Heavy rains in the Bolgatanga Municipality on Tuesday morning disrupted academic work in schools and marred activities lined up to mark , “My First Day in School” programme initiated three years ago .“My First Day in School”, which is observed on the first day of the new academic year of basic education schools, is an initiative by the Ministry of Education to whip up enthusiasm among the pupils and encourage them to stay in school.A visit to different schools in the municipality revealed poor attendance and authorities attributed it to the heavy rains recorded earlier in the day.
As at 10:30 am, only 9 newly admitted pupils comprising 5 girls and 4 boys have reported to school at the Queen Elizabeth Kindergarten, while at the Adabase Primary School, only 8 pupils, all girls had reported to the school as at 11am. At the Bolgatanga Preparatory Nursery the situation was not different as there were only 10 pupils,-seven boys and three girls were making their maiden appearance at school.
The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Mrs Lucy Awuni have toured the selected schools to interact with the new entrants to basic schools.
Monday, 21 September 2009
Sunday, 13 September 2009
FIRE SERVICE FACES EVICTION (MIRROR, Saturday 12, 2009.PAGE 26)
From Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga
The Upper East Regional Fire Service faces eviction owing to the non-payment of compensation to landowners for lands where the regional headquarters and municipal fire offices are sited.
The Regional Fire Officer, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Wynni Azomyann, has therefore appealed to the government to pay the compensation to forestall a recurrence of an incident in 2004, when a High Court in Bolgatanga ordered the seizure of an official car of the service to defray a debt, after the service failed to compensate landowners of the site where its junior staff quarters are located.
The High Court found the service guilty in 2004 and impounded the service’s vehicle with registration number, FS 141 for non-payment of judgement debt.
ACFO Azomyann said these at a durbar of security agencies during a working visit to the region by the Minister for the Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka, to assess the performance and the challenges that face the agencies under the ministry.
The Regional Fire Officer said presently, the service was occupying and using landed properties for which they had not completed any title deeds. As a result, the various landowners were claiming compensation for the use of their lands.
“Our continuous use and undisturbed occupancy is fraught with danger in this constitutional era,” he said.
The regional fire officer, therefore, appealed to the minister to help find a quick solution to this challenge in order to avert an impending embarrassment to the Ghana National Fire Service in particular and the government as a whole.
He appealed to Mr Avoka for funds to rehabilitate the residential facilities for fire personnel, which he said had not been renovated since their construction in 1974.
According to the Regional Fire Officer, the estimated cost and bill of quantities provided by the regional consultants of the Architectural and Engineering Services for the renovation of the four senior officers’ bungalows and 20 units of the junior staff quarters have been submitted to the appropriate quarters.
Mr Azomyann said about half of the fire engines in the region were not functioning and, therefore, appealed to the ministry to hasten the arrival of fire engines ordered from India and the USA.
Mr Avoka gave the assurance that the government was doing all it could to improve service conditions and promised that the region would have its fair share of the new fire engines to facilitate their work.
The Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Mr Kwesi Ankonam Quayson, said the focus of the new leadership of the service was to rebrand the service and make it more efficient.
Mr Quayson who is also a Director in charge of Research, Development and Monitoring at the National Headquarters of the service, challenged the personnel to commit themselves to the new vision of the current leadership of the service in order to achieve more successes.
Earlier, Mr Avoka visited the Fire Service installation at Navrongo, where the officer in charge, Mr Willie Anobiga, said work on a new 14-room office building had stalled since 1999 and appealed to the minister to ensure its early completion.
The Upper East Regional Fire Service faces eviction owing to the non-payment of compensation to landowners for lands where the regional headquarters and municipal fire offices are sited.
The Regional Fire Officer, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Wynni Azomyann, has therefore appealed to the government to pay the compensation to forestall a recurrence of an incident in 2004, when a High Court in Bolgatanga ordered the seizure of an official car of the service to defray a debt, after the service failed to compensate landowners of the site where its junior staff quarters are located.
The High Court found the service guilty in 2004 and impounded the service’s vehicle with registration number, FS 141 for non-payment of judgement debt.
ACFO Azomyann said these at a durbar of security agencies during a working visit to the region by the Minister for the Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka, to assess the performance and the challenges that face the agencies under the ministry.
The Regional Fire Officer said presently, the service was occupying and using landed properties for which they had not completed any title deeds. As a result, the various landowners were claiming compensation for the use of their lands.
“Our continuous use and undisturbed occupancy is fraught with danger in this constitutional era,” he said.
The regional fire officer, therefore, appealed to the minister to help find a quick solution to this challenge in order to avert an impending embarrassment to the Ghana National Fire Service in particular and the government as a whole.
He appealed to Mr Avoka for funds to rehabilitate the residential facilities for fire personnel, which he said had not been renovated since their construction in 1974.
According to the Regional Fire Officer, the estimated cost and bill of quantities provided by the regional consultants of the Architectural and Engineering Services for the renovation of the four senior officers’ bungalows and 20 units of the junior staff quarters have been submitted to the appropriate quarters.
Mr Azomyann said about half of the fire engines in the region were not functioning and, therefore, appealed to the ministry to hasten the arrival of fire engines ordered from India and the USA.
Mr Avoka gave the assurance that the government was doing all it could to improve service conditions and promised that the region would have its fair share of the new fire engines to facilitate their work.
The Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Mr Kwesi Ankonam Quayson, said the focus of the new leadership of the service was to rebrand the service and make it more efficient.
Mr Quayson who is also a Director in charge of Research, Development and Monitoring at the National Headquarters of the service, challenged the personnel to commit themselves to the new vision of the current leadership of the service in order to achieve more successes.
Earlier, Mr Avoka visited the Fire Service installation at Navrongo, where the officer in charge, Mr Willie Anobiga, said work on a new 14-room office building had stalled since 1999 and appealed to the minister to ensure its early completion.
Friday, 11 September 2009
MAMPRUSI REPS QUIT ETHNIC PEACE C'TTEE (D/G, Friday, September 11, PAGE 3)
REPRESENTATIVES of Mamprusis on the Bawku Inter Ethnic Peace Committee have announced their withdrawal from the committee until further notice.
The Leader of the Mamprusi team and Co-chairperson of the committee, Alhaji Kobila, told the Daily Graphic that they had been compelled to take that decision because of harassment of Mamprusis by the military in Bawku.
He alleged that in recent times, the military in Bawku had taken undue advantage of the situation anytime news of violence broke out in the town to go on the rampage in a discriminatory attack on Mamprusi suburbs, and without provocation manhandled everyone in sight.
He accused the military of discriminating against the Mamprusis and also criticised the soldiers for harassing his people.
Alhaji Kobila said personnel of the military on peace-keeping operations were treating opinion leaders in the Mamprusi communities in Bawku with contempt and arrogance, and that did not give room for co-operation from the Mamprusis.
A three-day workshop planned for members of the committee to enhance their capacity in peace building was postponed last Monday, due to the absence of the Mamprusis, who said they were mourning their relatives who were killed during the fatal clash, which claimed five lives on Sunday, September 4.
The Minister for the Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka, who was scheduled to address the workshop, explained that the workshop had to be rescheduled to Wednesday, September 9, 2009, but this was not to be as none of the participants made it to the venue of the workshop.
When the leadership of the committee, namely Mr Thomas Abila for the Kusasis and Alhaji Kobila for the Mamprusis, were contacted on phone, they both expressed doubts about the future of the committee.
While Mr Abila said the fate of the committee rested with the Government, Alhaji Kobila said his side was unhappy with the way the military in Bawku, in particular, was maltreating the Mamprusis, and that not even a change in the top hierarchy of the military in Bawku would bring them back to the negotiating table.
He also mentioned mistrust on the part of some members of the committee, who were stifling the peace process, adding that nothing would motivate them to go back to the committee to continue with the process that they had started.
The committee, comprising both Kusasis and Mamprusis in Bawku, was set up by the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council to broker permanent peace in the Bawku metropolis and its environs.
It was later expanded to include leaders of the minority groups in Bawku.
To facilitate their work, the Government has donated a bus, as a means of transport, to the committee members to be able to shuttle every nook and cranny of Bawku and its environs to preach peace.
The terms of reference to guide the committee includes opening up of genuine, constructive and effective dialogue among the people of Bawku, especially the major protagonists in the conflict.
It is also to help educate the people on the need for a peaceful co-existence, placing emphasis on commonalities that unite the people, instead of their differences.
The Officer Commanding the Airborne Force in Bawku, Captain Frank Abrokwah, when contacted, declined to comment on the allegations made against the military personnel.
The Leader of the Mamprusi team and Co-chairperson of the committee, Alhaji Kobila, told the Daily Graphic that they had been compelled to take that decision because of harassment of Mamprusis by the military in Bawku.
He alleged that in recent times, the military in Bawku had taken undue advantage of the situation anytime news of violence broke out in the town to go on the rampage in a discriminatory attack on Mamprusi suburbs, and without provocation manhandled everyone in sight.
He accused the military of discriminating against the Mamprusis and also criticised the soldiers for harassing his people.
Alhaji Kobila said personnel of the military on peace-keeping operations were treating opinion leaders in the Mamprusi communities in Bawku with contempt and arrogance, and that did not give room for co-operation from the Mamprusis.
A three-day workshop planned for members of the committee to enhance their capacity in peace building was postponed last Monday, due to the absence of the Mamprusis, who said they were mourning their relatives who were killed during the fatal clash, which claimed five lives on Sunday, September 4.
The Minister for the Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka, who was scheduled to address the workshop, explained that the workshop had to be rescheduled to Wednesday, September 9, 2009, but this was not to be as none of the participants made it to the venue of the workshop.
When the leadership of the committee, namely Mr Thomas Abila for the Kusasis and Alhaji Kobila for the Mamprusis, were contacted on phone, they both expressed doubts about the future of the committee.
While Mr Abila said the fate of the committee rested with the Government, Alhaji Kobila said his side was unhappy with the way the military in Bawku, in particular, was maltreating the Mamprusis, and that not even a change in the top hierarchy of the military in Bawku would bring them back to the negotiating table.
He also mentioned mistrust on the part of some members of the committee, who were stifling the peace process, adding that nothing would motivate them to go back to the committee to continue with the process that they had started.
The committee, comprising both Kusasis and Mamprusis in Bawku, was set up by the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council to broker permanent peace in the Bawku metropolis and its environs.
It was later expanded to include leaders of the minority groups in Bawku.
To facilitate their work, the Government has donated a bus, as a means of transport, to the committee members to be able to shuttle every nook and cranny of Bawku and its environs to preach peace.
The terms of reference to guide the committee includes opening up of genuine, constructive and effective dialogue among the people of Bawku, especially the major protagonists in the conflict.
It is also to help educate the people on the need for a peaceful co-existence, placing emphasis on commonalities that unite the people, instead of their differences.
The Officer Commanding the Airborne Force in Bawku, Captain Frank Abrokwah, when contacted, declined to comment on the allegations made against the military personnel.
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
CHILDREN'S COURT (JUNIOR GRAPHIC, PAGE 15)
I want to congratulate the organisers of the Girls Camp organised in the Upper East Region because it has been an interesting eye-opener for most of us from the deprived communities who took part in the programme.
The camp enabled me to learn a lot of important things. For instance, it has taught me how to speak confidently in public. It has also encouraged me to appreciate the importance of education, especially for girls.
Now, I know that if I take my education seriously, it will help me have a bright future.
When I return to my community, I hope to share all that I have learnt with my friends and make them aware that it is only through education that girls can be empowered for a better future.
I think the annual Girls Camp is a very good one indeed.
I believe through these camps, we will learn more about ourselves, what is happening in the country and around the world.
It is only through education that we can make progress as girls and that is why I am happy to have taken part in the camp.
I look forward to going back home and telling my friends all that I have learnt at the camp.
l also hope to pass on the knowledge that I have acquired to my parents and other parents in my community, so that they will appreciate the importance of girl-child education.
That might make them send all their children, especially girls to school.
It is good that this camp is held regularly to expose us to the changes that are taking place around us.
My participation in the programme will help me a lot in future. For instance, I have learnt how to be disciplined, tolerant and I appreciate the need to speak politely to others.
This will help me relate better with my friends and family members.
When I get back to my district and school, I will definitely share whatever I have learnt here with my friends who did not get the chance to participate in the training.
That way, I will be helping them also to know that without education they cannot get far in this modern world.
This camp has been very educative. I have learnt a lot of things and I will encourage the organisers to ensure that all girls participate in it.
One of the key things I have learnt is that there is no significant difference between boys and girls as far as education is concerned. The training has taught me how to talk politely to people, respect their views and be tolerant.
When I get back to my school, I will share what I have learnt with my friends, so that they will also benefit from it.
I have made up my mind to put in more effort at school because it is only through education that my future will be safe.
The camp enabled me to learn a lot of important things. For instance, it has taught me how to speak confidently in public. It has also encouraged me to appreciate the importance of education, especially for girls.
Now, I know that if I take my education seriously, it will help me have a bright future.
When I return to my community, I hope to share all that I have learnt with my friends and make them aware that it is only through education that girls can be empowered for a better future.
I think the annual Girls Camp is a very good one indeed.
I believe through these camps, we will learn more about ourselves, what is happening in the country and around the world.
It is only through education that we can make progress as girls and that is why I am happy to have taken part in the camp.
I look forward to going back home and telling my friends all that I have learnt at the camp.
l also hope to pass on the knowledge that I have acquired to my parents and other parents in my community, so that they will appreciate the importance of girl-child education.
That might make them send all their children, especially girls to school.
It is good that this camp is held regularly to expose us to the changes that are taking place around us.
My participation in the programme will help me a lot in future. For instance, I have learnt how to be disciplined, tolerant and I appreciate the need to speak politely to others.
This will help me relate better with my friends and family members.
When I get back to my district and school, I will definitely share whatever I have learnt here with my friends who did not get the chance to participate in the training.
That way, I will be helping them also to know that without education they cannot get far in this modern world.
This camp has been very educative. I have learnt a lot of things and I will encourage the organisers to ensure that all girls participate in it.
One of the key things I have learnt is that there is no significant difference between boys and girls as far as education is concerned. The training has taught me how to talk politely to people, respect their views and be tolerant.
When I get back to my school, I will share what I have learnt with my friends, so that they will also benefit from it.
I have made up my mind to put in more effort at school because it is only through education that my future will be safe.
ARREST 'EM...To stop impunity in Bawku - Minister (LEAD STORY)
Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover
The Minister of the Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka, has directed personnel of the various security agencies to effect the prompt arrest of all troublemakers in the volatile areas of Bawku.
Addressing a durbar of officers and men of the various security agencies under his ministry at Bolgatanga on Monday, Mr Avoka also appealed to the judges to deal expeditiously with suspected criminals who were arraigned before the courts to curb the culture of impunity and to serve as a deterrent to others.
According to him, the government was very much disappointed in the continuous violence in Bawku in particular and other parts of the country and said everything would be done to ensure that peace prevailed in the country to promote development.
The Interior Minister asked security personnel in the region to close their ranks and work as a team to bring peace to Bawku and minimise crime in the area.
“The situation in Bawku and other places such as Dagbon, is becoming an embarrassment to all of us. The country is using all the resources meant for development by the district assemblies to fund the operations of soldiers and policemen in these conflict areas.”
The meeting formed part of the minister’s three-day working visit to the region to interact with the personnel and learn at first-hand the challenges confronting them.
He said since the government assumed office, the country had begun recording some success in the fight against armed robbery and the drug menace and stressed that the recurrent conflicts in Bawku could not be allowed to draw back the progress made in improving security and enhancing development.
He advised the officers to find novel ways of dealing with the security challenges they faced in the region such as fuel smuggling, cultivation of narcotics such as “wee”, armed robbery and ethnic conflicts, and emphasised that promotion in the security services would depend on the output of personnel and not the number of years of service.
The Upper East Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bright Oduro, said in spite of the successes chalked up by the police in the fight against crime in the region, the recurrent violence in Bawku was a dent on their professional capabilities as a law enforcement agency.
He, however, gave the assurance that the police, together with other security agencies in the region, would do their very best to bring the perpetrators of violence to book.
ACP Oduro said Bawku should be treated as a special case if the police were to stop the carnage and lawlessness and appealed for strong 4x4 vehicles, preferably pick-ups, for patrols, as well as motorbikes to be able to access areas and paths that would ordinarily not be accessible by cars.
Additionally, he said, there was the need to increase allowance of the security personnel to motivate them, provide good quality tents and bullet proof vests to the security personnel, as well as provide street lights in the Bawku municipality.
The Regional Police Commander also appealed to the minister to build police barracks, saying it was only the Upper East Region that did not have a decent police barracks.
He said out of the 703 personnel in the region, only 202 were living in police barracks, 143 were without accommodation and 304 occupied rented quarters.
He said equally disheartening was the fact that four or five personnel were compelled to share one room.
Other heads of security agencies such as the Immigration Service, Fire Service, Prisons Service and CEPS also presented the challenges facing their institutions.
They mentioned the main challenge as the lack of accommodation for personnel and appealed to the minister to address the problem.
The Minister of the Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka, has directed personnel of the various security agencies to effect the prompt arrest of all troublemakers in the volatile areas of Bawku.
Addressing a durbar of officers and men of the various security agencies under his ministry at Bolgatanga on Monday, Mr Avoka also appealed to the judges to deal expeditiously with suspected criminals who were arraigned before the courts to curb the culture of impunity and to serve as a deterrent to others.
According to him, the government was very much disappointed in the continuous violence in Bawku in particular and other parts of the country and said everything would be done to ensure that peace prevailed in the country to promote development.
The Interior Minister asked security personnel in the region to close their ranks and work as a team to bring peace to Bawku and minimise crime in the area.
“The situation in Bawku and other places such as Dagbon, is becoming an embarrassment to all of us. The country is using all the resources meant for development by the district assemblies to fund the operations of soldiers and policemen in these conflict areas.”
The meeting formed part of the minister’s three-day working visit to the region to interact with the personnel and learn at first-hand the challenges confronting them.
He said since the government assumed office, the country had begun recording some success in the fight against armed robbery and the drug menace and stressed that the recurrent conflicts in Bawku could not be allowed to draw back the progress made in improving security and enhancing development.
He advised the officers to find novel ways of dealing with the security challenges they faced in the region such as fuel smuggling, cultivation of narcotics such as “wee”, armed robbery and ethnic conflicts, and emphasised that promotion in the security services would depend on the output of personnel and not the number of years of service.
The Upper East Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bright Oduro, said in spite of the successes chalked up by the police in the fight against crime in the region, the recurrent violence in Bawku was a dent on their professional capabilities as a law enforcement agency.
He, however, gave the assurance that the police, together with other security agencies in the region, would do their very best to bring the perpetrators of violence to book.
ACP Oduro said Bawku should be treated as a special case if the police were to stop the carnage and lawlessness and appealed for strong 4x4 vehicles, preferably pick-ups, for patrols, as well as motorbikes to be able to access areas and paths that would ordinarily not be accessible by cars.
Additionally, he said, there was the need to increase allowance of the security personnel to motivate them, provide good quality tents and bullet proof vests to the security personnel, as well as provide street lights in the Bawku municipality.
The Regional Police Commander also appealed to the minister to build police barracks, saying it was only the Upper East Region that did not have a decent police barracks.
He said out of the 703 personnel in the region, only 202 were living in police barracks, 143 were without accommodation and 304 occupied rented quarters.
He said equally disheartening was the fact that four or five personnel were compelled to share one room.
Other heads of security agencies such as the Immigration Service, Fire Service, Prisons Service and CEPS also presented the challenges facing their institutions.
They mentioned the main challenge as the lack of accommodation for personnel and appealed to the minister to address the problem.
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
UPPER EAST FISH FARMERS APPEAL FOR SUPPORT (PAGE 14)
Fish farmers in the Upper East Region have expressed concern about lack of logistics which is one major challenge confronting their business.
They mentioned lack of fishing gear such as nets, boats, cold storage facilities, life-saving jackets, access to fish feed and difficulty in getting fingerlings as problems facing the industry.
The farmers who depend on ponds, dams and rivers for their operations, said though there exist the potential for good business, the difficulties identified were posing a great challenge for their business and said the time had come for the government to give them the necessary attention.
The farmers who made the appeal when the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Nii Amasah Namoale, paid a working visit to the region said at times, they had to travel to Accra, Kumasi or Tamale to buy fingerlings and feed to stock their ponds and these made the venture too expensive and called for support.
Some of the fish farms the deputy minister included the Pwalugu Integrated Duck-Fish Culture Farm, the Vea Irrigation Fish Farm and Tono Irrigation Fish Farm.
He also interacted with members of the Gambigo Water Users Association, who utilise the water in the Gambigo Dam to produce fish as well as fishmongers of Kajelo. He also visited a fish processor in Bolgatanga.
At Vea near Bolgatanga, the chief of the area, Naba Thomas Azubire, said since the construction of the fish ponds in 1970, the laterals have broken down and the fish ponds are heavily silted making the ponds unable to contain the maximum requirement of fingerlings in each session of stocking.
He also mentioned inadequate credit facilities for farmers to start, expand and sustain fish farming as a serious drawback.
He, therefore, appealed to the government to go to their aid since that will go a long way to prevent the youth of the area from migrating down south in search of non-existing jobs.
An investor, Madam Faiza Ibrahim Taimako, said one other challenge confronting the industry was pilfering. He said in spite of all the measures put in place, some unscrupulous persons sneak in to steal the fish.
The Regional Director of Fisheries, Mr Ebenezer Wellington, who briefed the deputy minister on the state of fishing in the region said the region has the potential of producing enough fish for domestic consumption.
He said the total surface area for production in Tono is 5.07 hectares while that for fingerlings was 0.9 hectares and the total surface area for Vea was 3.6 hectares. He said if all these were to be operational and all things being equal, there will be increased yield.
Mr Wellington said the regional directorate of MoFA was working on a pilot integrated Duck-Fish Culture Project at Pwalugu along the White Volta, where farmers do fishing alongside duck rearing, which would be replicated in some parts of the region, especially in communities along the White Volta and Red Volta. He indicated that a lot of fish mongers have also been trained in a new technology of smoking fish to enable them to undertake large scale fish smoking.
They mentioned lack of fishing gear such as nets, boats, cold storage facilities, life-saving jackets, access to fish feed and difficulty in getting fingerlings as problems facing the industry.
The farmers who depend on ponds, dams and rivers for their operations, said though there exist the potential for good business, the difficulties identified were posing a great challenge for their business and said the time had come for the government to give them the necessary attention.
The farmers who made the appeal when the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Nii Amasah Namoale, paid a working visit to the region said at times, they had to travel to Accra, Kumasi or Tamale to buy fingerlings and feed to stock their ponds and these made the venture too expensive and called for support.
Some of the fish farms the deputy minister included the Pwalugu Integrated Duck-Fish Culture Farm, the Vea Irrigation Fish Farm and Tono Irrigation Fish Farm.
He also interacted with members of the Gambigo Water Users Association, who utilise the water in the Gambigo Dam to produce fish as well as fishmongers of Kajelo. He also visited a fish processor in Bolgatanga.
At Vea near Bolgatanga, the chief of the area, Naba Thomas Azubire, said since the construction of the fish ponds in 1970, the laterals have broken down and the fish ponds are heavily silted making the ponds unable to contain the maximum requirement of fingerlings in each session of stocking.
He also mentioned inadequate credit facilities for farmers to start, expand and sustain fish farming as a serious drawback.
He, therefore, appealed to the government to go to their aid since that will go a long way to prevent the youth of the area from migrating down south in search of non-existing jobs.
An investor, Madam Faiza Ibrahim Taimako, said one other challenge confronting the industry was pilfering. He said in spite of all the measures put in place, some unscrupulous persons sneak in to steal the fish.
The Regional Director of Fisheries, Mr Ebenezer Wellington, who briefed the deputy minister on the state of fishing in the region said the region has the potential of producing enough fish for domestic consumption.
He said the total surface area for production in Tono is 5.07 hectares while that for fingerlings was 0.9 hectares and the total surface area for Vea was 3.6 hectares. He said if all these were to be operational and all things being equal, there will be increased yield.
Mr Wellington said the regional directorate of MoFA was working on a pilot integrated Duck-Fish Culture Project at Pwalugu along the White Volta, where farmers do fishing alongside duck rearing, which would be replicated in some parts of the region, especially in communities along the White Volta and Red Volta. He indicated that a lot of fish mongers have also been trained in a new technology of smoking fish to enable them to undertake large scale fish smoking.
LATEST BAWKU KILLINGS CONDEMNED (PAGE 14)
A co-chairman of the Bawku Inter Ethnic Peace Committee, Mr Thomas Abila, has condemned the latest violence in the Bawku Municipality, describing it as a serious drawback to efforts being made by the committee to bring lasting peace to the area.
Speaking to journalists in Bawku last Sunday, Mr Abila, who is also a personal assistant to Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, the paramount chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, said the latest killings and injuries to innocent citizens was a big blow to the committee which is at the verge of making a headway in its efforts to broker permanent peace in Bawku.
“The committee has come to a point when people are beginning to understand each other and embracing the work of the members only to be struck by this unfortunate incident. In fact what has happened today has taken us back and it will take time for us to bring the peace we are all yearning for”, Mr Abila said.
The committee, comprising both Kusasis and Mamprusis was set up by the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council to broker permanent peace in the Bawku Municipality and its environs.
The terms of reference to guide the committee include the opening up of genuine, constructive and effective dialogue among the people of Bawku, especially the major protagonists in the conflict.
It is also to help educate the general populace on the need for peaceful co-existence, placing emphasis on commonalities that unite the people, instead of the insignificant differences dividing them.
Last Sunday, five lives were lost and four others were seriously injured in Bawku, following clashes in the municipality. The clashes were as a result of the shooting to death of a taxi driver, Rufai Sumani at Zongo Natinga.
The driver and two other occupants were travelling to Cinkanse, a market centre in neighbouring Togo, when some unknown persons ambushed them and shot at them killing the taxi driver. The death of the taxi driver led to a spontaneous rioting in the Bawku town which led to further shooting in the centre of the town and the subsequent death of the four others.
Mr Abila noted that the continuous conflict in Bawku was taking a toll on the government, which has to spend more money to provide security personnel for the area and appealed to the people to lay down their arms.
A youth leader, Mr Majeed Alhassan Mbawin said some criminal elements in Bawku were taking advantage of the situation to foment trouble and urged the security agencies to strengthen their efforts in arresting those perpetrating the violence in Bawku.
He also questioned the legality of a group calling itself Bawku Youth Development Association, which he accused of peddling some falsehood about the situation in Bawku and called on the security agencies to investigate the background of the leaders of that group and arrest them since they have not been registered and also they have no office location in the area.
Mr Mbawin called on the media to be circumspect about their reportage on issues in Bawku, stressing that any negative reports could trigger conflict in the area. He cited a recent report carried by a private newspaper, The Ghanaian Observer about the existence of a guerilla training camp at Nafkoliga, and described such publications not only as false but something that has the potential of provoking more violence in Bawku
Earlier, the Bawku Naba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, condemned the shooting incident in Bawku and declared his support for and full co-operation with the security agencies in unravelling those behind the act.
“What has happened today is not and should not be linked in any way to the supposed chieftaincy issues between Kusasis and Mamprusis and if the perpetrators are identified and discovered to Kusasis, I hereby declare my support and full co-operation to the security agencies to deal with them drastically,” Naba Azoka II said.
While sympathising with the families of the deceased and those who sustained gunshot wounds, Naba Azoka extended a hand of friendship to “my Mamprusi brothers led by Elder Akalifa so that we can work together as brothers to restore peace in Bawku immediately.”
Speaking to journalists in Bawku last Sunday, Mr Abila, who is also a personal assistant to Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, the paramount chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, said the latest killings and injuries to innocent citizens was a big blow to the committee which is at the verge of making a headway in its efforts to broker permanent peace in Bawku.
“The committee has come to a point when people are beginning to understand each other and embracing the work of the members only to be struck by this unfortunate incident. In fact what has happened today has taken us back and it will take time for us to bring the peace we are all yearning for”, Mr Abila said.
The committee, comprising both Kusasis and Mamprusis was set up by the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council to broker permanent peace in the Bawku Municipality and its environs.
The terms of reference to guide the committee include the opening up of genuine, constructive and effective dialogue among the people of Bawku, especially the major protagonists in the conflict.
It is also to help educate the general populace on the need for peaceful co-existence, placing emphasis on commonalities that unite the people, instead of the insignificant differences dividing them.
Last Sunday, five lives were lost and four others were seriously injured in Bawku, following clashes in the municipality. The clashes were as a result of the shooting to death of a taxi driver, Rufai Sumani at Zongo Natinga.
The driver and two other occupants were travelling to Cinkanse, a market centre in neighbouring Togo, when some unknown persons ambushed them and shot at them killing the taxi driver. The death of the taxi driver led to a spontaneous rioting in the Bawku town which led to further shooting in the centre of the town and the subsequent death of the four others.
Mr Abila noted that the continuous conflict in Bawku was taking a toll on the government, which has to spend more money to provide security personnel for the area and appealed to the people to lay down their arms.
A youth leader, Mr Majeed Alhassan Mbawin said some criminal elements in Bawku were taking advantage of the situation to foment trouble and urged the security agencies to strengthen their efforts in arresting those perpetrating the violence in Bawku.
He also questioned the legality of a group calling itself Bawku Youth Development Association, which he accused of peddling some falsehood about the situation in Bawku and called on the security agencies to investigate the background of the leaders of that group and arrest them since they have not been registered and also they have no office location in the area.
Mr Mbawin called on the media to be circumspect about their reportage on issues in Bawku, stressing that any negative reports could trigger conflict in the area. He cited a recent report carried by a private newspaper, The Ghanaian Observer about the existence of a guerilla training camp at Nafkoliga, and described such publications not only as false but something that has the potential of provoking more violence in Bawku
Earlier, the Bawku Naba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, condemned the shooting incident in Bawku and declared his support for and full co-operation with the security agencies in unravelling those behind the act.
“What has happened today is not and should not be linked in any way to the supposed chieftaincy issues between Kusasis and Mamprusis and if the perpetrators are identified and discovered to Kusasis, I hereby declare my support and full co-operation to the security agencies to deal with them drastically,” Naba Azoka II said.
While sympathising with the families of the deceased and those who sustained gunshot wounds, Naba Azoka extended a hand of friendship to “my Mamprusi brothers led by Elder Akalifa so that we can work together as brothers to restore peace in Bawku immediately.”
Monday, 7 September 2009
UPPER EAST IMMIGRATION OFFICERS UDRGO TRAINING (PAGE 48)
FIFTY Immigration officers in the Upper East Region have benefited from a training programme designed to improve the skills of personnel and equip them with modern tools to enable them to detect fraud and enhance their intelligence gathering technique.
The training programme, called the Aeneas Programme, forms part of efforts by the Ghana Immigration Service to enhance the work of the service and eliminate fraudulent acts by travellers who enter the country.
The workshop, which was sponsored by the European Union Commission, would be carried out in all the 10 regions and is expected to lead to the setting up of a National Document Expertise Centre in Accra for the training of all immigration officers and personnel of other security agencies to improve their skills and empower them to meet new challenges.
Speaking at the closing of a three-day training workshop for immigration officers at Navrongo in the Kassena Nankena East District, the Upper East Regional Director of Immigration, Mr Peter Defie, charged personnel of the service to be more vigilant and look out for people who enter the country to perpetuate all sorts of crime.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Emmanuel Andema, expressed the hope that the training programme would impart to the officers the ability to gather intelligence to detect fraudulent documents that were sometimes used by travellers to gain entry into the country.
He also urged the officers to collaborate with other security agencies to enhance national security.
Mr Andema called on the officers to be alert and report all cases suspected to be H1N1 influenza to the health authorities for the patients to be kept under surveillance and treated.
“There is the need for us at the periphery to be extra alert and report or detain anybody suspected to be showing signs and symptoms of the disease for the attention of the relevant authorities. Let us encourage travellers to keep abreast of the basic preventive measures of the disease, as well as the signs and symptoms,” he advised.
He expressed concern at the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS in the district, and called for attitudinal and behavioural change.
Quoting statistics from the War Memorial Hospital, Mr Andema said tests carried out on 320 persons during the first quarter of this year, showed that 90 of them were HIV and Hepatitis B positive as compared to the 17 people who came out positive from the 242 people tested for the same disease last year.
He said all these cases were people within the productive age bracket of 15 and 44. He, therefore, solicited the support of the officers some of whom lived within the community to assist in the crusade to curtail the problem.
“Let us try to change our lifestyles by staying away from acts that have the tendency of exposing us to the ugly face of the disease. Our attitudes must change if we want to shape a better future for our youth, as well as mother Ghana,” the DCE stated.
The leader of the seven-member team of facilitators, Deputy Superintendent of Immigration, Mr Kwabena Somuah Amponsah, said the officers were trained in how to look out for enhanced security features in documents, passenger assessment, impostor detection, document examination and the identification of the new birth certificate and the national identity card.
The training programme, called the Aeneas Programme, forms part of efforts by the Ghana Immigration Service to enhance the work of the service and eliminate fraudulent acts by travellers who enter the country.
The workshop, which was sponsored by the European Union Commission, would be carried out in all the 10 regions and is expected to lead to the setting up of a National Document Expertise Centre in Accra for the training of all immigration officers and personnel of other security agencies to improve their skills and empower them to meet new challenges.
Speaking at the closing of a three-day training workshop for immigration officers at Navrongo in the Kassena Nankena East District, the Upper East Regional Director of Immigration, Mr Peter Defie, charged personnel of the service to be more vigilant and look out for people who enter the country to perpetuate all sorts of crime.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Emmanuel Andema, expressed the hope that the training programme would impart to the officers the ability to gather intelligence to detect fraudulent documents that were sometimes used by travellers to gain entry into the country.
He also urged the officers to collaborate with other security agencies to enhance national security.
Mr Andema called on the officers to be alert and report all cases suspected to be H1N1 influenza to the health authorities for the patients to be kept under surveillance and treated.
“There is the need for us at the periphery to be extra alert and report or detain anybody suspected to be showing signs and symptoms of the disease for the attention of the relevant authorities. Let us encourage travellers to keep abreast of the basic preventive measures of the disease, as well as the signs and symptoms,” he advised.
He expressed concern at the increasing rate of HIV/AIDS in the district, and called for attitudinal and behavioural change.
Quoting statistics from the War Memorial Hospital, Mr Andema said tests carried out on 320 persons during the first quarter of this year, showed that 90 of them were HIV and Hepatitis B positive as compared to the 17 people who came out positive from the 242 people tested for the same disease last year.
He said all these cases were people within the productive age bracket of 15 and 44. He, therefore, solicited the support of the officers some of whom lived within the community to assist in the crusade to curtail the problem.
“Let us try to change our lifestyles by staying away from acts that have the tendency of exposing us to the ugly face of the disease. Our attitudes must change if we want to shape a better future for our youth, as well as mother Ghana,” the DCE stated.
The leader of the seven-member team of facilitators, Deputy Superintendent of Immigration, Mr Kwabena Somuah Amponsah, said the officers were trained in how to look out for enhanced security features in documents, passenger assessment, impostor detection, document examination and the identification of the new birth certificate and the national identity card.
5 MORE KILLED IN BAWKU CONFLICT (PAGE 3)
THE intermittent Bawku conflict continues to take a toll on the people.
Yesterday, five people, including two officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), died in the municipality in a shooting incident over alleged extortion of money by some armed residents.
The bodies of the dead, all males, have been deposited at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital for autopsy and further investigations.
They are Adam Kobila, 48, and Mohammed Abubakari, 46, both officials of NADMO at Garu, Rufai Sumani, a taxi driver, and Mamudu Yakubu. The identity of the fifth person is yet to be established by the police.
At the time of filing this report no arrest had been made.
The shooting incident occurred yesterday morning, when the taxi driver, Sumani, was shot and killed at Zong-Natinga, 18 kilometres from Bawku, when he was driving passengers to Cinkanse, a market centre in neighbouring Togo.
According to the Municipal Chief Executive of Bawku, Mr Musah Abdulai, information reaching him indicated that some armed men mounted a roadblock on the road yesterday to allegedly extort money from passengers.
He said when the taxi driver got to the roadblock he declined to stop, a situation which prompted the armed men to open fire.
In the process, he said, the taxi driver, who was shot, died later after managing to drive the vehicle into a nearby bush.
The MCE said the assailants went further to attack the passengers and took away some valuables, including money.
He said shortly after the incident, some gunshots were heard in the town, leading to the additional deaths.
The police in Bawku confirmed the incident and the death toll.
Meanwhile, the Upper East Regional Security Council has imposed a curfew from 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. in an effort to bring the situation under control.
Yesterday, five people, including two officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), died in the municipality in a shooting incident over alleged extortion of money by some armed residents.
The bodies of the dead, all males, have been deposited at the Bawku Presbyterian Hospital for autopsy and further investigations.
They are Adam Kobila, 48, and Mohammed Abubakari, 46, both officials of NADMO at Garu, Rufai Sumani, a taxi driver, and Mamudu Yakubu. The identity of the fifth person is yet to be established by the police.
At the time of filing this report no arrest had been made.
The shooting incident occurred yesterday morning, when the taxi driver, Sumani, was shot and killed at Zong-Natinga, 18 kilometres from Bawku, when he was driving passengers to Cinkanse, a market centre in neighbouring Togo.
According to the Municipal Chief Executive of Bawku, Mr Musah Abdulai, information reaching him indicated that some armed men mounted a roadblock on the road yesterday to allegedly extort money from passengers.
He said when the taxi driver got to the roadblock he declined to stop, a situation which prompted the armed men to open fire.
In the process, he said, the taxi driver, who was shot, died later after managing to drive the vehicle into a nearby bush.
The MCE said the assailants went further to attack the passengers and took away some valuables, including money.
He said shortly after the incident, some gunshots were heard in the town, leading to the additional deaths.
The police in Bawku confirmed the incident and the death toll.
Meanwhile, the Upper East Regional Security Council has imposed a curfew from 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. in an effort to bring the situation under control.
Friday, 4 September 2009
SOLVING TOMATO GLUT IN UPPER EAST REGION (MIRROR, PAGE 27)
First and foremost, as tomato farmers, we can assist in preventing the annual ‘ritual’ of tomato glut by having a strong farmer based organisation. This will provide opportunities to meet and deliberate on challenges that confront us, not only in the area of tomato cultivation and marketing but also of other food crops.
If we are not united, we cannot have a strong voice. I have realised that in other parts of the country where the farmers have formed strong organisations, they are able to have strong voices and are also able to negotiate fair prices for their produce.
In our case, we do not have that strong force. I think therefore, that its about time we came together as farmers, met and deliberated about the challenges that confront us. That to me, will be the first step in addressing the problem of tomato glut.
I am appealling to the Government to revive the Northern Star Tomato Factory and put it in a better shape to assist the hundreds of farmers who cultivate the crop. When this factory is well resourced, farmers would have a source of ready market for their produce and this would protect us from some of the unfair treatments meted out by so-called market queens, who sometimes exploit the farmers during the harvest season.
In addition, Government should as well consider the idea of allowing farmers to be share holders in the factory that way, they would have a stake in the day-to-day activities of the factory and safe guard their interest.
Should Government resource the Northern Star Tomato Factory which is the only processing plant close to the farmers, it would enable the produce of the farmers to be bought at reasonable price.
I also think that it is important that the management of the factory is streamlined. When that is done, management of the factory would have to engage farmers in regular dialogue in order to come out with agreed prices. That way, all forms of suspicion would be removed and the annual exploitation by the market queens will become a thing of the past, since farmers would be assured of good prices when their produce are bought by the factory.
The survival of the farmers would also largely depend on whether the factory could assist them with logistics such as crates and vehicles to transport the produce to the factory. If that is done, coupled with the payment of agreed prices, the annual issue of glut would be addressed and farmers would also be happy.
There should be honesty between farmers and the management of the factory. We need to work hand in hand so that nobody feels cheated at the end of the day.
Tomato is widely grown in this region and there have always been a problem of glut. Glut comes about as a result of unplanned production. It would therefore, be pertinent for farmers to come together and form a strong association to deliberate on the way forward.
For instance, it is important for farmers to know their production levels so that they do not over produce. In addition, farmers must be involved in the various stages of the production processes.
Unfortunately, farmers do not have a strong front, so in the long run, what happens is that there are so many people going into cultivation and this results in excess tomato being produced for the market.
What farmers need to do is come together to form a strong association that will regularly meet and plan. Because such an organisation is not in place, a lot of things have not been achieved.
There is the urgent need for us as farmers to come together. Once that is done, we can confront the challenges facing us and coupled with the resuscitation of the tomato factory, the problem of tomato glut in the region would surely be addressed.
I think the government has to put in place the necessary machinery to facilitate an all-year-round production of tamatoes. That way, our farmers will benefit from their labour.
In this vein, there should be a way to ensure that farmers have ready market for their produce. As such it is important that the Northern Star Tomato Factory which was rehabilitated recently is well resourced so that they can buy directly from the farmers at good prices to shield them from the market queens who usually want to buy at lower prices and cheat the farmers.
There have been situations where in the past, farmers had gone in for loans and were not able to recover due to bad pricing and poor marketing. If our farmers can be assured of good prices then their labour will not be in vain.
I also think that government could intervene by ensuring that farmers are assisted with technical support in terms of seeds and others inputs. When this is done, I believe farmers will be in a position to produce the right quality of crop that will attract good market and good prices.
If possible, tomato farmers should collaborate with their counterparts in Burkina Faso.This will go to assure farmers from Ghana that their produce could also attract market queens from there.
But, the ultimate solution is for the government to do all it can to assist the Northern Star Tomato Factory with funds to enable them to support the farmers in the region with seeds and ready market to avoid the seasonal glut.
Farmers in the region, recognising the difficulties we face, have through the Ministry of Agriculture, initiated a series of meetings with all stakeholders. The meetings are to ensure that all the players in the industry identify their roles and play them effectively to minimise glut.
I believe if we are able to agree on our specific roles for this coming season and play those roles well, the problems that were recorded last season would be avoided, and both farmers and processors will be happy.
Among the problems we had in the past included the lack of understanding among the various stakeholders.
However, I believe the continuous interaction of all the stakeholders will lead to a solution of the problem.
I must say that farmers have become poorer and poorer because in the past we invested a lot of resources and gained nothing. We virtually lost all our investments and that obstructed the attainment of our annual production levels.
That is why this year, we have initiated a series of meetings to ensure that our toil do not go to waste. We hope this time round to make gains and not losses.
There is a need for farmers in the region to re-organise themselves into groups. This will enable them to collate ideas and determine how many of them will go into the production of the various vegetables, including tomato, that is grown in the region and how much acreage to crop.
If they are able to determine their numbers, they can group themselves and work out the acreages based on their numbers.
We are lucky to have a processing plant like the Northern Star Tomato Factory in the region. It is expected that management of the factory would liaise with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that enough funds are made available to enable them to enter into negotiation with the farmers with regards to the pricing of vegetables produced.
That way, the farmers can be assured of a ready market and this would encourage them to produce more to feed the factory.
This is to alleviate the situation where farmers in the past produced more than the factory could make use of, leading to a glut in the market.
The Ministry of Agriculture will continue to provide the necessary technical assistance to farmers to enable them to produce the right kind of crops.
The Northern Star Tomato Factory has the capacity in terms of machinery to process about 500 metric tons of tomatoes a day. Our major Challenge, though, has been that of funding.
Government support in terms of funding does not come regularly so we continue to face some challenges. All the same, we have been assured that something positive would be done soon to improve the situation, and I am hopeful that the factory will move soon into full scale operations.
With availability of enough funds, the factory is capable of absorbing all the tomato that is cultivated in the region as well as even those grown outside the region.
The issue of glut, low prices, farmers having no avenue to sell their produce emanate from the fact that the factory is not in full operation.
This factory is a 100 per cent owned Ghanaian company, therefore, our main source of funding is from the Government. I am convinced that if funds are made available, we will go into full processing and the annual problem of glut will be a thing of the past.
If we are not united, we cannot have a strong voice. I have realised that in other parts of the country where the farmers have formed strong organisations, they are able to have strong voices and are also able to negotiate fair prices for their produce.
In our case, we do not have that strong force. I think therefore, that its about time we came together as farmers, met and deliberated about the challenges that confront us. That to me, will be the first step in addressing the problem of tomato glut.
I am appealling to the Government to revive the Northern Star Tomato Factory and put it in a better shape to assist the hundreds of farmers who cultivate the crop. When this factory is well resourced, farmers would have a source of ready market for their produce and this would protect us from some of the unfair treatments meted out by so-called market queens, who sometimes exploit the farmers during the harvest season.
In addition, Government should as well consider the idea of allowing farmers to be share holders in the factory that way, they would have a stake in the day-to-day activities of the factory and safe guard their interest.
Should Government resource the Northern Star Tomato Factory which is the only processing plant close to the farmers, it would enable the produce of the farmers to be bought at reasonable price.
I also think that it is important that the management of the factory is streamlined. When that is done, management of the factory would have to engage farmers in regular dialogue in order to come out with agreed prices. That way, all forms of suspicion would be removed and the annual exploitation by the market queens will become a thing of the past, since farmers would be assured of good prices when their produce are bought by the factory.
The survival of the farmers would also largely depend on whether the factory could assist them with logistics such as crates and vehicles to transport the produce to the factory. If that is done, coupled with the payment of agreed prices, the annual issue of glut would be addressed and farmers would also be happy.
There should be honesty between farmers and the management of the factory. We need to work hand in hand so that nobody feels cheated at the end of the day.
Tomato is widely grown in this region and there have always been a problem of glut. Glut comes about as a result of unplanned production. It would therefore, be pertinent for farmers to come together and form a strong association to deliberate on the way forward.
For instance, it is important for farmers to know their production levels so that they do not over produce. In addition, farmers must be involved in the various stages of the production processes.
Unfortunately, farmers do not have a strong front, so in the long run, what happens is that there are so many people going into cultivation and this results in excess tomato being produced for the market.
What farmers need to do is come together to form a strong association that will regularly meet and plan. Because such an organisation is not in place, a lot of things have not been achieved.
There is the urgent need for us as farmers to come together. Once that is done, we can confront the challenges facing us and coupled with the resuscitation of the tomato factory, the problem of tomato glut in the region would surely be addressed.
I think the government has to put in place the necessary machinery to facilitate an all-year-round production of tamatoes. That way, our farmers will benefit from their labour.
In this vein, there should be a way to ensure that farmers have ready market for their produce. As such it is important that the Northern Star Tomato Factory which was rehabilitated recently is well resourced so that they can buy directly from the farmers at good prices to shield them from the market queens who usually want to buy at lower prices and cheat the farmers.
There have been situations where in the past, farmers had gone in for loans and were not able to recover due to bad pricing and poor marketing. If our farmers can be assured of good prices then their labour will not be in vain.
I also think that government could intervene by ensuring that farmers are assisted with technical support in terms of seeds and others inputs. When this is done, I believe farmers will be in a position to produce the right quality of crop that will attract good market and good prices.
If possible, tomato farmers should collaborate with their counterparts in Burkina Faso.This will go to assure farmers from Ghana that their produce could also attract market queens from there.
But, the ultimate solution is for the government to do all it can to assist the Northern Star Tomato Factory with funds to enable them to support the farmers in the region with seeds and ready market to avoid the seasonal glut.
Farmers in the region, recognising the difficulties we face, have through the Ministry of Agriculture, initiated a series of meetings with all stakeholders. The meetings are to ensure that all the players in the industry identify their roles and play them effectively to minimise glut.
I believe if we are able to agree on our specific roles for this coming season and play those roles well, the problems that were recorded last season would be avoided, and both farmers and processors will be happy.
Among the problems we had in the past included the lack of understanding among the various stakeholders.
However, I believe the continuous interaction of all the stakeholders will lead to a solution of the problem.
I must say that farmers have become poorer and poorer because in the past we invested a lot of resources and gained nothing. We virtually lost all our investments and that obstructed the attainment of our annual production levels.
That is why this year, we have initiated a series of meetings to ensure that our toil do not go to waste. We hope this time round to make gains and not losses.
There is a need for farmers in the region to re-organise themselves into groups. This will enable them to collate ideas and determine how many of them will go into the production of the various vegetables, including tomato, that is grown in the region and how much acreage to crop.
If they are able to determine their numbers, they can group themselves and work out the acreages based on their numbers.
We are lucky to have a processing plant like the Northern Star Tomato Factory in the region. It is expected that management of the factory would liaise with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that enough funds are made available to enable them to enter into negotiation with the farmers with regards to the pricing of vegetables produced.
That way, the farmers can be assured of a ready market and this would encourage them to produce more to feed the factory.
This is to alleviate the situation where farmers in the past produced more than the factory could make use of, leading to a glut in the market.
The Ministry of Agriculture will continue to provide the necessary technical assistance to farmers to enable them to produce the right kind of crops.
The Northern Star Tomato Factory has the capacity in terms of machinery to process about 500 metric tons of tomatoes a day. Our major Challenge, though, has been that of funding.
Government support in terms of funding does not come regularly so we continue to face some challenges. All the same, we have been assured that something positive would be done soon to improve the situation, and I am hopeful that the factory will move soon into full scale operations.
With availability of enough funds, the factory is capable of absorbing all the tomato that is cultivated in the region as well as even those grown outside the region.
The issue of glut, low prices, farmers having no avenue to sell their produce emanate from the fact that the factory is not in full operation.
This factory is a 100 per cent owned Ghanaian company, therefore, our main source of funding is from the Government. I am convinced that if funds are made available, we will go into full processing and the annual problem of glut will be a thing of the past.
BOY, 15, DROWNS IN ANAYARE RIVER (MIRROR, PAGE 29)
From Benjamin Xornam Glover, Doba
A 15-year-old boy from Doba in the Kassena-Nankana District of the Upper East Region drowned in the Anayare River last Sunday after he dived into the water while swimming with some friends.
Matthew Ayaane, a primary five pupil of Doba Primary School, was swimming at about 3 p.m. with his younger brother and another companion when he disappeared.
His brother, Christopher Ayaane, 12, told The Mirror that they left home in the morning of Sunday, August 30, 2009 for their parent’s farm near the river and after working for a while, decided to go for a swim in the rushing river, which tide had risen due to torrential rains experienced in the area the previous night.
Describing the method they use in swimming, Christopher said they stood on top of the bridge spanning the river and dived into the water after which they swam out.
According to the boy, it was after one of those jumps that his brother was swept away.
He said an alarm was raised and that led to the formation of a search team, including the boy’s father, Mr John Ayaane.
When this reporter arrived at the scene at about 3:30 p.m., the search team had not succeeded in retrieving the boy. About an hour later, the search party called off the search because of fading light.
Attempts to speak to the father of the boy proved futile as he was so distraught and confused to speak.
The body was retriwved last Tuesday in a bad state and was buried that same day.
A former assembly member for Doba Electoral Area, Mr Albert Agamu, expressed shock at the incident, which he said was the first in the area.
A 15-year-old boy from Doba in the Kassena-Nankana District of the Upper East Region drowned in the Anayare River last Sunday after he dived into the water while swimming with some friends.
Matthew Ayaane, a primary five pupil of Doba Primary School, was swimming at about 3 p.m. with his younger brother and another companion when he disappeared.
His brother, Christopher Ayaane, 12, told The Mirror that they left home in the morning of Sunday, August 30, 2009 for their parent’s farm near the river and after working for a while, decided to go for a swim in the rushing river, which tide had risen due to torrential rains experienced in the area the previous night.
Describing the method they use in swimming, Christopher said they stood on top of the bridge spanning the river and dived into the water after which they swam out.
According to the boy, it was after one of those jumps that his brother was swept away.
He said an alarm was raised and that led to the formation of a search team, including the boy’s father, Mr John Ayaane.
When this reporter arrived at the scene at about 3:30 p.m., the search team had not succeeded in retrieving the boy. About an hour later, the search party called off the search because of fading light.
Attempts to speak to the father of the boy proved futile as he was so distraught and confused to speak.
The body was retriwved last Tuesday in a bad state and was buried that same day.
A former assembly member for Doba Electoral Area, Mr Albert Agamu, expressed shock at the incident, which he said was the first in the area.
ASSEMBLY TO DEVELOP TOURIST SITES (MIRROR, PAGE 22)
From Benjamin Xornam Glover, Paga
The Kassena-Nankana West District Assembly has initiated a programme to identify, list and document all tourist sites as part of efforts to fully exploit the tourism potentials in the district.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Thomas Addah Dalu, who said this at the second ordinary meeting of the third session of the assembly at Paga, therefore, appealed to the Assembly members to support the project for the benefit of the district.
“The protection of our existing tourism sites and those yet to be identified should be a collective responsibility of all stakeholders,” he pointed out.
Mr Dalu said already known sites, such as the crocodile ponds, the pottery and arts centre at Sirigu and the Pikoro Slave Camp would receive attention to develop the sites into standard tourist sites to attract more tourists into the district in the short-term.
The DCE said the development of the other identified sites would be done in the medium to long-term depending on the availability of funds.
Mr Dalu said as part of promoting tourism, the assembly in collaboration with relevant stakeholders would organise annual exhibitions for local artisans and craftmakers to market their products.
He said the exhibitions would necessitate the creation of exhibition centres in the district, and which would be sited in areas with comparative advantage in tourism.
The DCE said the assembly would take measures to protect all tourist sites and this include planting of avenue trees around tourist sites, fencing with barbed wires where it is necessary and instituting measures that will prevent encroachment on the lands around the immediate vicinity of the sites.
The Kassena-Nankana West District Assembly has initiated a programme to identify, list and document all tourist sites as part of efforts to fully exploit the tourism potentials in the district.
The District Chief Executive, Mr Thomas Addah Dalu, who said this at the second ordinary meeting of the third session of the assembly at Paga, therefore, appealed to the Assembly members to support the project for the benefit of the district.
“The protection of our existing tourism sites and those yet to be identified should be a collective responsibility of all stakeholders,” he pointed out.
Mr Dalu said already known sites, such as the crocodile ponds, the pottery and arts centre at Sirigu and the Pikoro Slave Camp would receive attention to develop the sites into standard tourist sites to attract more tourists into the district in the short-term.
The DCE said the development of the other identified sites would be done in the medium to long-term depending on the availability of funds.
Mr Dalu said as part of promoting tourism, the assembly in collaboration with relevant stakeholders would organise annual exhibitions for local artisans and craftmakers to market their products.
He said the exhibitions would necessitate the creation of exhibition centres in the district, and which would be sited in areas with comparative advantage in tourism.
The DCE said the assembly would take measures to protect all tourist sites and this include planting of avenue trees around tourist sites, fencing with barbed wires where it is necessary and instituting measures that will prevent encroachment on the lands around the immediate vicinity of the sites.
FLOODS IMMINENT IN 3 NORTHERN REGIONS...As Burkina Faso spills her dams (SPREAD)
THE annual ritual of flooding in the three northern regions as a result of water spillage from hydro dams in Burkina Faso could recur this year, if contingency measures are not executed immediately.
Burkinabe officials issued the early warning on the pending floods yesterday, alerting their Ghanaian counterparts of an imminent spilling of their dams as a result of unusual heavy rains which have begun in that country.
Though the correspondence to the Northern Electricity Department of the Volta River Authority (VRA) and copied to the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council (UERCC) did not give any date for the spillage, it is believed to be immediate.
It indicated that the dams in that country were full and the authorities there would be compelled to open them soon to allow the water to flow into the White Volta which flows through Ghana.
Commenting on the urgency of the situation, the Area Manager of VRA, Mr Alex Papanko, said “when they are sure of the actual date, we shall be informed but it might be at short notice and so we need to prepare”.
In reaction, the UERCC has directed people living along the river banks, especially farmers, to move upstream to avoid any disaster as recorded in the 2007 floods, which destroyed several hectares of farmland, houses and property in the three northern regions and rendered several people homeless.
All the Municipal and District Chief Executives in the region are also to ensure that measures are put in place to avoid any casualty should the excess water from Burkina Faso swell up the river and possibly lead to flooding.
The Regional Office of the National Disaster Management Organisation has also been alerted to enable it to prepare adequately.
The areas most likely to be affected are Binduri, Nagoliga, Natinga and Vokop in the Bawku municipality and Sapeliga, Gogo, Saka and Bazua in the Bawku West District.
The rest are Pwalugu, Wuyimma, Gbimma, Bulbiya, Soo, Kpasinkpe, Logri No 1, Yagaba, Yag-Namoo, Soh-Namoo, Kpatorigu, Fio, Chamma, Salugu and Janga all in the West Mamprusi District.
Burkinabe officials issued the early warning on the pending floods yesterday, alerting their Ghanaian counterparts of an imminent spilling of their dams as a result of unusual heavy rains which have begun in that country.
Though the correspondence to the Northern Electricity Department of the Volta River Authority (VRA) and copied to the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council (UERCC) did not give any date for the spillage, it is believed to be immediate.
It indicated that the dams in that country were full and the authorities there would be compelled to open them soon to allow the water to flow into the White Volta which flows through Ghana.
Commenting on the urgency of the situation, the Area Manager of VRA, Mr Alex Papanko, said “when they are sure of the actual date, we shall be informed but it might be at short notice and so we need to prepare”.
In reaction, the UERCC has directed people living along the river banks, especially farmers, to move upstream to avoid any disaster as recorded in the 2007 floods, which destroyed several hectares of farmland, houses and property in the three northern regions and rendered several people homeless.
All the Municipal and District Chief Executives in the region are also to ensure that measures are put in place to avoid any casualty should the excess water from Burkina Faso swell up the river and possibly lead to flooding.
The Regional Office of the National Disaster Management Organisation has also been alerted to enable it to prepare adequately.
The areas most likely to be affected are Binduri, Nagoliga, Natinga and Vokop in the Bawku municipality and Sapeliga, Gogo, Saka and Bazua in the Bawku West District.
The rest are Pwalugu, Wuyimma, Gbimma, Bulbiya, Soo, Kpasinkpe, Logri No 1, Yagaba, Yag-Namoo, Soh-Namoo, Kpatorigu, Fio, Chamma, Salugu and Janga all in the West Mamprusi District.
KASSENA-NANKANA WEST ASSEMBLY HOLDS MEETING (PAGE 26)
THE Kassena-Nankana West District Assembly has formed a monitoring and security task force to ensure the proper distribution of fertiliser coupons to farmers.
The team has also been empowered to deal with individuals who smuggle the fertiliser, which is highly subsided by the government, and indulge in other crime-related activities, including fuel smuggling to neighbouring countries
The task force has also been empowered to sanction those who are caught in the act.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Thomas Addah Dalu, announced this at the second ordinary meeting of the third session of the assembly at Paga.
He said the task force was chaired by the District Police Commander and its membership composed of representatives from the various security agencies in the district.
Mr Dalu said it was unfortunate that while the government was making every effort to subsidise fertiliser for the benefit of farmers, such efforts were being hampered by the behaviour of some unscrupulous agricultural officers and fertiliser dealers.
According to Mr Dalu, apart from the activities of the agricultural officers and the fertiliser dealers, some individuals also engage in smuggling the fertiliser out of the district, which shares border with Burkina Faso.
He said to deal with the issue of malpractice in the distribution of fertiliser coupons, the district assembly had met with the agricultural officers and outlined modalities for the distribution of the coupons to farmers.
Mr Dalu said under the guidelines, the agricultural officers were required to involve assembly members, chiefs and opinion leaders in the distribution of the coupons at the community level.
He noted with concern that while some officers followed the modalities, others still did what they could to thwart the efficient and transparent distribution of coupons.
The DCE, therefore, called for the support of all assembly members to deal with the menace.
He said one other area the assembly was focusing its attention on was child trafficking which was very rampant in the district, especially in the Kandiga area.
Mr Dalu stated that child trafficking was a criminal activity, and therefore appealed to all assembly members to assist in clamping down on the menace.
“We are in the 21st Century so all forms of human rights abuses should be eliminated through commitment and vigilance from all sections of the society,” he said.
The DCE said as part of its medium to long-term development programme in the district, the assembly had outlined the development of mango plantation, a special guinea fowl project, clearing dams of silt and provision of additional boreholes.
He stated that the assembly intended to acquire land banks for future development, adding that such land banks would facilitate the expropriation of land for projects that needed urgent implementation, particularly donor-driven projects.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr Martin Alichimah, called on the assembly members to take special interest in the activities of revenue collectors in the various zones to broaden the internal revenue generation by the assembly.
The team has also been empowered to deal with individuals who smuggle the fertiliser, which is highly subsided by the government, and indulge in other crime-related activities, including fuel smuggling to neighbouring countries
The task force has also been empowered to sanction those who are caught in the act.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Thomas Addah Dalu, announced this at the second ordinary meeting of the third session of the assembly at Paga.
He said the task force was chaired by the District Police Commander and its membership composed of representatives from the various security agencies in the district.
Mr Dalu said it was unfortunate that while the government was making every effort to subsidise fertiliser for the benefit of farmers, such efforts were being hampered by the behaviour of some unscrupulous agricultural officers and fertiliser dealers.
According to Mr Dalu, apart from the activities of the agricultural officers and the fertiliser dealers, some individuals also engage in smuggling the fertiliser out of the district, which shares border with Burkina Faso.
He said to deal with the issue of malpractice in the distribution of fertiliser coupons, the district assembly had met with the agricultural officers and outlined modalities for the distribution of the coupons to farmers.
Mr Dalu said under the guidelines, the agricultural officers were required to involve assembly members, chiefs and opinion leaders in the distribution of the coupons at the community level.
He noted with concern that while some officers followed the modalities, others still did what they could to thwart the efficient and transparent distribution of coupons.
The DCE, therefore, called for the support of all assembly members to deal with the menace.
He said one other area the assembly was focusing its attention on was child trafficking which was very rampant in the district, especially in the Kandiga area.
Mr Dalu stated that child trafficking was a criminal activity, and therefore appealed to all assembly members to assist in clamping down on the menace.
“We are in the 21st Century so all forms of human rights abuses should be eliminated through commitment and vigilance from all sections of the society,” he said.
The DCE said as part of its medium to long-term development programme in the district, the assembly had outlined the development of mango plantation, a special guinea fowl project, clearing dams of silt and provision of additional boreholes.
He stated that the assembly intended to acquire land banks for future development, adding that such land banks would facilitate the expropriation of land for projects that needed urgent implementation, particularly donor-driven projects.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Mr Martin Alichimah, called on the assembly members to take special interest in the activities of revenue collectors in the various zones to broaden the internal revenue generation by the assembly.
Wednesday, 2 September 2009
SHEANUT PRODUCERS BENEFIT FROM FACILITY (BACK PAGE)
Shea-nut producers at Pusu-Namongo in the Talensi–Nabdam District of the Upper East Region are to benefit from an estimated US$80,000 factory to improve on shea-butter processing in the region.
Trade Akoma Ghana, in collaboration with Akoma International, a United Kingdom-based organisation founded by Mr Angus Klufio, has put up a factory that has the capacity to produce eight metric tonnes of shea-butter a day and two warehouses capable of holding 6,000 bags of shea-nuts each at Pusu Namongo.
Mr Michael Addo, contact person for purchases in the Upper East Region, told the Daily Graphic that Trade Akoma had formed a co-operative society among shea-butter processors on how to pick, store and process shea-nut into butter to meet international standards.
He said due to the disorganised nature of the women who were already involved in the industry, Trade Akoma decided to group and build their capacities on how to pick and process shea-butter.
Mr Addo stated that Trade Akoma specialised in the production of shea-butter from the nuts and was registered as a co-operative organisation and also certified as a fair-trade producer of shea-butter.
He said Akoma Co-operative Multipurpose Society has gained fair-trade certification with Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) of Germany, adding that they also gained organic certification with Soil Association in the United Kingdom, making the organisation the first and the only company in Ghana at present with these two certificates at the same time.
Mr Addo said their driving force for choosing Pusu-Namongo was due to the poverty level of the community in particular and the region, which has 70 per cent of its inhabitants engaged in peasant farming and majority of women gathering shea-nuts from the wild.
“The co-operative believes that with the higher prices and shea-butter on the world market, the future of marginalised women and their families could change if plans are put in place to diversify their efforts in shea processing,” Mr Addo added.
He also hinted they had earmarked the renovation of the Pusu-Namongo Primary School currently in a dilapidated condition to improve the educational needs of children in the community.
The leader of the women’s group at Pusu-Namongo, Madam Juliana Sampana, lauded the intervention of the organisation, which she said had brought some relief to the women.
Trade Akoma Ghana, in collaboration with Akoma International, a United Kingdom-based organisation founded by Mr Angus Klufio, has put up a factory that has the capacity to produce eight metric tonnes of shea-butter a day and two warehouses capable of holding 6,000 bags of shea-nuts each at Pusu Namongo.
Mr Michael Addo, contact person for purchases in the Upper East Region, told the Daily Graphic that Trade Akoma had formed a co-operative society among shea-butter processors on how to pick, store and process shea-nut into butter to meet international standards.
He said due to the disorganised nature of the women who were already involved in the industry, Trade Akoma decided to group and build their capacities on how to pick and process shea-butter.
Mr Addo stated that Trade Akoma specialised in the production of shea-butter from the nuts and was registered as a co-operative organisation and also certified as a fair-trade producer of shea-butter.
He said Akoma Co-operative Multipurpose Society has gained fair-trade certification with Fairtrade Labelling Organisations International (FLO) of Germany, adding that they also gained organic certification with Soil Association in the United Kingdom, making the organisation the first and the only company in Ghana at present with these two certificates at the same time.
Mr Addo said their driving force for choosing Pusu-Namongo was due to the poverty level of the community in particular and the region, which has 70 per cent of its inhabitants engaged in peasant farming and majority of women gathering shea-nuts from the wild.
“The co-operative believes that with the higher prices and shea-butter on the world market, the future of marginalised women and their families could change if plans are put in place to diversify their efforts in shea processing,” Mr Addo added.
He also hinted they had earmarked the renovation of the Pusu-Namongo Primary School currently in a dilapidated condition to improve the educational needs of children in the community.
The leader of the women’s group at Pusu-Namongo, Madam Juliana Sampana, lauded the intervention of the organisation, which she said had brought some relief to the women.
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
RAINS RENDER MANY HOMELESS ...In Builsa District (BACK PAGE)
Hours of heavy rains in the Builsa District have caused some rivers to break their banks and rendered a number of people homeless.
The rains, which started last Friday night, continued to Saturday evening, displacing about 150 people who are now said to be living with close relatives. A number of culverts and bridges, some of which were constructed less than two years ago, have also been washed away.
During a visit to Sandema, the district capital, the officer in charge of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Colbert Yansa, said as a result of torrential rains about 119 people in communities such as Sandema, Siniensi, Wiag and Chuchuliga had all been displaced.
He said some communities like Weisi and Gbedembilisi in the southern parts of the district had all been cut off from the district capital. Mr Yansa said there was the urgent need for the affected people to be supplied with relief items such as blankets, mosquito nets and mattresses to help ameliorate their suffering.
He indicated that his outfit was in the process of writing officially to the national office of NADMO through the Regional Co-ordinating Council for the supply of the necessary aid items.
Meanwhile at Kobdema, a suburb of Sandema, a number of residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic expressed concern about the narrow culverts constructed on some roads in the district. They argued that the size of the culverts were simply unable to contain the huge volumes of water and, therefore, appealed to the government to, as a matter of urgency, replace all the culverts with huge ones to avert such flooding which is gradually turning into a perennial problem.
The Builsa District, which is a low-lying area, is already vulnerable to floods. In 2007 and 2008, the entire district was hit by floods that damaged property and lives.
After a tour of the affected areas last Sunday, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, told the Daily Graphic that the only way to avoid disaster of such nature was for the people to relocate to higher grounds.
In the meantime, he said he would liaise with the NADMO office in Accra to see what could be done immediately to help those displaced.
He also bemoaned the shoddy nature of the work carried out by some contractors on some of the rehabilitated roads, and tasked the supervisors of such contracts to strengthen their supervisory roles to avoid such shoddy works.
Mr Woyongo directed the head of the agency in charge of roads in the region to make provision for the rehabilitation of the roads damaged by the rains,
He was accompanied on the tour by the DCE for Builsa, Mr Norbert Awulley, the Regional Co-ordinator of NADMO, Mr Patrick Akake, the Regional Director of the Ghana Highway Authority, Mr David Hammond, and the Regional Manager of Feeder Roads, Mr Wellington Lanquaye.
The rains, which started last Friday night, continued to Saturday evening, displacing about 150 people who are now said to be living with close relatives. A number of culverts and bridges, some of which were constructed less than two years ago, have also been washed away.
During a visit to Sandema, the district capital, the officer in charge of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr Colbert Yansa, said as a result of torrential rains about 119 people in communities such as Sandema, Siniensi, Wiag and Chuchuliga had all been displaced.
He said some communities like Weisi and Gbedembilisi in the southern parts of the district had all been cut off from the district capital. Mr Yansa said there was the urgent need for the affected people to be supplied with relief items such as blankets, mosquito nets and mattresses to help ameliorate their suffering.
He indicated that his outfit was in the process of writing officially to the national office of NADMO through the Regional Co-ordinating Council for the supply of the necessary aid items.
Meanwhile at Kobdema, a suburb of Sandema, a number of residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic expressed concern about the narrow culverts constructed on some roads in the district. They argued that the size of the culverts were simply unable to contain the huge volumes of water and, therefore, appealed to the government to, as a matter of urgency, replace all the culverts with huge ones to avert such flooding which is gradually turning into a perennial problem.
The Builsa District, which is a low-lying area, is already vulnerable to floods. In 2007 and 2008, the entire district was hit by floods that damaged property and lives.
After a tour of the affected areas last Sunday, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, told the Daily Graphic that the only way to avoid disaster of such nature was for the people to relocate to higher grounds.
In the meantime, he said he would liaise with the NADMO office in Accra to see what could be done immediately to help those displaced.
He also bemoaned the shoddy nature of the work carried out by some contractors on some of the rehabilitated roads, and tasked the supervisors of such contracts to strengthen their supervisory roles to avoid such shoddy works.
Mr Woyongo directed the head of the agency in charge of roads in the region to make provision for the rehabilitation of the roads damaged by the rains,
He was accompanied on the tour by the DCE for Builsa, Mr Norbert Awulley, the Regional Co-ordinator of NADMO, Mr Patrick Akake, the Regional Director of the Ghana Highway Authority, Mr David Hammond, and the Regional Manager of Feeder Roads, Mr Wellington Lanquaye.
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