Floods cut off Garu -Tempane communities(D/G Wednesday, September 12, 2012. Back Page)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Garu A NUMBER of culverts in the Garu-Tempane District of the Upper East Region have been washed off as a result of heavy rains recorded in the area last week. The situation has led to the cutting off of some communities from the district capital due to destruction caused to the feeder roads linking those communities. Among the communities whose access roads have been delinked from Garu, the district capital are Zamballa, Bugri, Kongo, Tariganga, Basyonde, Wimpiesi and Akara. The situation added to the woes of people in these communities especially farmers and traders who now faced with the challenge of carting their produce to the available market centers. One of such roads destroyed in the floods was the Kukzua-Gagbiri feeder road where a culvert constructed in 2008 has been destroyed cutting the road into two. Another is the Basyonde to Kong o road, where another major culvert constructed in 1996 has been washed off rendering the road impassable. Also posing major transportation difficulty in the district is the uncompleted works on a number of culverts on an un-tarred road linking the district to the Bawku Municipality Briefing the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo and the Chief Executive of SADA, Alhaji Gilbert Iddi, who were on a fact finding mission to the district, the District Chief Executive for the area Mr. David Adakudugu said the latest development gives cause for concern since a number of people in affected communities have been cut off from the rest o f the district. Mr. Adakudugu appealed to government to expedite action on the stretch of damaged roads to ameliorate the hardship being faced by the people. Mr. Mark Woyongo, the Upper East Regional Minister said central government will collaborate with SADA to initiate an emergency response to help salvage the situation. For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of SADA, Alhaji Gilbert Iddi promised to forward the concerns of the people to the board of SADA on what urgent action can be taken to remedy the havoc caused “I have the mandate of the SADA board to come here and assess the impact of the flood. I will forward your concerns to the board on what actions can be taken”, he assured. The Regional Director of the Department of Feeder Roads, Samuel Banini said Basyonde-Kongo road has not seen any major rehabilitation since 1996 and echoed the need for prompt action to be taken. He recommended the need for more culverts to be put in place. He said subject to the availability of funds an immediate rehabilitation work will begin. Proposed rehabilitation work on the 12 km stretch of road is estimated to cost GH c 2 million, while that of the Kukzua –Gagbiri road will require between GH c 600,000 and GH c 1 million to rehabilitate Mr. David Akurug, a commercial driver bemoaned the poor state of the Garu to Bawku stretch of road. According to him, the dusty and bumpy nature of the road which is made worse anytime it rains has made driving an unpleasant exercise as drivers have to contend with driving at a cautiously slow pace to avoid damages to their vehicles. He wondered why the construction works on that road, that connects the two districts should be delayed as such and urged the government to give the contractors the needed funds needed to speedily complete the construction works. -End-

New Fire Stations for UE

Story & Pix: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The Upper East Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, (ACFO) Mr. Edwin Blankson has disclosed that a contract has been awarded for the construction of new fire station at Tono near Navrongo while another one will be opened in Garu-Tempane. ACFO Blankson who said this during a tour of the region by members of the Ghana National Fire Service [GNFS] Council indicated that additionally the Bongo fire station is earmarked for upgrading soon. The tour of the region by the council members was to access the performance of the service as well as challenges faces the GNFS in the discharge of its duties. The team was led by its Chairman, Hon. Alhaji Amadu B. Sorogho who indicated that over the past three and half years, government has invested heavily in the service through the supply of logistics such as the new fire tenders that government can take between 2000 and 3000 gallons of water unlike the old tenders. He disclosed that 75 additional modern fire tenders have been procured from India and will soon arrive in the country for distribution. In addition, several firefighting equipment including breathing apparatus, firefighting suits and compressors have also been bought for distribution to the station stressing that all these will give fire service personnel better chances of controlling fires and rescuing victims during fire outbreaks. Addressing personnel of the service in the region, Alhaji Amadu B. Sorogho stressed the need for discipline and dedication to duty. The Chief Fire Officer, Brigadier General J.B. Guyiri told the personnel that much as the management appreciate the fact that knowledge enhancement and development of human resource, things ought to be done within rules and regulations of the service. “The fire service is a professional institution but as I speak to you, the service as we have now does not boast of a single fire engineer. And the terms of conditions tells us that if you want to get higher in the service and access tertiary institution, you should go for a course that is relevant to the GNFS. You do not go a do any course and come and hold the service to ransom with a degree that has nothing to do with fire fighting”, he said. Earlier, members of the Council paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awuni during which, Alhaji Sorogho disclosed that during their visits to some fire service stations across the regions, they realized the lack of both office and residential accommodation for personnel of the service. He therefore appealed to the regional coordinating councils, (RCC) to collaborate with the various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, (MMDAs) to provide shelter for equipment and personnel of the service as well as construct new fire hydrants at strategic locations for refilling during times of fighting fires. Alhaji Sorogho said the Fire Service Council on its own, has released GH c 1 million as rent advances to the over 7000 personnel of the service noting that the amount is inadequate and that government should provide a permanent solution to solve the accommodation problems faced by the service and its personnel. The Deputy Upper East regional minister Mrs. Lucy Awuni commended personnel of the fire service in the region for their performance and assured the council that the RCC will make it a precondition for all municipal and district assemblies to first put in place the necessary structures and shelter to house fire tenders and other firefighting equipment before opening up a fire service station in any district. -End-

TINDONGO AND NAMOALGO SMOKE “PEACE PIPE”(D/G Wednesday, September 12, 2012)

Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The leadership of two communities in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region, Tindongo and Namoalgo which were recently involved in violent communal clash that led to the death of four persons have initiated steps towards the restoration of peace. As a first move, elders of the two communities met over the weekend to perform traditional ceremonies to indicate their resolve to co-exist in peace. The leadership of the two communities under the guidance of the President and Paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Council, at the weekend jointly poured libation to announce their decision to put the effects of conflict and their pains aside, to enable their people co-exist peacefully again. Other rites are expected to be performed jointly to conclude the process towards restoring peace. It will be recalled that the people of Tindongo and Namoalgo clashed on Tuesday June 5, 2012, following tension between the two communities over the ownership of a piece of land. This led to the death of four persons, two from each community. A number of persons were arrested in the aftermath of the violence with some of them facing the courts for disturbing public peace. The Chief of Baare, Naba Sylvester Balangumyetimi who read a statement on behalf of the President and Paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Council at the durbar of Chief and people of the two communities at Namoalgo, called on both side to always use dialogue to settle their misunderstandings and never should they result to the use of weapons and violence to solve their problems. He disclosed that following a series of mediation by a committee instituted by the Talensi Traditional Council, it was concluded that there was the need to smoke the peace pipe with a joint ceremony by the leadership of the two communities. The Council however appealed to Regional Coordinating Council and the to help withdraw the case from the courts for a peaceful settlement by the Traditional Council since it has already started the mediation process toward lasting peace in the area. The Staff Officer at the Regional Police Headquarters, Deputy Superintendent of Police, (DSP), Mr. Charles Obiri commended the two communities for agreeing to settle their difference in the interest of peace and development and expressed the hope that move will mark the beginning of the peace building process. Responding to the request for the withdrawal of the case from Court, DSP Obiri said, much will depend on the level of commitment and dedication toward the peace process initiated. “ after all the case is in court to ensure a peaceful settlement and so if you can assure that you are the position to do that, then your request can be granted. But you must first address all bottle necks that could spark the conflict again”, he said. The Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awuni tasked the Traditional Council to encourage their members to educate their people on the need for tolerance and always use dialogue in settling disputes especially as the nation gradually enters the Political Campaign season. The ceremony was witnessed by Chiefs and Traditional elders from Talensi Traditional Area, as well as the District Chief Executive for the area, Madam Vivian Anafo. -End-

Flooding in Upper East threatens Tomato Factory

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga RISING FLOOD waters from the White Volta river at Pwalugu in the Upper East Region is posing a threat to the Northern Star Tomato Factory (NSTF) formerly Pwalugu Tomato factory in the Upper East Region. Even as the water levels have risen all around the plant, managers of the facility are worried that there is the possibility of the situation escalating, especially as the sluice gates of the Bagre Dam in neighboring Burkina Faso has been opened to allow the flow of excess water due to torrential rains in that country. Precincts of the tomato factory as well as farmlands close to the White Volta River have all been submerged in water. Though the factory is temporarily out of operation due to shortage of raw materials, some facilities such as the distribution panel which supplies power to other parts of the factory had been affected by the flood. The road leading to the factory had been inundated with water should the continuous flow of water persist, some equipment will be lost due to the floods. It will be recalled that on August 24, 2012, authorities in Burkina Faso issued an alert that due to heavy rains in that country, the Bagre Dam has reached it maximum operatinf level requiring a spillage. A delegation led by the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo and the Chief Executive of SADA were in Bagre to witness the spillage. On their return, the tean said only one of the five gates was opened adding that the spillage was being done gradually. A few days after that visit, the rising waters from the spillage coupled with heavy rains in the Upper East Region are causing worries in downstream communities in Ghana. The White Volta River has reached the upper levels of their emergency flood assumptions bursting its banks and flooding major highways at Kobore in the Bawku West District and Pwalugu in the Talensi District. The already silted river is also posing a threat to the bridges spanning the river at Kobore in the Bawku West District and Pwalugu in the Talensi District. Briefing the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Mark Woyongo who toured the Northern Star Tomato Factory (NSTF) to assessed the threat posed by the rising flood waters, The General Manager of the NSTF, Kwabena Darko said the rising flood waters pose a threat the operations of the plant should the situation persist. Mr. Woyongo described the current water level as a disaster, considering devastating effect on lives and property including farmlands. The Regional Coordinator of National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Mr. Patrick Akake has reiterated calls for people living along water bodies as well as those occupying low lying areas to move to safer grounds till the rainy season is over. He said NADMO, is under resourced and cannot shoulder interventions alone. He therefore appealed to institutions and agencies to complement the effort of NADMO and the government by attending to flood victims in times of needs. In a related development, NADMO officials are expected to carry out an assessment of communities in the Bolgatanga municipality who were is severely affected by last Wednesday floods which also claimed one life. -End-

NADMO officials assess damage caused by floods(Saturday, September 8, 2012. page 3)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga Officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), in the Upper East Region are carrying out assessment in various communities in the Upper East Region hit by floods last Wednesday in order to extend help to those severely affected. Over six hours of torrential rains in parts of the region rendered thousands of people especially those in low lying communities homeless as their homes where inundated by volumes of water. Some communities such as Dacheo were cut off from Bolgatanga, the regional capital as the bridge that connected the communities to the capital had been washed away. The deceased was crossing an overflowing bridge with a donkey when the flood water carried him away. He was later found dead.One person, who attempted to cross the bridge died in the floods The Bolgatanga Municipal Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization, Mr. Timothy Anas, gave the name of the deceased as Abaane Kologo. Other communities such as Nyariga, Zuarungu-Moshe and Tindonsobligo were said to be hardest hit as they were completely cut off from the rest of the communities and the regional capital, Bolgatanga following the collapse of the culverts linking the community to the Bolgatanga Township. At Kobore in teh Bawku West District, the White Volta burst it banks and flooded farmlands closed to the river while the road linking Bawku and Zebilla was rendered impassable for several hours. The heavy rains in the region on Wednesday, which started at 6 am in the morning and lasted till 3pm in the afternoon and this has come to aggravate the recent spillage of the water from the Bagre Dam. The Regional Coordinator of NADMO Mr. Patrick Akake told the Daily Graphic that his organisation has deployed personnel into the field to collate data on all those who have been affected and said as much as possible effects will be made to extend assistance them depending on the resources available to them. Mr. Akake said last week, a full load of truck with relief items was received but those items would only be distributed when full assessment of the situation was conducted. He advised farmers whose crops had been submerged not to attempt to harvest such crops because they may be risking with their lives. At Tindonsobligo in the Bolgatanga Municipality, some residents told the Daily Graphic that they had to seek refuge with family members elsewhere in town as the flood waters submerged their rooms. “It was a terrifying sight. I had to quickly resettle my family members with some relatives in other parts o f the municipality as soon as I realised the water had risen up enough to cause havoc”, said Issah Abass a resident in the area told this paper. “As you can see, most of our personnel effects such as television sets, mattress, books etc are all soaked up in water. We simply have to wait for the water to drain to know the extent of damage”, he added. One observation made by this reporter was that most of the houses affected in the Bolgatanga Municipality were those in low lying communities which is noted for perennial flood disaster in the region. -End-

NLA donate to Bolga Regional Hospital

Story & Pix: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The Upper East Regional Office of the National Lottery Authority, (NLA), has donated assorted items to the Maternity Unit of the Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga. The items include 50 pieces of bed sheets with pillow cases, 10 gallons of multipurpose detergents and 10 packets of toilets rlls. Presenting the items, the Regional Sales Manager of the NLA, Mr. John Joseph Dassah said the gesuture forms part of the organisation’s 50th anniversary celebration adding that although the government and management of the facility were doing all they could to provide for the needs of the inmates of the hospital, especially the maternity unit, there were still certain things the patients required to make life comfortable for them. He gave the assurance that the donation will not be a none-day wonder but rather a beginning of a a fruitful partnership between the NLA and the facility. Receiving the items on behalf o f the hospital, the Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr. Peter Baffoe, expressed appreciation to NLA for the support adding that the hospital management appreciates such gestures which go a long way to support health service delivery in the region. -end-

Bolgatanga communities flooded(Friday, September 7, 2012. page 30)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga Some low lying communities in the Bolgatanga Municipality on Wednesday were once again submerged in water after over seven hours of rainfall. In suburbs such as Tindonsobligo, and houses as well as business were inundated with water, with residents unsure what fate awaits them. The rains started at about 6am on Wednesday morning and at the time of filing this report, it had showed no sign of abating. Mr. Patrick Akake, the Regional Coordinator of the National Disaster Management Organisation, (NADMO) told the Daily Graphic on phone that he has received information that at Dachio, a bridge linking the town and parts of Bolgatanga has been cut off. He said NADMO has deplored a team to the field to access the extent of damage caused. Meanwhile, some residents of Tindonsobligo to the Daily Graphic that they had to vacate their rooms as the volume of water increased and destroyed personal effects. One of the resident said he had to evacuate his family members in other parts of the municipality while a further assessment is made of the damage caused. The rains did not affect only business activities in the municipality and school attendance but also interrupted the ongoing exhibition of the Biometric Voters Registration exercise. -End-

Deputy Minister tours schools

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awuni on Tuesday toured a number of schools in the Bolgatanga Municipality to joined pupils in observed "My First day at school". The toured offered an opportunity for new pupils to be welcomed and encouraged to attend school at the beginning of a new school year. The Deputy Regional Minister was accompanied by the Municipal Chief Executive for Bolgatanga, Mr. Edward Ayagle and officials of the Municipal education directorate. At the Durugu Primary School, a total of 113 newly admitted primary one pupil comprising 56 boys and 57 girls reported for school. Welcoming them, the Deputy Regional Minister urged the teachers to create a good atmosphere for the children since it was only through that that the children will be motivated to come to school regularly. Drinks and concessionaries were distributed to the newly admitted students to motivate them. In a related development, AfriKids Ghana, a child rights organization working in Upper East to alleviate child suffering and povertya has distributed 210 pairs of footwear to pupils of the school. The donations were made possible by a United States based footwear manufacturing company, TOMS SHOES as part of their social responsibility to provide shoes to children in many developing countries, who walk barefoot for miles to school. The gesture is to prevent children from injury, infection and soil-transmitted diseases The Director of Programme, Mr. David Pwalua said the gesture extends schools in communities in the NGO’s operational area in the region including, Bolgatanga, Talensi-Nabdam. Bongo and Kassena Nankana West districts “We believe that this is supposed to be the beginning of a brighter future for all the children. In the past, efforts were not made to ensure that children came to school on the very first day. We are working together with the community leaders and education campaigners to ensure that children are in school and stay in school. He expressed the hope that the gesture will go a long way to encourage the children to stay in school, learn hard and become responsible adults in future. -End-

Revive interest in Agric in schools(Saturday September 8, 2012) page 19

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The Agriculture Educators and Trainers’ Association Of Ghana (AETAG), has called for the re-examination of the declining interest in agriculture at Senior High Schools, Colleges of Education, polytechnics and university faculties. The National President of AETAG, Mr Isaac Asiegbor said this at the association’s 24th annual general conference and workshop held at Bolgatanga in the upper east region. AETAG is a professional association of agriculture teachers at all levels. “One wonders why the interests of our youth in agriculture are not aroused at the basic and secondary school levels in our institutions but delayed to National Service time when some youth are made to go into farming as a business through the Youth In Agriculture Programme”, he said “Why are we ‘killing’ agricultural skill acquisition at the Basic and Senior High school levels only to re-surface at the time when our youth should be adopting the skills for large scale agri-business to create employment for themselves and others?”, He said although the national development plan identifies agriculture as a tool for poverty reduction and wealth creation, there appears to be no policy backing agricultural education and training to provide the type of training that will enable graduates from various levels of the education to participate in the agricultural economic activities effectively to reduce poverty. “Agricultural education deals directly with the development of agricultural human capital. But in order to do that effectively, human capital roles need to be apportioned to the various levels of the education and training system. Again society must change attitude to careers in the agricultural sector, invest capital in it for young people and consume the agricultural products emanating from the process. The absence of such a national vision produces unskilled graduates which is the recipe for unemployment”. He said Mr. Asiegbor suggested that for Agricultural Education and Training in Ghana to contribute to eradicating youth unemployment, there is the need for establishment of a National Development Plan which will spell out clearly the employment avenues and career paths at every level of agricultural training and education. He also called for the initiation of a Youth In Agriculture programme involving in-school youth to sustain their interest in profession even after school. Mr. Cletus Achaab, Upper East Regional Director of Food and Agriculture, in a speech read on his behalf by Alhaji Musbahn Ahmed, Bongo District Director of Agriculture Parental and societal attitudes also count a lot in attracting the youth into agriculture. He said there is therefore, the need for social-engineering programmes in agriculture for in-school young people to enable them generate and sustain interest in agriculture. The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awuni said that government is investing in the agriculture sector through programmes such as the Youth in Agriculture programme but although the programme has demonstrated successes in block farming and tended to increase the interest of young university graduates in farming, youth unemployment in rural areas is on the increase while rural-urban migration is on the increase. She said agriculture is not seen as business by most farmers, while agricultural production is full of drudgery and associated with low productivity. To reduce some of these constraints, she said the implementation strategies such as the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA), 2O1O – 2013 plan has indentified the need to conduct human resource surveys and prepare human resource plans at all levels, improve and produce labour market and human resources statistics, provide adequate resources and incentives for human resource development and finally, improve remuneration structure. She therefore expressed the hope that the implementation of the above policy and many others in the GSGDA will help drive the agricultural development programmes in Ghana. -End-

SSNIT gets though on Directors for establishments who have defaulted in payment of workers' contribution

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The Bolgatanga Branch Manager of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), Mr. Charles Antwi-Bosiako has asked owners of establishments to ensure regular and prompt payment of their employee’s contributions to the Trust. This he said was necessary to provide the employees with secured income on retirement. Mr. Antwi-Bosiako gave the advice in an interview with the Daily Graphic at Bolgatanga after the Trust succeeded in retrieving an amount of GH c 4, 599.68 out of a total of GH c 7,594.35 owed it by owners of eight establishments operating in Bolgatanga Municipality in the Upper East Region for defaulting in the payments of their workers' contribution to the Trust through a court action. Following the indebtedness of the establishments to SSNIT, the Trust took legal action in court against the eight establishments which led to the retrieval of the amount. However, two establishments operating in Municipality have defaulted in the payments of their workers' contribution to the Trust but failed to appear in court on Monday, September 3, 2012 had a bench warrant issued for the arrest of the directors. The two establishments are Polestar Hospitality Services and Aneden Enterprise who are alleged to have failed to pay contributions of their staff and failing to appear in court. The total indebtedness of these two defaulting establishments amounted to GH ¢1, 480.26 and they are legally responsible to pay an additional GH C 334.78 as penalty for their inaction. Mr. Antwi-Bosiako explained that SSNIT does not take delight in in prosecuting organizations that had defaulted in the payment of their workers contributions in court but would do so if such organization refused to act promptly to its demand notice letters served them. He said the interest of clients of the Trust was fundamental and supreme to its existence and appealed to organizations, departments and agencies operating under the SSNIT pension to abide by the rules and regulations of the Pensions Act,2008 (Act 766) He explained that under the current National Pensions Act, 2008 (Act 766), employers were obliged to pay their workers contributions to the Trust by 14th of the ensuing month to help avert the payment of penalties. Mr. Foster Adjei, a prosecutor of the Trust warned that SSNIT would not relent in its efforts to compel organizations, departments and agencies through legal actions to retrieve all unpaid workers contributions to the fund. Mr. Adjei said the Trust the Trust has put in place favorable condition of payment for defaulters to negotiate settlement of their arrears and urged all employers to take advantage of the package in order not to push the Trust to the wall to take legal action against them. -End-

UE PPP optimistic about chances in 2012 polls

Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga

The Upper East Regional Branch of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), is confident of breaking the dominance of the NDC in the region by winning a number of parliamentary seats in the 2012 elections. Speaking to the Daily Graphic at Bolgatanga, the party’s regional communication director, Mr. Raphael N. Kpinn said the PPP has parliamentary candidates in nine out of the thirteen constituencies in the region. According to him, the PPP will contest the Bolgatanga Central, Bongo, Navrongo Central, China-Paga, Builsa South, Talensi, Nabdam, Zebilla and Garu-Tempane seats. He however indicated that efforts are underway by the party to file candidates in the remaining four constituencies in the region as when as the yet to be legalize two newly created ones. Mr. Kpinn said the PPP though one of the newest parties on the block is working seriously on the ground to gain acceptance among the electorate. He said when given the nod to lead the country, the PPP will transform the development of the country. To ensure the success of the party in its quest to capture as many seats in the region as possible, Mr. Kpinn said the party has embarked on grassroots campaigning including, hut-to-hut, village to village, community-to- community to educate the elaborate on its polices, stressing that “we in PPP do not believe in massing or bussing of people to rallies and campaigns or dishing out of monies to people to attend rallies”. “We are talking to the people and selling out our campaign messages which is prosperity in peace. We believe that we are position to bring about the real change that the Ghanaian desires”., he said. “The PPP is going to administer this country with a sense of urgency. We are going to tacke issues and solve problems. These are not mere rhetoric’s but a committed on our part led by party’s founder, Paa Kwesi Nduom to ensure that this country is developed.”, he added. -End-

Bolgatanga: Low turnout characterized Day 1 and 2 of Exhibition of Biometric Voters Register

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The first two days of the ongoing exhibition of the Biometric Voters Register in the Bolgatanga central constituency of the Upper East Region was characterized by low turnout by prospective voters. A visit to about twenty exhibition centers out of the over 130 polling stations in the Bolgatanga Municipality showed an average of about 20 persons turning up to verify their details in the new voters register on day one of the exercise which is being carried out by the Electoral Commission. For instance, at about 1 pm on Saturday when the Daily Graphic got to the House of Chiefs exhibition center only 15 people out of 607 registered voters had come to check their details. Mr. Vincent Atoringe the Exhibition Officer at centre said being the first day of the 10 day exercise, such low turnout are to be anticipated. He said being the farming season,most of the people might have gone to their farms but was optimistic that as the days go by, attendance will improve. At the Presby Primary A center, the officer in charge said on day one of the exercise , 33 people out of a total of 779 registered voters had come to check their details. The situation at centre B of the same exhibition centre was rather not encouraging. Out of a total o 305 registered voters, only 7 had come to check their details. A heavy downpour on Sunday which started at dawn right through the morning to the afternoon affected turnout as a visit to some more centers saw exhibition officers in a relaxed mode due the absent of people to check their details. In spite of the low turnout in the first few days of the exercise, Mr Oscar Apemah, Bolgatanga Municipal Director of Electoral Commission, said from the point of view of his outfit, the average of 20 to 25 voters on the first day of the exercise was encouraging. He was however optimistic that the remaining days will see many people turning up to check and correct any anomaly in th new biometric voters register. -end-

Stick to elections rules and regulations

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga Nurses and Midwives in the Upper East Region have called on all stakeholders in this year’s general elections to play their respective roles according to the rules of the game to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections. The Regional Chairman of the of the Ghana Registered Nurses Association, (GRNA), Mr. Samuel A. Akolgo who made the call a forum to mark international Nurses Week Celebration at Bolgatanga said it was important for Ghanaians to tread cautiously in order not to plunge the nation into chaos. “Politicians must be reminded that even if they win an election in a war torn country, it will be extremely difficult for them to implement their manifestoes and that is why tolerance and genuine commitment to peace must be the guiding principle for all”, he said. The theme for the celebration was “Nurses and Midwifes advocating for peaceful election”, and had in attendance representatives of political parties who all pledge to pursue a peaceful campaign to keep the unity of the region in particular and the nation as a whole. Touching on the contribution of nurse to health delivery in the region, Mr. Samuel Akolgo commended members for contributing to the health delivery system and making basic quality healthcare accessible to all citizens. While commending the Regional Health Directorate, heads of training institution for their contribution to the improvement of the health sector, he bemoaned the lack of basic things such as proper demonstration rooms as well as teaching and learning aids in training institution which he said poses a threat to the track record of excellence and called for a redress. Mr. Akolgo also encourage members be mindful of the Patient Charter and uphold the highest level of professionalism and patient dignity in the discharge of your duties at the various stations. The Regional Chairman of the GRNA also complained about what he said was some unfair labour practice and abuse of the rights of its members adding that this infringement are in contravention of the labour law and industrial relations in Ghana. Some of these infringement he said included denial of annual leave, unequal opportunity for members to develop their human resources by way of training and retaining of workers, therefore, appealed to managers of the health system to critically look at the situation. “We as an association have over the years overlooked some of these infringements because the leadership also appreciates the difficulties managers to go through trying make do of the few nurse and midwives. This time round we will resist any attempt to disregard our rights as workers”, he said. He disclosed that the association in the region has a plot of land at Pusu-Namongo at a cost of GH c 11,000 for a regional hostel project. The Upper East Regional Director of the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice, (CHRAJ), Mr. Kenneth Adabayeri who also spoke on the role of nurses and midwives in caring and advocating for a peaceful elections said in order to ensure a peaceful elections, nurses and midwifes as an enviable group would have to live above partisanship and stick to their pledge of non-discrimination and care for the sick and wounded. -End-

Water Resources Commission(WRC) trains Police Prosectors

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The Water Resources Commission(WRC) has organized a day’s training programme for police prosecutors on Integrated Water Resource Management and Water Laws and Regulations. The training which was attended by 30 police prosecutors selected from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, was organized to provide the relevant information to law enforcers with the view to equipping them with the relevant laws that govern the use and management of the White Volta basin. The Volta basin is the main and largest shared water resource between Ghana and Burkina Faso. The Water Resources Commission (WRC) was established by an Act of Parliament (Act 522 of 1996) as the overall body responsible for water resources management (governance) in Ghana. The commission is specifically to regulate and manage the utilization of water resources, and co-ordinate relevant government policies. Mr. Ben Ampomah, Executive Secretary of the Water Resources Commission (WRC) said in the past the commission has sought to embark on public education to sensitize people along the basin not to engage in acts that could pose a threat to the water resources. He said in a bid to help improve the shared responsibility for managing the resource, the commission thought it wise to build a partnership with the law enforcement officers and equip them with the relevant legal instrument for the management and use of the water body. “We have come to a point where we think that we have to bring in an element of enforcement to ensure the protection, conservation, restoration and rational use of water resources”, he said. Mrs. Bernadette Araba Adjei, Legal Officer of the WRC took the participants through the Water Resource Commission laws and regulations, Act 522 of 1996 and the Water Use Regulations 2001, LI 1692. She explained that among many other provisions, under Section 13 of Act 522, no person shall, divert, dam store abstract or use water resources or construct or maintain any works for the use of water resources except on accordance with the WRC Act. This, she explained is a crucial part of the Act that needs strict enforcement and therefore appealed for the cooperation of the police prosecutors in the effort to prosecute offenders of the Ghana’s water resources management laws. Resource persons at the workshop included Mrs. Adwoa Dako, Public Relation Officer of the Water Resource Commission and Mr. Aaron Aduna, White Volta Basin Officer. -End-