BAWKU CENTRAL CPP CANDIDATE ACCUSES SITTING MP (Daily Graphic, Wednesday October 29, 2008 PAGE 17)

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) parliamentary candidate for Bawku Central, Ms Rodaline Imoro Ayarna, has accused the sitting MP for the area for failing to fulfil his promises to the electorate, urging them to vote him out.
"For me, I think Mahama Ayariga has failed the people. He made promises he has not delivered. Promises of employment for the youth, as well as general development which has not been honoured and I think its time for a change," she said.
While conceding that the work of a parliamentarian is not to provide infrastructure, she said it behoved the MP to use his or her influence to lobby all sides for development projects.
"It takes a good lobbyist to be able to bring the kind of development that Bawku needs and I can assure you that when elected as the next MP for Bawku, the area will see rapid development," she said.
She catologued the growing youth unemployment, poor sanitation and lack of potable water as some of the major setbacks to the development of the Northern Region.
According to Ms Ayarna there was virtually no economic activity available to the youth.
"Bawku is one place that is supposed to be the second largest revenue earner for the country after Aflao because of the enormous activities between Ghana and her Sahelian neighbours, yet the people of the area are impoverished".
The CPP aspirant, who was speaking to journalists in Bolgatanga, said when elected, she would reverse the trend.
On sanitation, she said when elected she would lead her people to ensure regular clean-up exercises to keep the place clean and eradicate illnesses such as malaria and cholera.
She appealed to her constituents to see how conflict had destroyed all facets of life in Bawku, and urged them to eschew all forms of violence and embrace peace before, during and after the December 2008 general election .

GH¢287.030 BAWKU WATER PROJECTS NEAR COMPLETION (Daily Graphic,Monday, October 27, 2008 PAGE 40)

WATER and sanitation projects for some communities in the Bawku Municipality in the Upper East Region are expected to be completed by the end of this year.
The projects are estimated at GH¢287,030.
One of the projects, known as the Bazua Small Town Water System, has sanitation component, which includes the construction of five institutional latrines and 120 household latrines at Bazua in the Bawku Municipality. The project is being executed by China Henan Geo Construction.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Abdulai Abanga, announced this at the first ordinary meeting of the fourth session of the Bawku Municipality Assembly at Bawku.
He said Oxfam, a British non-governmental organisation (NGO), in collaboration with the Zuuri Organic Vegetable Farmers Association, had also constructed 13 hand-dug wells fitted with hand pumps for seven deprived communities in the Binduri area.
The beneficiary communities include Narang Song, Kumpalgogo Tebako and Komnatinga.
Others are Apomyamiri, Tansala and Zuuri.
"It is hoped that in the not too distant future, all communities without potable water will be provided with some as plans are underway under the President's priority projects," he added.
The MCE further stated that over the past one year, the assembly had spent GH¢917,689,64 on development projects.
Mr Abanga said even though peace and security were prerequisite for development, the municipality began the 2008 on a very bad note as a result of the Bawku communal conflict, which shattered the Assembly’s development aspirations by throwing the assembly's budget out of gear.
He noted that the communal violence that engulfed the municipality at the beginning of the year had brought a lot of hardships not only on the people of Bawku, but more especially on the assembly as it had to channel all its resources in restoring peace.
"While other districts have made judicious use of funds allocated to them by the central government to the benefit of society, our share of the funds and even those from other sources were used to maintain law and order to ensure that the integrity of the municipality is protected ," Mr Abanga said.
According to the MCE, a total of more than GH¢300,000 was spent to manage the turbulent situation in order to restore peace which is very vital for socio-economic.
He said despite all the initiatives at ensuring peace, a lot more depended on the people of Bawku to ensure that never again should they restore to violence.
"We must be peacemakers ourselves and bring peace back. We love and want peace but do not want to embrace it willingly.
Let us therefore try to bury the differences of yesterday, halt the problems of today
and move with the opportunities of tomorrow to bring Bawku back to its rightful place in the national sphere," Mr Abanga stressed.
The Presiding Member of the Assembly, John Agobre, descried the Bawku conflict as the darkest period in the municipality and hoped never again would such a thing happen there.

5 UE DAMS TO BE REHABILITATED (Daily Graphic,Monday, October 27, 2008 PAGE 40)

FIVE dams in the Bawku West District in the Upper East Region are to be rehabilitated under the 2007 Northern Floods Rehabilitation Project.
They are the Boya Kpalsako, Yarigu, Goziesi, Sakom and Sapelliga dams.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Desmond Bugbilla, announced this at the assembly’s second ordinary meeting this year at Zebilla, the district capital.
He said work on the project, which had already been advertised, would soon commence to bring relief to the people.
Mr Bugbilla said in addition to the dams’ rehabilitation, 11 boreholes and 17 hand-dug wells had been awarded on contract for disinfection and rehabilitation.
He was happy about the rapid development of the area, which he attributed to the hard work and dedication of the assembly members and the decentralised departments.
The DCE also commended the government for providing Bawku West District with its fair share of development projects.
According to him, two projects had been approved for execution in the district under the second phase of the sixth European Union Micro-Projects Programme.
He said the projects were the construction of a three-unit classroom block with office, store and toilet facilities at Yelwoko and a teachers’ quarters at Kpantarigu.
He advised assembly members of the beneficiary communities to impress upon their people to co-operate with the contractors undertaking the projects to ensure their early completion.
The Presiding Member of the assembly, Very Reverend (Dr) Jacob Ayeebo, said all development projects being undertaken in the area were progressing steadily due to the practical support offered by the entire membership of the assembly.
"Development, as we all know, is a co-operative work and, for that reason, let us continue to pursue the many opportunities lying ahead," he said.
The Very Rev. Ayeebo called on his colleague Assembly members to continue with their vision to build a district rooted in peace and reconciliation, justice and support for the poor and vulnerable in society.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Mr John Ndebugre, entreated all and sundry to “let us debate issues and not hurl insults at each other," he stressed.

BAWKU GEARS UP FOR PEACEFUL ELECTION (Daily Graphic, Monday, October 27, 2008 PAGE 40)

Caption
Flashback: In the heat of the communal violence in Bawku, members of the National Peace Council were in the municipality to hold consultations with the various factions. It is the prayer of all and sundry that the peace process that has been initiated will lead to permanent peace in Bawku.

THE once sprawling commercial hub of the Upper East Region, Bawku, woke up to an unfortunate scene of violence at dawn early this year.
The Bawku conflict, which started on January 1, 2008 as a result of differences between two of Ghana's most endowed ethnic groups, the Kusasis and the Mamprusis, has already claimed several lives, while property worth several thousands of Ghana cedis has been lost.
Following that unfortunate incident, the government imposed a curfew on Bawku and its environs. The curfew is still in force and it is reviewed at regular intervals in anticipation that permanent peace will return to the area.
The conflict in Bawku has made it difficult for the people to lobby for development projects for the municipality and the entire region.
Resources meant for development projects are used for peacekeeping. The educational, health and other sectors of the economy of the municipality collapsed in the heat of the conflict.
The conflict attracted the attention and sympathy of many Ghanaians. For example, President John Agyekum Kufuor himself invited the traditional rulers of the two traditional areas to the Osu Castle to talk peace.
The National Peace Council went over to Bawku, Bolgatanga and Kongo to hold peace talks with the various stakeholders, including the minority tribes and civil society organisations.
In addition to the deployment of security personnel to Bawku to maintain law and order, the government also provided logistic support for the people.
One cannot also ignore the visit by the ministers of the Interior and of Defence, as well as the Inspector General of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff, to the area to assess the security situation there, with the view to finding a lasting solution to the conflict.
Some concerned women of Bawku, unable to bear the pain, also added their voices to the need for peace by embarking on mass peace marches to impress upon their husbands and the youth to put an end to the senseless carnage.
Religious groups, namely, Christians and Moslems, also got actively involved in peace-making activities, while several peace jingles were produced in the various languages and played back on the various FM radio stations to sensitise the people to the need to embrace peace.
Public education and sensitisation campaigns on peace by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) have all contributed to the maintenance of peace in Bawku.
The NCCE has, as part of its planned activities, been holding group discussions in several communities, schools and marketplaces to educate the citizens on constitutional provisions and also seek their views on how to sustain the prevailing peace in and around Bawku.
With the approach of the general election, the general concern one picks up from the streets of Bawku is whether the relative peace being enjoyed in the area will be jeopardised.
Election 2008 comes at a time when Bawku has gone through difficult times due to the conflict, with the attendant hostilities among its inhabitants.
This is one concern that has driven the Bawku Literary Society (BLS) to map out an innovative approach through a series of activities to ensure peace and violence-free elections, particularly in Bawku and its environs.
As part of the society's contribution towards peaceful and violence-free elections, it has, among other things, planned to engage key stakeholders by organising radio discussions, community outreach programmes and parliamentary forums, all aimed at educating the people in Bawku on the need to maintain peace and enhance understanding of the electioneering process among the people to enable Bawku to go through the elections peacefully.
The main objective of the project, according to the society, is to strive for a conducive atmosphere to prevail in Bawku to pave the way for smooth and peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections.
The General Secretary of the BLS, Mr Abdul-Rahman Winimi, is of the view that the implementation of the project will go a long way to educate the people of Bawku on the need for peace and enhance their understanding of the electioneering so that Bawku can go through the elections peacefully.
Peaceful elections in Bawku will demonstrate to the people of Ghana and the world at large that the people of Bawku, contrary to public perception, are capable of sustaining the relative peace currently prevailing in the area.
Bawku must not burn because of the upcoming general election. So many resources have already been sunk into the search for peace for the once lovely town, and the time has come for all and sundry to join hands with the BLS, the Bawku Municipal Assembly and the government to ensure that peace, unity and harmony exist in Bawku.
The Paramount Chief of Bawku, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, has already entreated all political parties to feel free to extend their campaigns to Bawku but warned them to be wary of the kind of messages they preach on the campaign platforms, since his traditional council would not support any political party that would preach the politics of division.
The new Upper East Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, has emphasised that his outfit will deal ruthlessly with anybody who threatens the peace of the area.
Already, the Bawku Municipal Assembly, under the leadership of its young Chief Executive, Abdulai Abanga, has outlined some good plans for the rapid development of the area, including the resuscitation of the brick and tile factory at Mognori and the construction of a modern multi-purpose abattoir at Bawku, stressing that violence should be the last thing to thwart those efforts.
Bawku has come a long way and the time has come for Ghanaians, including politicians, to support it to overcome the unending conflict.

COURT REMANDS 4 RIOTERS (Daily Graphic, Friday, October 24, 2008 PAGE 31)

THE Bolgatanga Magistrate’s Court has remanded four persons in police custody for their alleged involvement in the rampage at Kongo in the Talensi-Nabdam District in the Upper East Region on Tuesday.
The four, Raphael Azong, 18, a laboratory assistant, Bangin Raymond, 17, a student, Martin Mbugre, 30 and Agandaah Roger, 22, are to re-appear on November 6, 2008, to answer charges of causing damage to state property.
The four were among a group of persons alleged to have dug trenches across some sections of the Bolgatanga-Bawku Highway in Kongo.
In all, a total of 21 trenches, each measuring one metre wide and one metre deep, were dug by the youth ostensibly to make the road impassable.
Their action was in protest against an accident along the highway which claimed the life of the assistant Headmaster of the Kongo Senior High School, Mr Clement Ayindire Adazabra and injured a teacher, Mr Andrew Dagbamah.
As a result of that, a group of young men in the Kongo township went on rampage, smashing car windscreens and injuring a number of police officers.
Despite the presence of the police, including the Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Alhaji Hamidu Mahama and the Regional Road Safety Officer, Mr Alex Ayeta, in the community to seek an amicable settlement to the issue, the youth would not budge as they reportedly blocked the road and dug more trenches.
They also went ahead to smash the rear windscreens of about four vehicles, including that of the official vehicle of the Regional Commander with registration number GP 30, the official vehicle of Mr Ayeta, a police operations vehicle and a Metro Mass bus bound for Bawku.

63 CANDIDATES FILE IN UPPER EAST (Daily Graphic, Friday, October 24, 2008 PAGE 16)

Sixty-three people, including six women, have filed their nomination in the Upper East Region to contest the 2008 Parliamentary elections, four more than the number that contested the 2004 parliamentary elections.
Figures obtained from the offices of the Electoral Commission (EC) indicated that seven political parties and three independent candidates would contest the elections in the region.
Of the political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) topped the filing list with 13 candidates each, followed by the Conventions People’s Party (CPP) and the People's National Convention (PNC) with 12 candidates each.
The Democratic People's Party (DPP) filed four candidates, six candidates for Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) while three candidates filed as Independent candidates, one in Chiana-Paga Constituency and two in the Bawku West.
There was no nomination for Great Consolidated People's Party (GCPP) and Reformed Patriotic Democrats (RPD).
The Builsa South, Bolgatanga Central, Zebilla, and Binduri constituencies recorded the highest number of six candidates each; Chiana-Paga, Bawku Central and Garu-Tempane recorded five candidates each, while Builsa North, Navrongo Central, Bongo, Pusiga, Talensi, and Nabdam constituencies had four candidates each.
Of the six women contesting for Parliamentary seats in five out of the 13 constituencies in the Upper East Region for this year’s election 2008, two are contesting in the Bolgatanga Central, with one each in the Builsa North, Builsa South, Bawku Central and Talensi constituencies.

YOUNGMEN IN KONGO GO ON RAMPAGE (D/G Thursday October 23, 2008 PAGE 14)

A group of young men in the Kongo Community in the Talensi-Nabdam District yesterday went on rampage, smashing car windscreens and injuring a number of police officers, following a road accident which claimed the life of the Assistant Headmaster of the Kongo Senior High School, Clement Ayindire Adazabra.
The troubles were reportedly sparked by a group of young persons , following the accident on the Bolgatanga-Bawku Highway in which the assistant headmaster was killed and a teacher of the school, Mr Andrew Dagbamah, sustained injuries.
At about 4p.m. last Tuesday, a Bolgatanga-bound public transport was reported to have knocked down two people on a motorbike around the Kongo Market along the Bolgatanga-Bawku Highway.
The two were identified as Adazabrah and Dagbamah following which the youth were said to have responded by destroying some parts of the road by digging trenches on it.
In all, a total of 21 trenches, each measuring one metre wide and one metre deep, were dug by the youth ostensibly to make the road impassable.
Some policemen, led by the Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, arrived on the scene to restore order but the youth would not budge as they reportedly blocked the road and dug more trenches.
Speaking to reporters in Bolgatanga, DCOP Mahama said when he arrived at the scene; he saw the youth rampaging and destroying public property.
He said he immediately approached the chief of the community to prevail on his subjects to put a stop to their actions.
"While I was diplomatically negotiating with the chief and other opinion leaders to resolve the issue, the youth, apparently under the influence of alcohol and instigated by some two persons, started attacking the police cars, including my official vehicle, the operational vehicle, and the vehicle of the Regional Road Safety Officer, with sticks, rocks and other implements and in the process destroyed the rear windscreens of the cars," DCOP Mahama said.
Also damaged by the rampaging youth was the rear windscreen of a Metro Mass Bus with registration number AS 8167 Y, which was heading for Bawku.
Five police personnel sustained injuries in the riot.
According to him, at a point in time he asked all his men, including personnel of the Rapid Deployment Force from Bawku, to withdraw in a bid to assure the people that the police were in for peace, but the youth would still not be bothered as they continued digging trenches across the highway.
He said later in the evening the police managed to arrest four persons and placed them in custody in Bolgatanga.
The names of the four, who are to be processed for court, are Raphael Azong, 18, a laboratory assistant, Bangin Raymond, 17, a student, Martin Mbugre,30 and Agandaah Roger,22.
He said the injured, including DSP Richard Appiah, who suffered head injuries, and Andrew Dagbamah, who sustained leg injuries, are on admission at the Bolgatanga Hospital.
Meanwhile the Regional Police Commander has declared that he would not allow intolerance and lawlessness to take root the region.
Consequently, his administration has taken steps to contain all forms of extremism and violence in the region." We are determined to enforce the law and to protect state property," DCOP Mahama said.
The regional police commander gave the warning at the Regional Police Headquarters at a meeting with representatives of the Kongo community, including the sitting MP, Mr Moses Asaga and aspiring MP, Boniface Gambila, as well as the security agencies following the incident.
During the deliberation, both Mr Asaga and Gambila conceded that the incident was rather unfortunate and needed not have occur.
They, however, said for the past years some motorists had been knocking down or killing innocent persons, hence the spontaneous reaction.
They both expressed the need for the Ghana Highway Authority to construct a number of speed ramps on the road to curtail future occurrence of accidents

.