LET'S UNITE FOR VICTORY IN 2012...Says Aliu Mahama (PAGE 12, NOV 25, 2010)

The immediate past Vice-President of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has charged members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region to bury their differences, come together and work in unity if the party is to succeed and recapture power in the 2012 general elections.

Speaking to party executive,  members, elders and other functionaries of the NPP in the region, the former Vice-President  said the greatest threat facing the party, especially in northern Ghana, was the lack of unity.

He advised members of the party to resolve to work together, set aside their differences and redirect their effort at helping, build a stronger and united party.

Alhaji Aliu Mahama was in the region for a day’s visit in what he described as "touching base with the party members with the view to initiate a vibrant move towards rebuilding the party and helping it recapture power in 2012”.

As part of his visit, he paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Bolgatanga, Naba Martin Abillba III and the Chief of Zuarungu, Naba Charles Ayamga.

Addressing party executive and elders at a separate forum, Alhaji Aliu Mahama cautioned party members from the northern part of the country to refrain from all unhealthy acts and lack of unity among the ranks which he said could have the potential to undermine the unity of the party.

“One major challenge facing we northerners is the fact that there is so much pettiness among us, especially we politicians. The pull-him-down attitude is too much. One of the things that cost us power was the lack of support for our compatriots. Instead of rallying behind our people, some of us were seeking to satisfy individual parochial interest and we paid for it dearly,” he said.

He also blamed the elite politicians for the woes of northern Ghana, “Instead of uniting the people, they end up dividing the people so that they can continue dribbling in their quest for authority,” he said.

Alhaji Aliu Mahama, having tasted power and finding itself in opposition,said members of the party have tasted the “two-worlds”, adding that it is better to be a messenger in a ruling party than languish in opposition. 

 He  therefore, urged members of the party to work hard and hold together to ensure the early return of the party into power.

He reminded the party faithful that it was important to highlight the good things of the NPP in power and engage in issue-based campaigns to counter the failings of the ruling NDC so that the public will be well-educated and make better judgements as to which of the two parties deserved to rule the nation.

Alhaji Aliu Mahama later invited two persons, a Christian and a Muslim to lead all present in a prayer of unity for the party. 

He urged all to rally behind the presidential candidate for the party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and support him in his campaign.

The Upper East Regional Chairperson of the NPP, Mrs Agnes Chigabatia, said the party was doing all it could to ensure that there was total unity in the party and position itself for victory in the 2012 elections.

She reiterated her appeal to all past executive members, elders, former office holders in the Kufuor Administration to join hands and support the current executive members to deliver the region to the party in the 2012 elections.

LET'S UNITE FOR VICTORY IN 2012...Says Aliu Mahama (PAGE 12, NOV 25, 2010)

The immediate past Vice-President of Ghana, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has charged members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region to bury their differences, come together and work in unity if the party is to succeed and recapture power in the 2012 general elections.

Speaking to party executive,  members, elders and other functionaries of the NPP in the region, the former Vice-President  said the greatest threat facing the party, especially in northern Ghana, was the lack of unity.

He advised members of the party to resolve to work together, set aside their differences and redirect their effort at helping, build a stronger and united party.

Alhaji Aliu Mahama was in the region for a day’s visit in what he described as "touching base with the party members with the view to initiate a vibrant move towards rebuilding the party and helping it recapture power in 2012”.

As part of his visit, he paid a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief of Bolgatanga, Naba Martin Abillba III and the Chief of Zuarungu, Naba Charles Ayamga.

Addressing party executive and elders at a separate forum, Alhaji Aliu Mahama cautioned party members from the northern part of the country to refrain from all unhealthy acts and lack of unity among the ranks which he said could have the potential to undermine the unity of the party.

“One major challenge facing we northerners is the fact that there is so much pettiness among us, especially we politicians. The pull-him-down attitude is too much. One of the things that cost us power was the lack of support for our compatriots. Instead of rallying behind our people, some of us were seeking to satisfy individual parochial interest and we paid for it dearly,” he said.

He also blamed the elite politicians for the woes of northern Ghana, “Instead of uniting the people, they end up dividing the people so that they can continue dribbling in their quest for authority,” he said.

Alhaji Aliu Mahama, having tasted power and finding itself in opposition,said members of the party have tasted the “two-worlds”, adding that it is better to be a messenger in a ruling party than languish in opposition. 

 He  therefore, urged members of the party to work hard and hold together to ensure the early return of the party into power.

He reminded the party faithful that it was important to highlight the good things of the NPP in power and engage in issue-based campaigns to counter the failings of the ruling NDC so that the public will be well-educated and make better judgements as to which of the two parties deserved to rule the nation.

Alhaji Aliu Mahama later invited two persons, a Christian and a Muslim to lead all present in a prayer of unity for the party. 

He urged all to rally behind the presidential candidate for the party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and support him in his campaign.

The Upper East Regional Chairperson of the NPP, Mrs Agnes Chigabatia, said the party was doing all it could to ensure that there was total unity in the party and position itself for victory in the 2012 elections.

She reiterated her appeal to all past executive members, elders, former office holders in the Kufuor Administration to join hands and support the current executive members to deliver the region to the party in the 2012 elections.

THREE COMBINE HARVESTER OPERATORS DIE IN ACCIDENT (SPREAD, NOV 13, 2010)

THREE trainees in the use of combine harvesters died in a road accident on the Tamale-Bolgatanga Highway yesterday when a vehicle on which they were travelling skidded off the road and crashed into a tree.

The deceased were returning from Tamale where they had undergone training on how to operate combine harvesters meant to assist in the harvesting of rice in the Fumbisi and Gbedembilisi rice valleys.

Details of the accident were very sketchy, according to the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, who briefed the Daily Graphic on the incident.

He consoled the bereaved families for the loss of their relatives and said the accident could also affect the early harvesting of mature rice which was still standing in the fields.

Mr Woyongo said already, some combine harvesters had been allocated to the region to support the harvesting of the rice in the valleys, while efforts were underway to get crawler combine harvesters capable of operating in soggy fields to join in the effort.

He pointed out that the death of the three operators of the machines was a big blow to the farmers.

It would be recalled that following a visit to the rice farms in the Gbedembilisi Valley, near Fumbisi in the Builsa District of the Upper East Region, the Upper East Regional Minister appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to ensure that the crawler combine harvesters were brought in quickly to assist in the harvesting of mature rice in the farms.

The training of the operators ahead of the dispatch of the machine was seen as a first step towards addressing the situation and their death is considered a big blow to the efforts at salvaging the situation.

POLICE, SUSPECT UNDER MOB ATTACK (PAGE 3, NOV 18, 2010)

THE premises of the Bawku Circuit Court turned into a battle ground yesterday when a group of people hurled stones at the police and a man standing trial at the court for allegedly writing a letter challenging the legitimacy of the sitting Paramount Chief of Bawku.
The action of the mob followed the decision by the court to grant bail to one Abdul Rahaman-Suleman Afoli, a Bawku-based trader, who is standing trial after the police arrested him and charged him with offensive conduct likely to breach peace and publication of false news with the intent to cause fear and alarm.
Afoli is said to have circulated a letter challenging the legitimacy of the current Bawku Naba.
He made his first appearance in court last week and was remanded, but on his second appearance yesterday the court granted him bail and adjourned the case to November 22, 2010.
Some youth who disagreed with the position of the court allegedly started pelting the police and the suspect with stones at the end of the proceedings.
The Bawku Divisional Police Command said the police had to resort to the firing of warning shots to scare away the mob and ensure that sanity prevailed.
The Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Musa Abdulai, told the Daily Graphic in a telephone interview that a taxi was burnt as a result of the disturbance in town, but indicated that the security agencies were in control of the situation to ensure that peace was restored in the area.
According to the police, on October 18, 2010, the accused wrote a letter, headed, “Attention: Public Notification of the Chieftaincy Act of 2008 (Act 759) and the Chieftaincy Bulletin, Vol. 1, of November, 2009”, in which he said the present Bawku Naba “is not the Chief of Bawku” and put it into circulation.
According to the police, the action of the accused person was capable of disturbing or tampering with the relative peace prevailing in Bawku.
The police said available records showed that the present Bawku Chief, Zurang Naba Abugrago Asigri Azoka II, was enskinned on April 24,1984 and was gazetted in the Local Government Bulletin of September, 1986.

BAWKU WEST ON PATH OF PROGRESS (PAGE 54, NOV 15, 2010)

THE Bawku West District Assembly has completed a number of development projects to enhance the socio-economic life in the district.
The district assembly has in the past 20 months executed various projects on education, health and agriculture to improve upon the lives of the people.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Anabah Adam Moro announced this at the “Meet the press” series introduced by the Upper East Regional Minister to give a platform for assemblies to showcase what they had achieved during their tenure in office.
The DCE said contrary to the practice where projects initiated by a previous government were abandoned, his administration had upon assuming office, completed the construction of a six-unit classroom block with ancillary room such as office, store and kindergarten at Kusanaba.
It has also completed two three-unit teachers’ bungalows at Gore and Tanga as well as two three-unit classroom blocks at Atarikom and rehabilitated a six-unit classroom block at Timonde, as well as the completion of teachers’ quarters at Kpantarigu.
Mr Moro said within the 20 months of the current administration, the assembly had constructed a six-unit classroom block for the Soogo Primary School, a three-unit classroom block with an office and a store at the Lamboya Model School and a two-unit workshop at the Kusanaba Vocational centre.
The DCE said in its quest to boost agricultural productivity for enhanced income, 273 acres of rice were cultivated in three communities, namely Tilli, Lamboya and Samblongo, under the block farm programme introduced by the government.
He stated that to date, a total of 100 farmers, comprising 75 males and 25 females had benefited from the venture.
Mr Moro said under the same programme, 549 acres of soya bean were cultivated in four communities, Tilli, Apotdabogo, Bulungu and Zongoyire, benefitting a total of 322 farmers.
Additionally, Mr Moro said 182 acres of maize were cultivated under the block farm programme.
He stressed that the self-help spirit of the people had been rekindled and that had led to the execution of more than 11 projects spread across the district.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo, promised that every effort was being made to source for funds to asphalt the Bolgatanga-Zebilla-Bawku road to facilitate smooth travel and economic activities on that corridor.
He also announced that an aggressive rural electrification programme had been rolled out to ensure that more than 500 communities were hooked to the national grid.
Mr Woyongo also announced that the government had instituted a scholarship scheme for 40 brilliant, needy students in the second-cycle and tertiary educational institutions in each district and urged members in the communities to take advantage of the scheme.

AFRIKIDS MEDICAL CENTRE IN BOLGATANGA EXPANDED (PAGE 54, NOV 15, 2010)

A BOLGATANGA-BASED Child welfare non-governmental organisation (NGO), AfriKids Ghana has handed over an expanded structure to the administration of AfriKids Medical Centre in Bolgatanga.
The new structure, a 28 bed facility will accommodate the children’s and female surgical wards. Other facilities include office administration, consulting rooms and a yet to be complete X-Ray unit. This will bring to 50 the number of wards in the facility.
Funds for the first phase of the expansion programme valued at GH¢339,000, were secured through the external partnership with Afrikids UK. Through a tripartite partnership with the Ghana Health Service, AfriKids Ghana and Southampton University Hospital Trust (GHAS), the facility has received some hospital equipment to enhance its service delivery.
Speaking at a brief handing over ceremony at Bolgatanga, the Head of Information Technology at Afrikids Ghana, Mr Sebastian Ayaaba, who stood in for the Country Director of the NGO, said the Medical Centre would continue to play its role of providing quality health care in the region.
The acting director stated that the centre was part of an elaborate scheme to make AfriKids Ghana self-sustainable come the next eight years by which time management intended to close its fund-raising office in the UK.
Mr Ayaaba expressed appreciation to Mr Nick Eastcott, a retired health care manager from the UK, who had devoted his time over the years to help the centre to improve its services.
The administrator of AfriKids Medical Centre, Mr Ibrahim Issah said the increasing number of out-patients at the centre over the years necessitated the expansion works.
He stated that since AfriKids took over the management of the centre from its original owners in 2007, more than 40,600 people had received health care from the facility.
Mr Issah said the centre received its accreditation as a primary hospital in June 2009 when it met the requirements of a primary hospital.
He stated that three resident doctors would be posted to the centre by November, this year while the number of nurses would also increase from the present 12 to 21.

UK NGO TRAINS CARE GIVERS (PAGE 54, NOV 15, 2010)

A UK-BASED non-governmental organisation (NGO), Street Invest has trained a number of care givers who have taken up the challenge of working with street children in the region.
The training took the form of capacity building workshops for the participants selected from some institutions and organisations working in the interest of street children.
The beneficiaries were equipped with knowledge of approaching street children and how to seek their opinions on interventions tailored towards supporting them. They were also tasked to impart the knowledge to other people who are working in the same field.
Two of the beneficiaries, Mr Silas Ayaaba and Mr Abass Abubakari, staff of Afrikids Ghana, a child welfare NGO based in Bolgatanga in an interview with Daily Graphic, commended the organisers for instituting the training programme, which had given them an insight into how to handle street children.
Mr Ayaaba bemoaned the attitude of some social workers who did not consider the opinions of the children they were supposed to be helping.
He, therefore, encouraged them to change their attitude towards the children since any intervention that did not have any input from the children would not be successful.
Mr Ayaaba was sad at the current trend where people were no more interested in the welfare of other people’s children.
He blamed the situation on the nuclear family system and advised the public to consider other people’s children as theirs in order to build a better society.