Alcohol menace in Upper East Region?

Published on Friday, September 27, 2013 Page 23 It is the latest craze in town. Drinking bars are springing up across the region with such rapidity and that is a worry to many residents. The rate at which bars and drinking joints are springing up in different parts in the Bolgatanga municipality indicates that more residents are not only looking for ways to burn stress, but are also promoting alcoholism. The situation has become alarming to the extent that hardly does one move beyond a stone-throw in the municipality without seeing a drinking bar. The fact is that along all the major streets and other parts of the municipality, the operation of bars and joints have become a choice business. And the owners of these facilities are from varied backgrounds. While some are politicians and retired civil servants; others are businessmen. Sad to say, the clientele these joints attract are mainly the youth, even though adults also patronise these joints. If the adage, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”, is something to go by, then one will argue that “breaking a bottle or two”, to put it in street parlance, after a hard day’S work is not a bad idea, but it appears the situation is going overboard and many have linked the spread of alcoholism to the poverty in the region. Alcohol consumption is among the factors that contribute to poverty in the region and this trend needs to be changed. Apart from the local brew, pito, which many think is medicinal, most of the youth are heavily engaged in the consumption of hard liquor such as ”akpeteshie” and smoking of marijuana. The Regional Coordinator of Psychiatry, Mr Peter Akagwire, in an interview reiterated the fact that substance abuse including excessive alcohol intake and smoking of marijuana is on the rise in the region but those engaged in the act did not seek assistance. He added that family members were also not supportive in helping to seek assistance for addicted persons. Standard of Education The Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, at a recent meeting with members of the Christian Council of Ghana attributed the falling standards of education in the region to the high incidence of alcoholism among teachers. According to him, alcoholism was ‘eating up’ most of the teachers, adding that “about 70 per cent of the teachers in this region are alcoholics. They do not even go to work. Even if they are in the classroom, they are drunk. How can you get somebody in this state to perform in the classroom and deliver the goods?” the regional minister quizzed. Extreme poverty Delivering a keynote address recently at a youth empowerment seminar in Bolgatanga, Rev. Eastwood Anaba identified alcoholism and two Other factors -polygamy and idolatry – as the main factors that contributed to extreme underdevelopment of the Upper East Region. He bemoaned the fact that the region is ranked as the poorest in Ghana, the same region is noted to be the number one region in terms of alcohol consumption. “Pito is brewed everywhere and akpeteshie flows incessantly. You do not get pito and akpeteshie free of charge. You spend money on it”, he said. He opined that the Upper East Region was the richest, going by its resources and that if the alcoholics could change their lifestyles and habits and channel their resources in the right direction, the region could change the trend of its economic growth. Effects Excessive drinking of alcohol, health experts have warned could lead to brain impairment. This is because regular heavy drinking interferes with some essential components of the brain that are needed for good mental health. On the other hand, high levels of alcohol could as well contribute to one’s feeling of depression and anxiety and makes stress harder to deal with. Solution Municipal and district assemblies provide communities with recreational facilities in order to disengage the youth from social vices such as alcoholism and marijuana. Apart from regulating the siting of metal containers in the Bolgatanga Municipality as was indicated recently when some shops, including drinking spots without business operating licence were demolished by the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly, it should be possible for heavy taxes to be imposed on all alcoholic drinks as a way of discouraging alcoholism. Again, as much as possible, health professionals should be well resourced to give intensive health education and counselling on drug and substance abuse to victims to help curb the problem. Parents, teachers, religious leaders, chiefs and politicians must all come on board to help address the high consumption of alcohol in the region, particularly among the youth, for as the cliché goes, they are the future leaders. By Benjamin Xornam Glover/Daily Graphic/Ghana http://graphic.com.gh/General-News/alcohol-menace-in-upper-east-region.html

Bongo Assembly endorses Ayamdoo as DCE

Published on September 26, 2013 Page 19 The Bongo District Assembly has endorsed Mr Alexis A. Ayamdoo, as District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area. All the 52 members of the assembly voted to approve the President’s nominee, who has since resigned his position as the Presiding Member for the Bongo District Assembly. The election was supervised by the Electoral Commission (EC), which was represented by Mr Azu Bosco Anyigire. Assembly members and well-wishers of Mr Ayamdoo, who filled the assembly hall to capacity, went into jubilation after his endorsement. Mr Ayamdoo, who was immediately sworn into office by the Bongo District Magistrate, Madam Vivian Yamusah, in an acceptance speech, thanked the President for his nomination and the assembly members for the confidence reposed in him, and pledged to work tirelessly with the assembly members and the assembly staff to ensure that all the resources of the assembly were explored and used judiciously to bring about some level of progress at Bongo. The Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru, commended the assembly members for setting aside their political differences and rallying behind the nominee by endorsing him, stressing it demonstrated their commitment to propel the development agenda of the area. Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru asked the DCE and the assembly members to close their ranks and work harder to provide the development needs of the people. He advised the DCE to adopt an open door policy, develop a listening ear and consult those who matter and serve everybody who needed his services in order to bring about development. The Upper West Regional Minister, Dr Ephraim Avea Nsoh, a native of the district, who observed the process, commended the assembly members for endorsing the nominee and urged all to work in unity to develop the district. Earlier, the regional minister interacted with heads of decentralized department during which he expressed worry over attitudes of some public and civil service workers who were portraying a negative stance towards the development of the nation. Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru, who was scheduled to meet the heads of department ahead of the confirmation programme, called on the workers in the district to change their attitudes towards work and develop a sense of urgency and hard work to provide quality service to the nation. He said the casual approach towards work, lack of respect for time, reporting late for work and knocking off early from work had greatly affected the development of the country, stressing that must stopped. By Benjamin Xornam Glover/Daily Graphic/Ghana http://graphic.com.gh/Politics/bongo-assembly-endorses-ayamdoo-as-dce.html

Bagre Dan spillage begins today(Monday, September 23, 2013)

Published in the Daily Graphic on Monday, September 23, 2013 Page 29) Water from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso will be spilled today. A flood alert issued by the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council (UERCC) said reports received from the authorities of the Bagre Dam indicated that the spillage exercise, done annually, will be carried out in two phases. The first phase is today while the date for the second phase would be communicated to the public as and when it becomes necessary. The UERCC has, as it does yearly, called on people living in low-lying and flood-prone areas in the Upper East Region to evacuate to safe grounds to avoid loss of lives and property during the spillage periods, since this could lead to flooding. The consequences of the spillage on the northern part of Ghana would normally be felt after 48 hours when the spillways are opened. In the alert the UERCC urged all people living close to tributaries of the White Volta, especially those farming near or fishing in the White Volta River and those whose houses are located in low lying areas within the flow parameters of the river, to be cautions and watch out for water levels in the river and avoid being swept away by flood waters. For nearly 10 years now, communities along the White Volta River in the Upper East Region have had to bear the brunt of flooding due to the annual spillage of water from the Bagre Dam, which was completed in 1992. Pwalugu Dam As part of interventions to halt the devastation this spillage causes to inhabitants, the Volta River Authority is considering the possible construction of a multi-purpose dam at Pwalugu to hold the water for both hydroelectric power generation and irrigation farming. These interventions, if successful, will improve the lives of the people and reduce poverty in the catchment area. 2007 Experience In 2007, the Government of Ghana had to declare a state of emergency in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions. That incident affected over 300,000 people and caused the death of nearly 50 people. Some 35,000 houses, 1,500 kilometres of road and thousand hectares of crops were destroyed. The government made an appeal to the international community for assistance for the reconstruction of flood-devastated areas. NADMO Alert In a related development, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) on Wednesday, September 18, 2013, alerted residents in 265 communities to the possible spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso, following the rise in the water level of the dam. Seventy-seven of the communities, with a population of 155,000, are in West Mamprusi, Savelugu Nanton, Kumbungu, Tolon, Gonja North, Central Gonja and West Gonja districts, all in the Northern Region, while 57 communities with a population of 105,000 are in the Bawku-East, Bawku Municipality, Talensi, Nabdam, Bawku-West, Binduri and Pusiga districts in the Upper East Region. Other 131 communities will also be affected by the spillage. These are communities with a population of 172,704, in the Lambushie-Karni, Sisala West, Wa East, Wa West, Wa Municipality, Nadowli and Jirapa districts in the Upper West Region. A release issued by the NADMO said the water in the Bagre Dam was likely to be spilled because the water in the dam had reached a critical level of 235m that called for the spillage. According to the release, the water level had reached 232m, a situation which had persisted for the past 10 days. The NADMO, therefore, pleaded for co-operation from all sectors of the society, especially the chiefs, opinion leaders and people of the possible affected areas, in dealing with the situation before, during and after the spillage. The statement further entreated the public to listen to and follow advice from the NADMO and other experts. The release also called on women who hunted for wild-nuts and firewood to be circumspect when embarking on such ventures and should stay away from such ventures when they saw signs of flooding. Children within the affected communities have also been advised to desist from going to the bush unaccompanied. graphic.com.gh/General-News/bagre-dam-spillage-begins-today.html‎

Legal Resources Centre holds forum on how to ensure affordable premium in the Bongo District.

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bongo Participants at a stakeholders meeting to map out measures to ensure affordable premiums for rural and informal sector population in the Bongo district of the Upper East Region have identified extreme poverty as accounting for some people’s failure to enroll unto the scheme. They are therefore advocating for the expansion of the various government social safety net programmes, improvement of the local economy, change in lifestyles on the part of the people, yearly fundraising programmes by the various communities and intense public sensitization to help get a lot more people enroll and get access to health care. Other recommendation made by participants is the need for the MP for the area to use at least one per cent of his share of the Common Fund to register people, support from NGOs. The stakeholders particularly the traditional rulers also proposed that the premium of the NHIS be reviewed downwards from GH c 8.00 to Gh c 5 Ghana, adding that apart from the Gh c 8.00 they pay, they still pay for administrative cost of Ghc 4.00 making it 12 Ghana cedis. The stakeholder’s forum which was organized the Legal Resources Centre(LRC) with support from STAR-Ghana under the “Right to Health” project was aimed at increasing the uptake of rural and informal sector populations unto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in six communities in the Bongo and West Mamprusi Districts of the Upper East and Northern. Participants at the forum included staff of Bongo office of NHIS, the Bongo District Health Directorate, the Social Welfare Department, the District Assembly, Traditional authorities and Assembly persons Mr Samsom Akanpigbiam of the LRC noted that a research study carried out in the Bongo District revealed that one of the critical issues facing the community based NHIS registration and renewal system for rural and informal populations was the high rate of poverty among the community members. He said the lack of money to register and renew cards due to poverty came out strongly in their work adding that another major finding was that the premium is high for People with Disability (PWDs) and the poor in general. Mr Akanpigbiam said following on the major findings in the selected communities about the high rate of poverty among the community members and community members’ perception of the premiums being charged by the NHIS as high for them, the forum was organized to discuss how to ensure affordable premium for the selected communities. The Bongo District Manager of the NHIS Manager, Mr. Clement Agana Ayamga said although the scheme offers premium –free incentives to pregnant women, indigents and children below the ages of five, many more people who forms part of the informal sector of the populations in the district are unable to afford the premiums and renewals. He added that even though the scheme has maintained the premium of GH 7.2 since the scheme started operations in the district in 2004, a lot more people are enrolling due to the deprived nature of the district. Mr Ayamga disclosed that in July this year, the Scheme in collaboration with the World Bank organized a registration free of charge of over 11, 000 people captured as indigents. He however expressed the fear as to how that can be sustained since it was clear that the people have not gotten used to paying their annual NHIS premium and renewal. He said once the scheme has grown to become the major instrument for financing health care in the country, a lot more efforts need to put in to ensure sustenance. The District Coordinating Director for Bongo, Mr Jasper Adenyo, advocated a change in lifestyles and habits such as alcoholism and rather channels their resources into issues of health care and education. “People are quick to say we are poor. Poverty is relative. Visit the homes of most of our people and see the number of livestock and guinea fowls they have. Why can’t they sell at least one fowl to cater for their premiums? Instead what do we see, on market days, people ride their bicycles to market and can make the return journey home because they are drunk. If they can channel some of these resources into other sectors, they can turn around their poverty”. -End- Writer’s email: benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh Quick Read Ø The lack of money to register and renew cards due to poverty has been identified as a major setback for the uptake of NHIS in Bongo District. Ø Another major finding was that the premium is high for People with Disability (PWDs) and the poor in general. Ø A study carried out by the Legal Resource Centre among others is the need for waiver of registration and renewal of premiums for the rural and informal sector population in order to get such populations on to the NHIS.

Navrongo Municipal Assembly endorses President’s nominee ON 21 SEPTEMBER 2013.

Mr Mark WoyongoMembers of the Kassena-Nankana East Municipal Assembly in the Upper East Region have voted to confirm Dr Stanislaus Alu Kadingdi as Municipal Chief Executive (MCE). Dr Kadingdi, a teacher with International Development background, polled 33 votes, representing 67 per cent, as against 16 votes against his nomination. The election was supervised by the Electoral Commission (EC), which was represented by Mr Bruce Ayisi, the Regional Director, and his Deputy, Mr Azu Bosco Anyigire. The MCE elect was immediately sworn into office by the Navrongo District Magistrate, Mrs Comfort A. Apalayine. In his post-endorsement speech, Dr Kadingdi expressed his appreciation to the President for nominating him and the assembly members for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to work harmoniously with the assembly members and the various technocrats in the Municipal Assembly to fast track the much needed development agenda for the municipality. “I am a team worker, and I entreat all of you to work with me to explore new areas and then together we will develop the municipality. As a house, we must in spite of our differences find common grounds, negotiate and build trust to ensure that the municipality does not pay the price in the quest to get things our way at all cost,” he said. Dr Kandingdi promised to operate an open-door policy and therefore called on all assembly members, heads of decentralised agencies and departments and traditional rulers to give him the needed support to succeed in dealing with some of the development challenges confronting the municipality. The Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Daniel Syme, advised the MCE elect to build bridges and reach out to the entirety of the assembly, if he is to succeed in his new appointment. He said municipality lagged behind in development due to the fact that funds, such as the Common Fund, DDF and the Urban Grant which were meant to support the assembly to pursue development programmes, had been held back because of the absence of a substantive MCE. Mr Syme said with the successful endorsement of the MCE, development programmes would be rolled out for the benefit of the people. He urged the MCE elect not to lord his position over the people but constantly make room to listen to their concerns, consult widely before taking any major decision and forge unity in the municipality. The Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central and Minister for Defence, Mr Mark Woyongo, commended the assembly members for endorsing the nominee. He appealed to the assembly members to, in the interest of the Navrongo Municipality, put their differences aside and work together as a house. He said deliberations in the house must be devoid of partisan politics and rather be focused more on how to develop Navrongo and its environs. “Navrongo is crying for development. Now that Navrongo is a municipality, we need to work to justify that status,” Mr Woyongo added. He announced some development projects which had been lined up for the municipality, the major one being the drainage system for the area, which is currently in a deplorable state. He said as MP, he had been able to secure the approval for the rehabilitation of the drainage system in the municipality. The MP said he had also been able to secure an ambulance for the Kologo Health Centre and was expecting an amount of GH¢440 million to rehabilitate the health centre and provide accommodation for staff so that arrangements could be made for a permanent doctor to be stationed there to serve communities in the southern corridor of the municipality, which are all far from the Navrongo Hospital. He said as MP he was pushing hard for the upgrading of the Navrongo–Naaga road to ease travelling on that corridor. He also announced that a school building project had also been earmarked for Doba to provide a comfortable environment for teaching and learning. He pledged to work closely with assembly members and take on board some of their recommendations and appealed to the assembly members to work as a team and channel their development needs through the Presiding Members in order to prioritise their concerns to bring development to the people. By Benjamin Xornam Glover/Daily Graphic/Ghana http://graphic.com.gh/Politics/navrongo-municipal-assembly-endorses-presidents-nominee.html

Minister rejects ‘no consultation’ claim

Published in the Daily Graphic on 12 September 2013 The Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, has debunked assertions that the Bawku Central Constituency executive members were not consulted before the nomination of Mr Amadu I.W.Karimu as Municipal Chief Executive (MCE). Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru maintained that due diligence was done and all the various stakeholders at the regional and constituency levels were consulted before two names of the shortlisted applicants were submitted to the National Selection Committee for the final decision to be made by the President. At a meeting with NDC party constituency executive members, aggrieved youth and members of the Municipal Security Committee in Bawku, Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru maintained that he personally informed the constituency chairman and other executive members when the vacancy was announced and tasked them to start the process of receiving applications and shortlisting candidates for vetting. The meeting in Bawku was necessitated by agitation by some aggrieved youth of the NDC in the municipality who were opposed to the nomination of Mr Amadu I.W.Karimu for the position of MCE. Among several accusations, the youth doubted the loyalty of the nominee whom they accused of being a ‘political flirt” who had hopped from one party to another and worked against the NDC in the past. The agitations by the youth also threatened the peace of Bawku due to a a shooting incident recorded in the area on Sunday, September 1, 2013 by an unidentified person. Following the announcement of Mr Karimu’s nomination as the MCE, the constituency chairman, Mr Issifu Asaana, told the agitated youth that he would resign if the appointment was not revoked because he was not consulted. Addressing the meeting, the regional minister explained that when the vacancy was announced, he drove to the constituency chairman’s house in Bawku in the company of the former MCE, Abdulai Musah and the DCEs for Pusiga and Binduri, to hold a meeting with the chairman, his secretary and treasurer. “During our interaction, I told him that the applications he was receiving was not an academic exercise, neither was it a social nor a religious exercise, but it was a political exercise, so he must make sure that as someone who knows the people, he must insist that the people who were applying were party members.” “I told the constituency chairman and the executive members present that we are using him because he knows the people who deserved to be given the position in the municipality,” the regional minister told the meeting. By Benjamin Xornam Glover/Daily Graphic/Ghana http://graphic.com.gh/Politics/minister-rejects-no-consultation-claim.html

Pregnant woman killed by ‘rival’

The Mirror, September 7,2013 The police in Navrongo have arrested two persons for allegedly killing a 23-year-old pregnant woman, Gladys Weija, at Pungu in the Kassena-Nankana East Municipality. Emmanuel Kaba,40, uncle of Gladys, and Gloria Amena Kudamu,24, a housewife and a ‘rival’ of Gladys, have been remanded in police custody for further interrogation. The Upper East Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Thomas Agbanyo, confirmed the arrest to The Mirror. He said Gladys, who was four months pregnant, was found dead after she was stabbed in the stomach and her eyes gorged out with an implement suspected to be a knife. The corpse has been deposited at the Navrongo Government Hospital pending autopsy. According to ASP Agbanyo, Gloria was married to one Mr Maclean Boya of the Community Protection Unit and they had two children. He said not long ago, there had been some misunderstanding between the couple, forcing Gloria to spend longer hours in Bolgatanga after work. The Police PRO said as a result, Boya decided to go in for another woman and therefore befriended Gladys, who lived with her uncle, Emmanuel Kaba, at Pungu. ASP Agbanyo said Gladys’ uncle, Kaba disapproved of the relationship between Boya and Gladys, as a result, Kaba always called Gloria and complained to her whenever Boya visited Gladys at Pungu. According to ASP Agbanyo, on September 2, 2013 at about 8p.m., Boya once again visited Gladys at Pungu and they went to have some drink at a spot. ASP Agbanyo said Kaba, on seeing Boya and Gladys, called Gloria on phone and informed her about her husband’s presence at Pungu. The police said Kaba went and picked Gloria from her house in Nayagnia and encouraged her to deal with Gladys. The police said both Kaba and Gloria, on reaching Pungu, ambushed Gladys, who was returning home after she had seen Boya off. According to the PRO, Kaba and Gloria allegedly attacked and stabbed Gladys in the stomach and gorged out her eyes. The police said Gloria allegedly phoned Boya and told him about the death of Gladys. ASP Agbanyo said both Boya and Gloria admitted committing the crime upon their arrest. By Benjamin Xorman Glover/ The Mirror/Ghana http://graphic.com.gh/General-News/pregnant-woman-killed-by-rival.html

Alcoholism high among teachers in Upper East Region 07 SEPTEMBER 2013.

The Mirror, September 7, 2013 The Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, has attributed the falling standards of education in the region to the high incidence of alcoholism among teachers. “Alcoholism is eating up most of our teachers, especially in this part of the country. If you talk to the directors of education in the region, they will tell you that the level of alcoholism among teachers is very high. About 70 per cent of the teachers in this region are alcoholics. They do not even go to work. Even if they are in the classroom, they are drunk. How can you get somebody in this state to perform in the classroom and deliver the goods?” the regional minister asked. The minister said this during a courtesy call on him by the Christian Council of Ghana last Tuesday. He appealed to members of the Council to collaborate with the Regional Co-ordinating Council and the education sector in the region to help change the trend and instill sanity into the system through their sermons. Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru said this was necessary because it would contribute to fighting the three worse enemy facing the people, namely poverty, illiteracy and disease and help fast-track the development agenda. He commended the Christian Council in the region for their numerous efforts at bringing development to the region in the area of education, healthcare and water and sanitation, and urged them to continue to partner the government in eradicating poverty in the region. The regional minister lauded the churches for their role in calling on their members to fast and intensify their prayers to ensure the sustenance of peace and tranquillity in the country, especially after the Supreme Court judgement on the election petition. He encouraged the religious bodies not to sit back but constructively offer advice to the political leadership as and when necessary to guide his administration and help deliver good governance and accelerate development for the benefit of the people. The Regional Chairman of the Council, Rev. Esmund Wasau Nagba, who is also the Chairman of the Upper Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on the minister, the first since he assumed office. The visit was also to introduce the council to the Regional Co-ordinating Council. By Benjamin Xornam Glover/The Mirror/Ghana http://graphic.com.gh/General-News/alcoholism-high-among-teachers-in-upper-east-region.html

Scrap allowances for trainee nurses - Awoonor-Williams

Daily Graphic, September 5, 2013. Page 3 The Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, Dr John Koku Awoonor-Williams, has asked the Ministry of Health to be bold and scrap the allowance given to nurse trainees, just as the Ministry of Education has done to that given to teacher trainees. That, he said, would not only ensure equity but also bring the best and committed nurses into the health profession. In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Dr Awoonor-Williams said the example demonstrated by the Ministry of Education should bring to a closure the debate on whether or not trainee nurses should be given allowances that had raged on for years. “Currently, there is absolutely no accountability in the management of trainee nurses’ allowances, resulting in huge loses to the taxpayer,” he said. He said the nursing profession was a unique one in the country, pointing out that once “you gain admission to a nursing school, you are sure of employment. All must be done to ensure that only those who are committed to serve humanity are allowed in”. Favoured Profession He said although the nursing profession was most favoured, that did not reflect in the overall sector performance in many ways. Dr Awoonor-Williams explained that a student, once enrolled, could take five to six years to finally pass his or her examinations, even if he or she failed every year, explaining that no matter the number of years it took him or her to finally pass the examination, he or she would continue to receive trainee allowance. "It seems as if there is no end. There are many students who have continued to receive trainee allowances for five years for a two-year programme, simply because they continue to fail their final licensure examinations and so long as they continue to fail, they continue to receive allowances," he said. Currently, trainee nurses receive allowances to the tune of GH¢356 a month and this is believed to have contributed to the lack of motivation for students to pass their examinations once and for all. The Daily Graphic learnt that those who fail their final licensure examinations ran to the private clinics and facilities to work, even though they do not have the qualifications. Again, most of the proprietors do not care once the person has a uniform and claims to be a nurse. That situation, Dr Awoonor-Williams said, was untenable and a waste in the system. “No country does this, not even the richest countries. It is time to make bold policy decisions,” he said. Training Institutions According to Dr Awoonor-Williams, with the opening of more and more nurses training institutions in the country by the Ministry of Health, one could imagine the amount of money that went into trainee nurses’ allowances and the effect on the overall health sector budget and health services provision. “These schools are opened without thinking of the anticipated increase in the volume of trainee allowances. Teachers are equally as important as nurses and there is no need to scrap allowances for teacher trainees and keep those for nurse trainees,” he emphasised. He wondered why the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service were silent on trainee nurses’ allowances while public debate was raging regarding teacher trainee allowances. “Maintaining the trainee nurses’ allowance while scrapping that for teacher trainees will rather portray a huge inequity. The health sector is at the crossroads in terms of funding and this needs practical solutions, innovations and time-tested policy reforms to address the huge funding gaps. “Our traditional partners are not putting into the sector the resources we used to get in the past simply because of our status as a lower middle-income country. With over 90 per cent of our health sector budget going into salaries and wages, with only less than 10 per cent left for actual service delivery, it is time we thought outside the box and did things differently, reduce waste and ensure that we manage the fewer resources prudently to bring about equity and efficiency,” he added. He said with the huge number of public health training institutions and the low pass rate, one could imagine the financial implications on the public purse in terms of trainee allowances. Dr Awoonor-Williams said nurse trainees must be supported to access loans from the Students Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) and SSNIT, just as other students did to fund their education. “The days when the free trainee nurses’ allowance policy was relevant are long gone and it is time we faced the reality of modern times. It is time the government took a critical look at all trainees who are on allowances across all the sectors and scrap the allowances, while putting in measures that trainee students are able to access loans to fund their education. It will breed responsibility and commitment. It is the only way that committed and serious students will be attracted to these professions. “For now, it seems the attraction is the free money. Taking this step will, therefore, ensure equity and fairness across the board all over the country and ensure that only the best and committed prospective students who have the passion for the nursing profession are attracted. There is absolutely no justification to continue this flawed policy that has existed for too long,” he added. http://graphic.com.gh/General-News/scrap-allowances-for-trainee-nurses-awoonor-williams.html

5 Bawku rioters granted bail ( http://graphic.com.gh/General-News/5-bawku-rioters-granted-bail.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)

Five suspects who were arrested by the Police in Bawku for breaching the Public Order Act have been granted bail. The five, including the Bawku Constituency Deputy Organizer of the National Democratic Congress Tanko Akologo were granted police inquiry bail following the intervention of regional NDC party officials. They were picked by the police for allegedly organizing press conferences to declare their opposition to the president's nominee of Mr. Amadu I.W. Karimu as Municipal Chief Executive for Bawku. Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Bawku Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Ebenezer K. Asare said two of the five were released unconditionally on Monday evening after screening showed they had no link to the press conferences held in the municipality while the remaining three were released on police inquiry bail on Tuesday following an intervention by the regional party executives including Alhaji Mumuni Bonaba, the regional NDC party chairman. He said the regional party chairman gave an undertaken to advice the youth to put a stop to activities that threatens the security of the municipality. Ever since the President's nominee for the position of Municipal Chief Executive for Bawku was announced, some NDC youth in the area had organized press conferences to protest against the nomination. The aggrieved youth among several other allegations questioned the loyalty of the nominee to the NDC party and advised the President to reconsider his decision. Police however stepped in and arrested some leaders of the youth for failing to adhere to the public order act which require the organizers to inform the police of such mass gathering. On Sunday September 1,2013 at about 10:45 pm some shooting incidents was recorded in the municipality in what is believe to be connected to the agitations to have the nominee changed. Unidentified armed men stormed the offices of the Municipal Assembly and vandalized two vehicles of the assembly by firing into them. According to Chief Superintendent Asare, although members of the police patrol team wee dispatched to the direction of the gun shots, no one was arrested. He said 9 live AK 47 ammunition and 25 AK 47 empty shells were retrieved from the scene of the incident. He said the security personnel had put in stringent measures to ensure that the violence does not escalate and urged the people to remain calm and follow the right channel to address their grievances because the police service would not condone any miscreants. Meanwhile, the Regional Minister and Chairman of the Regional Security Council, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru, has condemned the recent spate of shooting, press conferences and counter press conference that that hit Bawku following the announcement of the position of MCE for the area. Addressing members of the Upper East Regional branch Christian Council of Ghana, the regional minister said granted that the youth do not want the person nominated for the job,the best way to go about is to lobby assemblymen and women who have the mandate to confirm or reject the nominee. "You do not have to take to the streets. There are so many ways to communicate your dissatisfaction to the President and certainly violence is not part of it. There are quiet, civil ways of communicating your dissatisfaction" "We can't allow this lawlessness to continue, there must be discipline in our society" he said whole calling on the religious leaders to continue to partner government by inculcating in the youth the need to be discipline at all times.