinea corn, sweet potato and cowpea, had been submerged in the flood waters.
He added that 10,724 livestock, including goats, sheep, cattle, poultry and donkeys were either lost or washed away in the disaster.
He told the delegation that 39 dams, including 13 in the Talensi-Nabdam District, had been damaged as a result of the floods.
The regional minister said 29 highways, with a total distance of 427.4 kilometres, and 54 feeder roads were either washed away or partly damaged, adding that “the Garu-Tempane District is virtually cut off from the rest of the region”.
Mr Samari said the health of the people had also been adversely affected, especially the displaced persons at Sandema and Wiaga.
“Women and children are particularly vulnerable, in view of the fact that they are exposed to the elements. The situation can give rise to pneumonia, diarrhoea, typhoid, among others,” he said adding though that no report on those diseases had been received.
Mr Samari appealed for support for dry season irrigated crop production, which commences from next month to May 2008.
“Irrigation farmers will urgently need support in terms of fertiliser and seed for the their farming activities,” he pointed out.
Choral Festival ushers in Ghana @50
Choral Festival ushers in Ghana @50
Source : Daily Graphic
15 January 2007. Page 34.
Poor planning and low patronage characterized the celebration of Ghanaian Religious and Choral Music held at the Catholic Social Centre in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
The Choral festival, which forms part of the activities heralding the 50th anniversary, was organized by the Salt and Light Ministries, in collaboration with the Regional Anniversary Planning Committee.
Apart from the poor attendance, only two out of the six choirs billed to perform turned up. They were the St Cecilia Choir of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Choir and the Ebenezer Methodist Church Choir.
The programme took off at 6:40 p.m. and halfway into it the entire venue was plunged into darkness as a result of the ongoing load shedding exercise.
The organizers had to rely on an electric generator belonging to the Information Services Department in order to continue with the programme.
Despite those setbacks, the two choirs managed to treat the sparse audience to some melodious Ghanaian choral songs.
In a welcoming address, the Regional Coordinator of the Ghana @50 Choral Festival, Mr. Kwesi Mensah, noted that the country’s forefathers, by dint of hard work and selflessness, fought for independence.
“They are selfless because they did not think of self gain and material wealth as we see in today’s Ghanaian, “he stressed, adding that it behoved on all Ghanaians to reflect on the past and reorganize themselves as the country celebrated its Golden Jubilee to reflect on the past and reorganize themselves as the country celebrated its Golden Jubilee to make Ghana a country worth living in.
The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Awudu Yiremiah, in an address, enumerated a number of programmes and projects to be undertaken in the region, including a Jubilee Durbar Grounds and the a visitors’ information complex, as part of the celebration and called on members of the celebration and called on members of the public to lend their support.
Source : Daily Graphic
15 January 2007. Page 34.
Poor planning and low patronage characterized the celebration of Ghanaian Religious and Choral Music held at the Catholic Social Centre in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
The Choral festival, which forms part of the activities heralding the 50th anniversary, was organized by the Salt and Light Ministries, in collaboration with the Regional Anniversary Planning Committee.
Apart from the poor attendance, only two out of the six choirs billed to perform turned up. They were the St Cecilia Choir of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Choir and the Ebenezer Methodist Church Choir.
The programme took off at 6:40 p.m. and halfway into it the entire venue was plunged into darkness as a result of the ongoing load shedding exercise.
The organizers had to rely on an electric generator belonging to the Information Services Department in order to continue with the programme.
Despite those setbacks, the two choirs managed to treat the sparse audience to some melodious Ghanaian choral songs.
In a welcoming address, the Regional Coordinator of the Ghana @50 Choral Festival, Mr. Kwesi Mensah, noted that the country’s forefathers, by dint of hard work and selflessness, fought for independence.
“They are selfless because they did not think of self gain and material wealth as we see in today’s Ghanaian, “he stressed, adding that it behoved on all Ghanaians to reflect on the past and reorganize themselves as the country celebrated its Golden Jubilee to reflect on the past and reorganize themselves as the country celebrated its Golden Jubilee to make Ghana a country worth living in.
The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Awudu Yiremiah, in an address, enumerated a number of programmes and projects to be undertaken in the region, including a Jubilee Durbar Grounds and the a visitors’ information complex, as part of the celebration and called on members of the celebration and called on members of the public to lend their support.
Bawku Central NPP Resolves Impasse
Story:Benjamin Glover,Bawku 20 August, 2007
A leading member of the New Patriotic Party, Mr Jibreel Ustarz Abubakar, who resigned from the party and contested the 2004 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate in the Bawku Central Constituency of the Upper East Region, has rescinded his decision and has applied for readmission into the party.
In a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the NPP, Mr Peter Mac Manu, Mr Abubakar said his decision to rejoin the party followed an amnesty granted by the party and most importantly the reconciliation meeting that took place in Bawku on August 21, 2006 under the able leadership of the national chairman.
He said it was his fervent hope and prayer that the decisions arrived at the reconciliation meeting would be carried out.
In a related development, Mr Peter Mac Manu has announced that the impasse among the executive and party members in the Bawku Central Constituency had been resolved amicably.
Mr Mac Manu told newsmen at Bolgatanga after a visit to the area that the conflict among the executive members, as well as party members, which nearly tore the party apart, was a thing of the past.
He mentioned that a new 10-member interim management committee under the chairmanship of Mr Mohammed Murtala and Mr Issah Zangego as secretary was set up to oversee the day-to-day activities of the party.
Mr Mac Manu said owing to the success in bringing the two factions together, the people of Bawku, especially supporters of the party, had imposed on him the title “Dr PUT”, which means, patience, understanding and tolerance.
He commended the efforts of the regional executive of the party, as well as Col George Minyila, Alhaji Mahama Gumah, Mr Jonathan Agme and Mr Francis Afoko for their role in helping to bring about unity in the party in the constituency.
The national chairman said major stakeholders in the party in the region, including Alhaji Yerimeah, had also hailed the reconciliation exercise as “wonderful”.
He indicated that similar reconciliation exercises would be undertaken in the Binduri, Chiana Paga and Talensi constituencies where the party had similar problems as happened in Bawku and that the party was poised to make a major turn around in its fortunes in the 2008 general elections in the Upper East Region.
Mr Mac Manu intimated that as the national chairman of the NPP, his focus was on how to secure the party from unwarranted attacks, make the party stable, and engineer it for victory in 2008.
Story by Benjamin Glover/Daily Graphic.
A leading member of the New Patriotic Party, Mr Jibreel Ustarz Abubakar, who resigned from the party and contested the 2004 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate in the Bawku Central Constituency of the Upper East Region, has rescinded his decision and has applied for readmission into the party.
In a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the NPP, Mr Peter Mac Manu, Mr Abubakar said his decision to rejoin the party followed an amnesty granted by the party and most importantly the reconciliation meeting that took place in Bawku on August 21, 2006 under the able leadership of the national chairman.
He said it was his fervent hope and prayer that the decisions arrived at the reconciliation meeting would be carried out.
In a related development, Mr Peter Mac Manu has announced that the impasse among the executive and party members in the Bawku Central Constituency had been resolved amicably.
Mr Mac Manu told newsmen at Bolgatanga after a visit to the area that the conflict among the executive members, as well as party members, which nearly tore the party apart, was a thing of the past.
He mentioned that a new 10-member interim management committee under the chairmanship of Mr Mohammed Murtala and Mr Issah Zangego as secretary was set up to oversee the day-to-day activities of the party.
Mr Mac Manu said owing to the success in bringing the two factions together, the people of Bawku, especially supporters of the party, had imposed on him the title “Dr PUT”, which means, patience, understanding and tolerance.
He commended the efforts of the regional executive of the party, as well as Col George Minyila, Alhaji Mahama Gumah, Mr Jonathan Agme and Mr Francis Afoko for their role in helping to bring about unity in the party in the constituency.
The national chairman said major stakeholders in the party in the region, including Alhaji Yerimeah, had also hailed the reconciliation exercise as “wonderful”.
He indicated that similar reconciliation exercises would be undertaken in the Binduri, Chiana Paga and Talensi constituencies where the party had similar problems as happened in Bawku and that the party was poised to make a major turn around in its fortunes in the 2008 general elections in the Upper East Region.
Mr Mac Manu intimated that as the national chairman of the NPP, his focus was on how to secure the party from unwarranted attacks, make the party stable, and engineer it for victory in 2008.
Story by Benjamin Glover/Daily Graphic.
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