THE National Co-ordinator of the Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP), Mr Roy Ayariga, has urged Ghanaians, especially those from the deprived areas, to take advantage of interventions such as the NRGP to improve their standard of living.
He stated that there were some people who could get out of their poverty through a little effort but instead of taking that bold step, they rather chose to look up to the government to bring them out of poverty.
Mr Ayariga made the call at the Upper East Regional launch of the NRGP at Bolgatanga.
Giving an overview of the programme, Mr Ayariga said the NRGP was being financed by African Development Bank (ADB) and the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD).
He said a total of $104.34 million would be spent on the project in the beneficiary regions, adding that the duration of the project was eight years.
Mr Ayariga explained that the scheme was aimed at developing agricultural commodity value chains to increase production in rural areas of the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions and contiguous savannah districts of Brong Ahafo.
He added that the new programme was also expected to provide production and marketing infrastructure, improve access to rural financial services and would fully integrate key private sector operators in the value chain.
The national co-ordinator emphasised that the overall objective of the programme was to achieve sustainable agricultural and rural livelihoods and food security for the rural poor in northern Ghana.
Mr Ayariga stressed that the goals of the programme were not different from those of the savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and other such interventions.
He added that they were all geared towards accelerated economic growth and social cohesion in the rural savannah areas of the country.
While calling on people in the beneficiary regions to embrace the programme and see it as theirs, Mr Ayariga also challenged members of the investment community in other parts of the country to partner farmers in the northern parts of the country to derive the desired benefits from the NRGP.
“The north offers the best opportunity both in terms of whether, land and water resources. This is the time for the investors to come up north in partnering the local farmers to produce crops, especially vegetables for export”, he said.
The Deputy East Regional Minister, Mrs Lucy Awuni who launched the programme on behalf of the regional minister, said what the government was doing through the NRGP, was to provide the incentive framework for investors.
She emphasised that what was required was for farmers and the business community to seize the opportunity and help to save the people from abject poverty.
Mrs Awuni appealed to agricultural business firms operating in the south to move up north and partner with the hardworking and industrious farmers to do good business on the aegis of the NRGP.
“The fact that the north is the least developed places a huge responsibility and a sense of urgency that we have to work even harder so that we can progress at an accelerated pace to catch up with the rest of the country”, the deputy regional minister said.
Mrs Awuni also called on chiefs and landowners to willingly release land, especially to the youth and women when they approached them.
Sunday, 31 May 2009
PEACE. MY PEOPLE...President tells leaders of Mamprusis and Kusasis in Bawku Traditional Area (D/G. Saturday May 30, 2009 LEAD STORY)
STORY: Benjamin Xornam Glover & Alhandu Abdul-Hamid
RESIDENTS of Bawku yesterday felt the brightest prospect for peace in the area when leaders of the Mamprusis and Kusasis, under the watch of President J. E. A. Mills, hugged each other in public for the first time since the 2007 outbreak of war between the two groups.
With the Kusasi delegation led by the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka, and the Mamprusi side led by Alhaji Akalifah Bugri Seidu, the elders displayed mutual affection and a commitment to work for peace.
Among those who observed the momentous occasion were members of the Bawku Inter-ethnic Peace Committee and the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC).
Prior to the meeting, President Atta Mills offered to say a a prayer to God in which he prayed to the Almighty to facilitate an atmosphere in which the rival factions would be filled with the spirit of love, fellow feeling and human kindness for a successful outcome and repeated his earlier pledge that the government had no intention of dabbling in chieftaincy affairs.
The President had earlier held separate meetings with the chiefs and opinion leaders of both sides in the conflict with the view of helping bring lasting solutions to the recurrent conflict in the area.
President Mill said his government could not determine the heir to any skin but would ensure the implementation of the decisions of the institutions mandated to do so by the Constitution if they made their findings known to the government on any dispute referred to them.
He said the Constitution had put in place institutions that were mandated to deal with chieftaincy disputes and asked for chieftaincy disputes to be directed to those institutions for redress.
The President said the purpose of the meeting was to allow peace to prevail in Bawku and its environs and appealed to the leaders to ensure that people went about their normal duties peacefully.
He said all documents stating claims to chieftaincy would be submitted to the mandated institutions and whatever their comments or findings were was what the government would abide by.
The President requested that as the farming season was about to begin people should be made to have access to their farmlands and also the central market should be made accessible to all. He also expressed his displeasure at the state of the Bawku Hospital, which is not functioning effectively because some medical staff feel threatened go to work.
He expressed gratitude to the factions and the members of the Inter-ethnic Peace Committee for attending the meeting and asked those with problems with their farmlands to report to the Inter-ethnic Peace Committee for redress.
The Bawku Naba on behalf of the Kusasis made a commitment to ensure that farmers who had no litigation with owners of their farmlands went about their farming activities without hindrance.
For his part, Alhaji Akalifa Seidu said the Kusasis should not entertain any fears and asked them to feel free to go to the central market to engage in their trading activities or to the hospital to seek medical attention.
Members of the Inter-ethnic Peace Committee, namely Mr David Molie, representing the Mamprusis, and Mr Thomas Abilla, representing the Kusasis, took turns to brief the President on work done so far.
Mr David Molie told the President that members of the committee were at peace with one another and that all members were committed to the peace process in the area.
He said the committee was mandated to promote peace and encourage free and easy interaction among people of all tribes in the area.
Mr Thomas Abilla from the Kusasi side on the committee also confirmed that there was some tension in the area that needed to be defused to allow free movement and trading in the area.
According to him, the committee plans to move from community to community to meet all stakeholders in the peace process including youth groups, women’s groups and other opinion leaders there to talk to them to also embrace peace.
Also present at the meeting were the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo; the Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs Lucy Awuni; the Minister for Defence, Lt. Gen. Joseph Smith (retd); the Minister for the Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka; the Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Mahama Ayariga; the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, and other government officials.
RESIDENTS of Bawku yesterday felt the brightest prospect for peace in the area when leaders of the Mamprusis and Kusasis, under the watch of President J. E. A. Mills, hugged each other in public for the first time since the 2007 outbreak of war between the two groups.
With the Kusasi delegation led by the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka, and the Mamprusi side led by Alhaji Akalifah Bugri Seidu, the elders displayed mutual affection and a commitment to work for peace.
Among those who observed the momentous occasion were members of the Bawku Inter-ethnic Peace Committee and the Upper East Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC).
Prior to the meeting, President Atta Mills offered to say a a prayer to God in which he prayed to the Almighty to facilitate an atmosphere in which the rival factions would be filled with the spirit of love, fellow feeling and human kindness for a successful outcome and repeated his earlier pledge that the government had no intention of dabbling in chieftaincy affairs.
The President had earlier held separate meetings with the chiefs and opinion leaders of both sides in the conflict with the view of helping bring lasting solutions to the recurrent conflict in the area.
President Mill said his government could not determine the heir to any skin but would ensure the implementation of the decisions of the institutions mandated to do so by the Constitution if they made their findings known to the government on any dispute referred to them.
He said the Constitution had put in place institutions that were mandated to deal with chieftaincy disputes and asked for chieftaincy disputes to be directed to those institutions for redress.
The President said the purpose of the meeting was to allow peace to prevail in Bawku and its environs and appealed to the leaders to ensure that people went about their normal duties peacefully.
He said all documents stating claims to chieftaincy would be submitted to the mandated institutions and whatever their comments or findings were was what the government would abide by.
The President requested that as the farming season was about to begin people should be made to have access to their farmlands and also the central market should be made accessible to all. He also expressed his displeasure at the state of the Bawku Hospital, which is not functioning effectively because some medical staff feel threatened go to work.
He expressed gratitude to the factions and the members of the Inter-ethnic Peace Committee for attending the meeting and asked those with problems with their farmlands to report to the Inter-ethnic Peace Committee for redress.
The Bawku Naba on behalf of the Kusasis made a commitment to ensure that farmers who had no litigation with owners of their farmlands went about their farming activities without hindrance.
For his part, Alhaji Akalifa Seidu said the Kusasis should not entertain any fears and asked them to feel free to go to the central market to engage in their trading activities or to the hospital to seek medical attention.
Members of the Inter-ethnic Peace Committee, namely Mr David Molie, representing the Mamprusis, and Mr Thomas Abilla, representing the Kusasis, took turns to brief the President on work done so far.
Mr David Molie told the President that members of the committee were at peace with one another and that all members were committed to the peace process in the area.
He said the committee was mandated to promote peace and encourage free and easy interaction among people of all tribes in the area.
Mr Thomas Abilla from the Kusasi side on the committee also confirmed that there was some tension in the area that needed to be defused to allow free movement and trading in the area.
According to him, the committee plans to move from community to community to meet all stakeholders in the peace process including youth groups, women’s groups and other opinion leaders there to talk to them to also embrace peace.
Also present at the meeting were the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo; the Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs Lucy Awuni; the Minister for Defence, Lt. Gen. Joseph Smith (retd); the Minister for the Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka; the Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Mahama Ayariga; the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, and other government officials.
Friday, 29 May 2009
WE WILL INSIST ON ACCOUNTABILITY (D/G. Friday, May 29, 2009. SPREAD)
President John Evans Atta Mills has stated that his government will insist that the members of the New Patriotic Party administration account for their period of stewardship in much the same way as his administration expects to be called upon to account for its stewardship and service.
“The fact that a government was booted out of power does not excuse it from failing to account to the people for its stewardship. This is an acceptable norm and we will insist on it to the letter. But we want to do this with regard to due process,” he said.
President Mills made these remarks in Bolgatanga during a grand durbar of the chiefs and people of the Upper East Region to round off his two-day working visit to the region.
Traditional rulers from all the 17 paramountcies in the region, resplendent in their traditional fugu and its accessories, converged on the Golden Jubilee Park, which was equally parked to capacity.
The President explained that in doing so, however, his government would want to make sure that it applied the rule of law, adding that at the end of the day whenever the people gave their decision, nobody would have the opportunity to dispute it.
“It is for the sake of candour, openness and transparency that we let the people know where we are taking over from so that there can always be a point of reference. There is no point in throwing dust into the eyes of the people; the fact must be told,” he said.
He said although he had been in power for only five months, he could say that the signs were good and gave the assurance that his government would not fail Ghanaians because it knew that the promises it made to the citizens were sacred.
On criticisms of his government, President Mills said he wished that within four months he could do what he had promised to do in four years.
“If they knew how to do this, why didn’t they do it in the eight years that they were in power?” he asked.
He promised that under his administration, the development of the Upper East Region would be fast-tracked, insisting that he had a competent team to ensure that those promises were fulfilled.
He said government would improve agriculture in the region through irrigation farming, subsidy on fertilisers, tractor services and other inputs to boost food production.
Touching on his plans for the region, he said a number of interventions had been lined up in the areas of agriculture and infrastructural development, including the rehabilitation of dams.
He said many investors wanted to come into the country, stressing that he knew that the northern regions were a peculiar attraction, hence the setting up of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority.
He, however, said much could not be achieved in an atmosphere of violence and appealed to the people to ensure that peace prevailed.
He expressed the hope that given the numerous interactions he had had with the opinion leaders of Bawku, the problems there would be dealt with.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, disclosed that the Bawku Municipal Assembly, on the advice of the Regional Security Committee (RESEC), was constructing a mini military barracks at Bazua near Bawku to ensure the permanent presence of the military in the area.
He said the project, which started with funding from the assembly and supported by the Regional Co-ordinating Council and some assemblies in the region, had stalled due to inadequate funding and appealed to the President for a special fund to be allocated for the completion of the project
He said the presence of the military in the area would bolster the confidence of the people and help forestall any future breaches of the peace.
The regional minister said the protracted Bawku conflict had left a big scar on the once peaceful region which had become a source of worry to peace-loving people. But he was optimistic and hopeful that a lasting solution would be found for the people of Bawku to live in harmony.
The President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, Paga-Pio Pe Awiah Awampaga ll, said the region was peaceful but it could not boast of total peace because of the Bawku conflict, adding that the Regional House of Chiefs was doing its best to finding a lasting solution to the issue.
“Even though we do not doubt the capabilities of the 10-member committee appointed to go into the matter by the regional minister, I will call for your personal intervention. I believe that Ghanaians will appreciate your efforts and will not see it as interfering in chieftaincy matters because we are talking about peace and not who should be a chief,” he said.
The Paga-Pio was grateful to the President for maintaining the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture when he cut down the number of ministries and appealed to him to, in conjunction with the Speaker of Parliament, put in place a committee in Parliament for chieftaincy affairs.
“The fact that a government was booted out of power does not excuse it from failing to account to the people for its stewardship. This is an acceptable norm and we will insist on it to the letter. But we want to do this with regard to due process,” he said.
President Mills made these remarks in Bolgatanga during a grand durbar of the chiefs and people of the Upper East Region to round off his two-day working visit to the region.
Traditional rulers from all the 17 paramountcies in the region, resplendent in their traditional fugu and its accessories, converged on the Golden Jubilee Park, which was equally parked to capacity.
The President explained that in doing so, however, his government would want to make sure that it applied the rule of law, adding that at the end of the day whenever the people gave their decision, nobody would have the opportunity to dispute it.
“It is for the sake of candour, openness and transparency that we let the people know where we are taking over from so that there can always be a point of reference. There is no point in throwing dust into the eyes of the people; the fact must be told,” he said.
He said although he had been in power for only five months, he could say that the signs were good and gave the assurance that his government would not fail Ghanaians because it knew that the promises it made to the citizens were sacred.
On criticisms of his government, President Mills said he wished that within four months he could do what he had promised to do in four years.
“If they knew how to do this, why didn’t they do it in the eight years that they were in power?” he asked.
He promised that under his administration, the development of the Upper East Region would be fast-tracked, insisting that he had a competent team to ensure that those promises were fulfilled.
He said government would improve agriculture in the region through irrigation farming, subsidy on fertilisers, tractor services and other inputs to boost food production.
Touching on his plans for the region, he said a number of interventions had been lined up in the areas of agriculture and infrastructural development, including the rehabilitation of dams.
He said many investors wanted to come into the country, stressing that he knew that the northern regions were a peculiar attraction, hence the setting up of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority.
He, however, said much could not be achieved in an atmosphere of violence and appealed to the people to ensure that peace prevailed.
He expressed the hope that given the numerous interactions he had had with the opinion leaders of Bawku, the problems there would be dealt with.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, disclosed that the Bawku Municipal Assembly, on the advice of the Regional Security Committee (RESEC), was constructing a mini military barracks at Bazua near Bawku to ensure the permanent presence of the military in the area.
He said the project, which started with funding from the assembly and supported by the Regional Co-ordinating Council and some assemblies in the region, had stalled due to inadequate funding and appealed to the President for a special fund to be allocated for the completion of the project
He said the presence of the military in the area would bolster the confidence of the people and help forestall any future breaches of the peace.
The regional minister said the protracted Bawku conflict had left a big scar on the once peaceful region which had become a source of worry to peace-loving people. But he was optimistic and hopeful that a lasting solution would be found for the people of Bawku to live in harmony.
The President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, Paga-Pio Pe Awiah Awampaga ll, said the region was peaceful but it could not boast of total peace because of the Bawku conflict, adding that the Regional House of Chiefs was doing its best to finding a lasting solution to the issue.
“Even though we do not doubt the capabilities of the 10-member committee appointed to go into the matter by the regional minister, I will call for your personal intervention. I believe that Ghanaians will appreciate your efforts and will not see it as interfering in chieftaincy matters because we are talking about peace and not who should be a chief,” he said.
The Paga-Pio was grateful to the President for maintaining the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture when he cut down the number of ministries and appealed to him to, in conjunction with the Speaker of Parliament, put in place a committee in Parliament for chieftaincy affairs.
WE'LL MAINTAIN PEACE IN BAWKU...Says President Mills (D/G. Friday May,2009. PAGE 17)
President John Evans Atta Mills has reiterated the government’s commitment to the maintenance of peace and stability in Bawku and its surrounding communities.
The President gave the assurance at a meeting with the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, Naba Abugrago Asigri Azoka II, at Bolgatanga last Wednesday as part of his two-day visit to Upper East Region.
President Atta Mills said the recurrent conflict in Bawku had adversely impacted on major development projects in the area and resulted in the government spending huge sums of money to maintain peace and security while the security personnel on operational duties in the area were also spending precious time at their peril to bring the situation under control.
The President, therefore, appealed to the opinion leaders in the area to lend their support to the government’s effort to secure peace and security in the area.
The achievement of peace and security, the President said, was crucial for the people to move freely and use their energies to engage in productive activities to ensure that they had better and fulfilling lives.
President Atta Mills said the government was committed to building a better Ghana but indicated that such an objective could not be achieved in the midst of confrontations and insecurity.
Responding, the Bawku Naba said Bawku had not known peace for some time now and it was time to deal effectively with the situation.
Naba Azoka said the conflict was not a chieftaincy issue because that had been settled in the law courts and appealed to anybody who had a problem to seek redress in the courts.
He added that there was tension at Bawku partly because the people could not move freely; a situation which had deprived them of the opportunity to conduct their businesses.
He said he attended the meeting with the President because he wanted to share ideas on how to find a lasting solution to the conflict with him
After the initial courtesies and exchange of ideas, the President and the Bawku Naba retired into a closed-door session for further discussions.
The President also addressed a meeting of opinion leaders of the Mamprusi community at Bolgatanga yesterday and reiterated the government’s neutrality in the Bawku conflict, maintaining that the government which he led would never take sides in the conflict.
“The only side that this government is on is the side of peace, tranquillity and stability,” he said, and charged the opinion leaders to support the government in its efforts to bring permanent peace to the area.
President Atta Mills said nobody was happy about the situation in Bawku where for more than a year now people had lived under a curfew.
He said the solution lay partly on the government and the people, adding that the government would ensure that anyone who broke the law was arrested and dealt with.
President Atta Mills said Bawku had great potential in terms of developments and urged the people to partner the government in its bid to attract more investments to the area.
He, therefore, appealed to factions in the dispute to put an end to the conflict and support the government in that effort.
The President commended the establishment of an inter-ethnic peace committee comprising both Kusasis and Mamprusis in the area to examine steps at ending the conflict in the area and appealed to the people to support the work of the committee.
The leader of the Mamprusi community, Mr Akalifah Bugri, commended the President for inviting them to a meeting to deliberate on the way forward for Bawku.
He said the problems of Bawku dated back many years, adding that a number of interventions to bring it under control had failed because truth, the key element in fostering peace, was absent.
He proposed that apart from holding separate sessions with the sides involved in the conflict, the government should also meet both sides at a round table to passionately discuss the issue and map out the way forward.
Mr Akalifah identified chieftaincy and inaccessibility to land by the Mamprusis as some of the undertones of the conflict and appealed to the government to help resolve the conflict.
Earlier, a delegation of chiefs from the eastern corridor of the Kassena-Nankana-West District had called on the President to petition the government to heed their request for a separate district as a matter of fairness.
The leader of the delegation, Mr Roger Atasige, asserted that as far back as the 1970s, seven villages, including Manyoro, Natugnia, Nabango, Yua, Kandiga, Sirigu and Mirigu had been requesting through democratic means for a separate district and constituency but their requests had been turned down.
He, therefore, appealed to the President to act on their concern.
Responding, the President said the government would critically study the issue and ensure that once all the requirements were met as stipulated by law, their concerns would be taken on board.
“Government work within certain rules and regulations and we want to take decisions that are informed by the provisions of the laws,” he said.
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC, commended the group for the peaceful and democratic way they presented their request and intimated that their concerns would be thoroughly looked at.
Present at both meetings were a Member of the Council of State, Very Rev Jacob Ayeebo, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, the Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs Lucy Awuni; the Minister of Defence, Lt Gen. Joseph Smith; the Interior Minister, Mr Cletus Avoka; the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Albert Abongo, and other party executive members.
The President gave the assurance at a meeting with the Paramount Chief of the Bawku Traditional Area, Naba Abugrago Asigri Azoka II, at Bolgatanga last Wednesday as part of his two-day visit to Upper East Region.
President Atta Mills said the recurrent conflict in Bawku had adversely impacted on major development projects in the area and resulted in the government spending huge sums of money to maintain peace and security while the security personnel on operational duties in the area were also spending precious time at their peril to bring the situation under control.
The President, therefore, appealed to the opinion leaders in the area to lend their support to the government’s effort to secure peace and security in the area.
The achievement of peace and security, the President said, was crucial for the people to move freely and use their energies to engage in productive activities to ensure that they had better and fulfilling lives.
President Atta Mills said the government was committed to building a better Ghana but indicated that such an objective could not be achieved in the midst of confrontations and insecurity.
Responding, the Bawku Naba said Bawku had not known peace for some time now and it was time to deal effectively with the situation.
Naba Azoka said the conflict was not a chieftaincy issue because that had been settled in the law courts and appealed to anybody who had a problem to seek redress in the courts.
He added that there was tension at Bawku partly because the people could not move freely; a situation which had deprived them of the opportunity to conduct their businesses.
He said he attended the meeting with the President because he wanted to share ideas on how to find a lasting solution to the conflict with him
After the initial courtesies and exchange of ideas, the President and the Bawku Naba retired into a closed-door session for further discussions.
The President also addressed a meeting of opinion leaders of the Mamprusi community at Bolgatanga yesterday and reiterated the government’s neutrality in the Bawku conflict, maintaining that the government which he led would never take sides in the conflict.
“The only side that this government is on is the side of peace, tranquillity and stability,” he said, and charged the opinion leaders to support the government in its efforts to bring permanent peace to the area.
President Atta Mills said nobody was happy about the situation in Bawku where for more than a year now people had lived under a curfew.
He said the solution lay partly on the government and the people, adding that the government would ensure that anyone who broke the law was arrested and dealt with.
President Atta Mills said Bawku had great potential in terms of developments and urged the people to partner the government in its bid to attract more investments to the area.
He, therefore, appealed to factions in the dispute to put an end to the conflict and support the government in that effort.
The President commended the establishment of an inter-ethnic peace committee comprising both Kusasis and Mamprusis in the area to examine steps at ending the conflict in the area and appealed to the people to support the work of the committee.
The leader of the Mamprusi community, Mr Akalifah Bugri, commended the President for inviting them to a meeting to deliberate on the way forward for Bawku.
He said the problems of Bawku dated back many years, adding that a number of interventions to bring it under control had failed because truth, the key element in fostering peace, was absent.
He proposed that apart from holding separate sessions with the sides involved in the conflict, the government should also meet both sides at a round table to passionately discuss the issue and map out the way forward.
Mr Akalifah identified chieftaincy and inaccessibility to land by the Mamprusis as some of the undertones of the conflict and appealed to the government to help resolve the conflict.
Earlier, a delegation of chiefs from the eastern corridor of the Kassena-Nankana-West District had called on the President to petition the government to heed their request for a separate district as a matter of fairness.
The leader of the delegation, Mr Roger Atasige, asserted that as far back as the 1970s, seven villages, including Manyoro, Natugnia, Nabango, Yua, Kandiga, Sirigu and Mirigu had been requesting through democratic means for a separate district and constituency but their requests had been turned down.
He, therefore, appealed to the President to act on their concern.
Responding, the President said the government would critically study the issue and ensure that once all the requirements were met as stipulated by law, their concerns would be taken on board.
“Government work within certain rules and regulations and we want to take decisions that are informed by the provisions of the laws,” he said.
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC, commended the group for the peaceful and democratic way they presented their request and intimated that their concerns would be thoroughly looked at.
Present at both meetings were a Member of the Council of State, Very Rev Jacob Ayeebo, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, the Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs Lucy Awuni; the Minister of Defence, Lt Gen. Joseph Smith; the Interior Minister, Mr Cletus Avoka; the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Albert Abongo, and other party executive members.
Thursday, 28 May 2009
MILLS BEGINS U/EAST TOUR (D/G, Thursday, May 28, 2009. SPREAD)
THE President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, arrived in Bolgatanga yesterday to begin a two-day working visit to the Upper East Region to thank the people of the region and familiarise himself with some developments there.
He was met on his way to Bolgatanga at Pwalugu, a town just before the Upper East Regional capital, by the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, and other government officials.
From Pwalugu, the convoy drove straight to the residency, where the President inspected a guard of honour mounted by personnel of the Ghana Police Service. He later called at the palace of the Paramount Chief of the Bolgatanga Traditional Area, Naba Martin Abilba, to pay homage to the chief and his people.
At the palace, President Mills said he was there to say ‘thank you’ to the people for their support for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the last general election.
He said not only did the people of the region vote massively for him but also for the first time in so many years they voted for the NDC parliamentary candidate, Mr Opam Brown.
He assured the people that the government would do all in its power to meet their aspirations.
The President said the government would give the regional minister and his team of municipal and district chief executives all the support they needed.
He said since he arrived in the region, the regional minister had wasted no time in drawing his attention to some nagging problems there.
“These are problems that have existed for some time but I have no doubt whatsoever that we have the capacity, determination and commitment to resolve them,” he stated.
He said while the government would strive to meet all its promises, it needed patience and support from the citizenry and called on the populace to live in peace with one another, adding, “Our objective as a people is to ensure that we improve on our lives and build a solid foundation for not only our children but also generations yet unborn.”
Welcoming the President, Naba Abilba congratulated him on his victory and prayed for the success of his government.
“We are blessed to have got a man like Prof Mills to lead the nation and I am very hopeful that his visit here today will expose him to some of the development challenges facing us,” he said.
He commended the President for recently dispatching the Vice-President to the Bawku municipality to mediate in the conflict and said that move was very proactive in helping to bring the situation under control.
The Bolga Naba later adorned the President with a white “Fugu” and an accompanying northern traditional hat.
While in the region, the President will meet with various chiefs, including the Bawku Naba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, as well as chiefs from the Kassena-Nankana East District. He will also interact with opinion leaders, Muslim and Christian leaders, as well as party activists.
He will visit the Sumbrungu campus of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic to inspect development projects there and climax his visit with an address at a durbar of the chiefs and people of the region at the Golden Jubilee Park in Bolgatanga.
The President is accompanied by the Minister of Defence, Lt Gen Joseph Smith (retd), the Minister for the Interior, Mr Cletus Apul Avoka, the Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Mahama Ayariga, and the Head of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Koku Anyidoho.
The President is expected to visit the Upper West Region after his tour of the Upper East Region.
He was met on his way to Bolgatanga at Pwalugu, a town just before the Upper East Regional capital, by the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, and other government officials.
From Pwalugu, the convoy drove straight to the residency, where the President inspected a guard of honour mounted by personnel of the Ghana Police Service. He later called at the palace of the Paramount Chief of the Bolgatanga Traditional Area, Naba Martin Abilba, to pay homage to the chief and his people.
At the palace, President Mills said he was there to say ‘thank you’ to the people for their support for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the last general election.
He said not only did the people of the region vote massively for him but also for the first time in so many years they voted for the NDC parliamentary candidate, Mr Opam Brown.
He assured the people that the government would do all in its power to meet their aspirations.
The President said the government would give the regional minister and his team of municipal and district chief executives all the support they needed.
He said since he arrived in the region, the regional minister had wasted no time in drawing his attention to some nagging problems there.
“These are problems that have existed for some time but I have no doubt whatsoever that we have the capacity, determination and commitment to resolve them,” he stated.
He said while the government would strive to meet all its promises, it needed patience and support from the citizenry and called on the populace to live in peace with one another, adding, “Our objective as a people is to ensure that we improve on our lives and build a solid foundation for not only our children but also generations yet unborn.”
Welcoming the President, Naba Abilba congratulated him on his victory and prayed for the success of his government.
“We are blessed to have got a man like Prof Mills to lead the nation and I am very hopeful that his visit here today will expose him to some of the development challenges facing us,” he said.
He commended the President for recently dispatching the Vice-President to the Bawku municipality to mediate in the conflict and said that move was very proactive in helping to bring the situation under control.
The Bolga Naba later adorned the President with a white “Fugu” and an accompanying northern traditional hat.
While in the region, the President will meet with various chiefs, including the Bawku Naba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka II, as well as chiefs from the Kassena-Nankana East District. He will also interact with opinion leaders, Muslim and Christian leaders, as well as party activists.
He will visit the Sumbrungu campus of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic to inspect development projects there and climax his visit with an address at a durbar of the chiefs and people of the region at the Golden Jubilee Park in Bolgatanga.
The President is accompanied by the Minister of Defence, Lt Gen Joseph Smith (retd), the Minister for the Interior, Mr Cletus Apul Avoka, the Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Mahama Ayariga, and the Head of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Koku Anyidoho.
The President is expected to visit the Upper West Region after his tour of the Upper East Region.
EXHIBIT DISCISPLINE IN CONLICT AREAS...Alhaji Mahama (D/G, Thursday, May 28, 2009 PAGE 20)
THE outgoing Upper East Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Alhaji Hamidu Mahama has challenged police personnel on operational duties in the Bawku Municipality to exhibit greater discipline in the discharge of their mandate in the conflict areas.
DCOP Mahama who is due to assume command of the Western Region, stated that the Police Administration would not sit down and allow the hard won reputation of the service to be dragged in the mud, especially after relative peace had been restored in the conflict areas.
DCOP Mahama gave the advice when he interacted with police personnel on operational duties in Bawku during a working visit to the area.
He said attempts by the security agencies including the police to bring permanent peace in Bawku would be a mirage if police personnel on the ground did not exhibit discipline in all their dealings, especially their daily contact with civilians in the municipality.
While cautioning them to be fair and firm in carrying out their mandate, he advised them to show respect to the ordinary person on the street and desist from all acts of harassment that might end up tarnishing the image of the police service.
“The cornerstone of the new police administration is discipline and any personnel who fails to display a high sense of discipline will not be spared”, he warned.
The outgoing regional commander urged the men to examine what role they could play collectively to resolve the conflict in the area to enable them to return to their respective stations.
He enjoined the personnel to remain neutral at all times.
Responding to some of the challenges confronting his men on the ground, DCOP Mahama said the police administration was fully aware of the logistic problems facing them and gave the assurance that the necessary steps would be taken to make life comfortable for them.
Meanwhile, the peacekeepers have appealed to the outgoing regional commander and the regional coordinating council to help in replacing their tents since they are in deplorable state.
DCOP Mahama who is due to assume command of the Western Region, stated that the Police Administration would not sit down and allow the hard won reputation of the service to be dragged in the mud, especially after relative peace had been restored in the conflict areas.
DCOP Mahama gave the advice when he interacted with police personnel on operational duties in Bawku during a working visit to the area.
He said attempts by the security agencies including the police to bring permanent peace in Bawku would be a mirage if police personnel on the ground did not exhibit discipline in all their dealings, especially their daily contact with civilians in the municipality.
While cautioning them to be fair and firm in carrying out their mandate, he advised them to show respect to the ordinary person on the street and desist from all acts of harassment that might end up tarnishing the image of the police service.
“The cornerstone of the new police administration is discipline and any personnel who fails to display a high sense of discipline will not be spared”, he warned.
The outgoing regional commander urged the men to examine what role they could play collectively to resolve the conflict in the area to enable them to return to their respective stations.
He enjoined the personnel to remain neutral at all times.
Responding to some of the challenges confronting his men on the ground, DCOP Mahama said the police administration was fully aware of the logistic problems facing them and gave the assurance that the necessary steps would be taken to make life comfortable for them.
Meanwhile, the peacekeepers have appealed to the outgoing regional commander and the regional coordinating council to help in replacing their tents since they are in deplorable state.
DOBA DAM NEEDS REHABILITATION (D/G, Thursday, May 28, 2009PAGE 20)
DAMS, dugouts and boreholes play an important role in the life of most communities in the northern parts of the country.
This is partly due to the long period of dry seasons experienced in that part of the country. Out of the 12 calendar months, most communities in the north experience between eight and nine months of dry weather, while the remaining three months are the wet season.
The situation has compelled most of the communities to rely on dams, boreholes and dugouts for survival.
Sadly however, most of the dams are either silted or have their banks broken much to the discomfort of the people who depended on them.
One of such dams in a distressful state, is the Doba Dam located in the Kassena-Nankana East District in the Upper East Region.
The dam which is one of the oldest in the Kassena-Nankana East District, was constructed by the government in the late 1950s to provide water for the community for their domestic animals, construction of houses and other uses.
Farming
The Assembly Member for the Gayingo-Doba electoral area, Mr Clement Nchor stated in an interview with the Daily Graphic that, until the early 1980s, the Doba Dam was solely managed and used by the Ministry of Agriculture to crop tomatoes and rice, among others as part of field demonstration to farmers on modern methods of farming.
He said in addition to that, the fisheries department was equally responsible for harvesting fish from the dam every year.
According to the assembly member, the existence of the dam had impacted positively on the lives of the people in Doba in many ways.
This included the availability of water that made it very easy for the people of the community to get water for their livestock and for the construction of their houses during the dry seasons.
Mr Nchor stated that fishes from the dam also served the protein needs and source of income for a cross section of the people, adding that farmers earned a lot of income, particularly in the dry season from the tomatoes, rice and other leafy vegetables they cultivated.
Some of the people have taken advantage of the availability of water to plant mangoes, guava, oranges and other economic trees as well as pawpaw, cassava and plantain which provided them a lot of revenue, thereby reducing poverty among such families, he said.
In addition, Mr Nchor said the presence of the dam had also created employment for some of the youth in the area who work as farm hands in the gardens belonging to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
He, however, stated that due to siltation over the years, the dam had become very shallow making it to dry up between March and May, every year before the rains set in, in June.
Rainy season
He stated that in 1997, the Irrigation Development Authority tried raising the dam’s embankment as a way of increasing the volume of water in it, but the work was poorly done.
“Due to that, the spillway has become very difficult for people especially schoolchildren. to cross over during the rainy seasons,
“A good driver is required to be able to drive down the steep bank to convey sick persons and pregnant women to hospitals any time such incidences occur,” he stressed.
Mr Nchor said due to the siltation of the dam and the consequent limited amount of water in it, life had not been the same for the people of Doba.
He said between the months of March and May when the quantity of water level was reduced, animals got stuck in the mud in their attempt to drink water from the dam and when that happened in the night, some of them even die.
“In view of that, some of the animals wander far in search of water and are either stolen or go astray. This becomes an economic loss to the owners of such animals”, Mr Nchor said.
He stated that another problem which was very worrying was the fact that the number of dry season tomato and other leafy vegetable farmers in the fenced irrigated field had reduced, adding that even the few who still farmed there, had to compete for the limited quantity of the water in the dam and that could sometimes lead to conflicts among them.
Migration
That problem Mr Nchor said, had compelled many of the youth in the area to migrate to the southern part of the country in search of non-existing jobs.
The assembly member emphasised that a more serious phenomenon was that because a large area of the extreme end of the dam remained dry the land owners now cultivate rice directly in the dam thereby further aggravating the bad situation.
“Such farmers feel there is no need to allow that fertile land go waste, hence their decisions”.
Mr Nchor said another worrying spectacle of the drying up of the dam was that some of the land owners had allowed contractors to win graves on some of the dried up portions of the dam.
The loose soil was subsequently carried into the dam, worsening the already bad situation. Even though the chief and the assembly members prevailed on those land owners to put a stop to such unhealthy practices, it is sad to note that the practice still persistes.
Water
It has become very difficult for some people to have access to water for the purpose of building or reconstructing their houses due to limited quantity of water in the dam between February and May every year.
The people now rely on the few boreholes and that have put more pressure on those facilities in the community leading to their frequent break-down.
The least said about fish stocks the better.
To Mr Nchor, the way forward is to desilt the dam to increase its volume of water to enable it to serve the varied needs of the people of Doba.
He said although an appeal had gone to the Kassena-Nankana East District Assembly, the house was constrained financially to carry out the project.
That notwithstanding, he reiterated his passionate appeal to the assembly, the Regional Minister and the Minister of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to come to the aid of the people.
“We the people of Doba have the confidence in the current government’s social policies towards alleviating poverty, especially in northern Ghana, mentioning in particular, the establishment of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA)”, the assembly member said.
Appeal
He also appealed to the Member of Parliament (MP) for Navrongo Central, Mr Joseph Kofi Adda to put the state of the Doba Dam on his developmental agenda by going to the aid of the people.
“The chief and people of Doba shall forever remain grateful to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and other past governments for the many developmental interventions in Doba. When the dam problem is solved, it will go a long way to reduce poverty in the village”, he said.
While appealing for support to save the dam, he also called on the entire people of Doba to cooperate with him and the chief of the area to save the only dam in the community from drying up completely.
“The strongest appeal is to the people who farm close to the dam and the base of the banks or allow contractors to win graves there to put an immediate stop to the bad practice to save it from collapse.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that this great asset is maintained to demonstrate to the government that we care for our own welfare and are prepared to continue to take care of any public property to convince it to respond favourably to our request to desilt the dam”, the assembly member said.
Already the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo has stated that a number of dams in the region have been earmarked for rehabilitation.
It is, therefore, the prayer of the people of Doba that their dam would be included in the package to bring relief to them.
This is partly due to the long period of dry seasons experienced in that part of the country. Out of the 12 calendar months, most communities in the north experience between eight and nine months of dry weather, while the remaining three months are the wet season.
The situation has compelled most of the communities to rely on dams, boreholes and dugouts for survival.
Sadly however, most of the dams are either silted or have their banks broken much to the discomfort of the people who depended on them.
One of such dams in a distressful state, is the Doba Dam located in the Kassena-Nankana East District in the Upper East Region.
The dam which is one of the oldest in the Kassena-Nankana East District, was constructed by the government in the late 1950s to provide water for the community for their domestic animals, construction of houses and other uses.
Farming
The Assembly Member for the Gayingo-Doba electoral area, Mr Clement Nchor stated in an interview with the Daily Graphic that, until the early 1980s, the Doba Dam was solely managed and used by the Ministry of Agriculture to crop tomatoes and rice, among others as part of field demonstration to farmers on modern methods of farming.
He said in addition to that, the fisheries department was equally responsible for harvesting fish from the dam every year.
According to the assembly member, the existence of the dam had impacted positively on the lives of the people in Doba in many ways.
This included the availability of water that made it very easy for the people of the community to get water for their livestock and for the construction of their houses during the dry seasons.
Mr Nchor stated that fishes from the dam also served the protein needs and source of income for a cross section of the people, adding that farmers earned a lot of income, particularly in the dry season from the tomatoes, rice and other leafy vegetables they cultivated.
Some of the people have taken advantage of the availability of water to plant mangoes, guava, oranges and other economic trees as well as pawpaw, cassava and plantain which provided them a lot of revenue, thereby reducing poverty among such families, he said.
In addition, Mr Nchor said the presence of the dam had also created employment for some of the youth in the area who work as farm hands in the gardens belonging to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
He, however, stated that due to siltation over the years, the dam had become very shallow making it to dry up between March and May, every year before the rains set in, in June.
Rainy season
He stated that in 1997, the Irrigation Development Authority tried raising the dam’s embankment as a way of increasing the volume of water in it, but the work was poorly done.
“Due to that, the spillway has become very difficult for people especially schoolchildren. to cross over during the rainy seasons,
“A good driver is required to be able to drive down the steep bank to convey sick persons and pregnant women to hospitals any time such incidences occur,” he stressed.
Mr Nchor said due to the siltation of the dam and the consequent limited amount of water in it, life had not been the same for the people of Doba.
He said between the months of March and May when the quantity of water level was reduced, animals got stuck in the mud in their attempt to drink water from the dam and when that happened in the night, some of them even die.
“In view of that, some of the animals wander far in search of water and are either stolen or go astray. This becomes an economic loss to the owners of such animals”, Mr Nchor said.
He stated that another problem which was very worrying was the fact that the number of dry season tomato and other leafy vegetable farmers in the fenced irrigated field had reduced, adding that even the few who still farmed there, had to compete for the limited quantity of the water in the dam and that could sometimes lead to conflicts among them.
Migration
That problem Mr Nchor said, had compelled many of the youth in the area to migrate to the southern part of the country in search of non-existing jobs.
The assembly member emphasised that a more serious phenomenon was that because a large area of the extreme end of the dam remained dry the land owners now cultivate rice directly in the dam thereby further aggravating the bad situation.
“Such farmers feel there is no need to allow that fertile land go waste, hence their decisions”.
Mr Nchor said another worrying spectacle of the drying up of the dam was that some of the land owners had allowed contractors to win graves on some of the dried up portions of the dam.
The loose soil was subsequently carried into the dam, worsening the already bad situation. Even though the chief and the assembly members prevailed on those land owners to put a stop to such unhealthy practices, it is sad to note that the practice still persistes.
Water
It has become very difficult for some people to have access to water for the purpose of building or reconstructing their houses due to limited quantity of water in the dam between February and May every year.
The people now rely on the few boreholes and that have put more pressure on those facilities in the community leading to their frequent break-down.
The least said about fish stocks the better.
To Mr Nchor, the way forward is to desilt the dam to increase its volume of water to enable it to serve the varied needs of the people of Doba.
He said although an appeal had gone to the Kassena-Nankana East District Assembly, the house was constrained financially to carry out the project.
That notwithstanding, he reiterated his passionate appeal to the assembly, the Regional Minister and the Minister of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to come to the aid of the people.
“We the people of Doba have the confidence in the current government’s social policies towards alleviating poverty, especially in northern Ghana, mentioning in particular, the establishment of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA)”, the assembly member said.
Appeal
He also appealed to the Member of Parliament (MP) for Navrongo Central, Mr Joseph Kofi Adda to put the state of the Doba Dam on his developmental agenda by going to the aid of the people.
“The chief and people of Doba shall forever remain grateful to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and other past governments for the many developmental interventions in Doba. When the dam problem is solved, it will go a long way to reduce poverty in the village”, he said.
While appealing for support to save the dam, he also called on the entire people of Doba to cooperate with him and the chief of the area to save the only dam in the community from drying up completely.
“The strongest appeal is to the people who farm close to the dam and the base of the banks or allow contractors to win graves there to put an immediate stop to the bad practice to save it from collapse.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that this great asset is maintained to demonstrate to the government that we care for our own welfare and are prepared to continue to take care of any public property to convince it to respond favourably to our request to desilt the dam”, the assembly member said.
Already the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo has stated that a number of dams in the region have been earmarked for rehabilitation.
It is, therefore, the prayer of the people of Doba that their dam would be included in the package to bring relief to them.
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