THE Sungtaa Nyog women’s group, a civil society organisation in the Lawra District of the Upper West Region has celebrated its 10th anniversary with an advice to women to fully embrace women empowerment programmes as a step in fighting poverty.
The Secretary to the Sungtaa Nyog women’s group, Madam Rebecca Karbo, stated this when she addressed a durbar to climax the anniversary celebration of the group at Lawra.
The durbar, which attracted about 300 women among other dignitaries, was on the theme: “Empower women to reduce poverty”.
The group is a body of various women’s groups within the Lawra Traditional Area, who came together in the year 2000, to seek their interest and welfare. They included farmers, petty traders and ‘pito’ brewers.
Madam Karbo stressed the need to speed up renovation works on the Lawra Market to attract more women and also to improve upon the revenue collection capacity of the district assembly.
She also appealed to the assembly to improve water facilities in the district so that more people would have access to clean water.
On education, Madam Karbo appealed to the government to extend the school feeding programme to cover all schools in the district.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Lawra Nandom, Mr Ambrose Dery, who was the guest of honour, said empowering women was necessary to empower the community since women formed majority of the society.
He said women were good managers of families and it was important to empower them to enhance the development of their communities.
Mr Dery, therefore, commended women under the Lawra paramountcy for coming together as a unit and said “In that way, you would become viable and we can also support you”.
The MP supported the group with an amount of GH¢12,500 for them to use as seed money to support their microfinance revolving fund, and pledged his continued assistance to the group so far as they worked towards a good cause.
He advised that “members of the group particularly the leadership must be accountable to the members and learn basic book keeping skills”.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
NDC FACTIONS MUST BURY DIFFERENCES (PAGE 14, MAY 21, 2010)
THE acting Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba, has called on all factions involved in the rumpus in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region to bury their differences and come to a compromise.
That, he said, was the only way to create the required atmosphere to resolve intra-party problems and continue with the development agenda of the region.
Mr Mabengba made the call when he met members of the Upper West Regional Local Council of Churches at the Conference Room of the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) in Wa.
He called on the people to come to terms with the principle that there must always be one leader at a time, adding, “The Upper West, which is the youngest region, used to be the most peaceful, but in recent times we have not had the peace we are all yearning for.”
He appealed to the clergy to use their influence in society to intercede, both spiritually and physically, when the need arose.
Mr Mabengba further appealed to the people to unite to fight poverty, disease and squalor which, according to him, were the common enemies of the three northern regions, instead of fighting among themselves.
Mr Mabengba took oversight responsibility of the Upper West Region after the dismissal of the substantive regional minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, last week Tuesday by the President.
He will be acting as Upper West Regional Minister until a substantive Regional M
inister is appointed.
He arrived in Wa last Sunday and has since met with the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), heads of departments, the leadership and members of the NDC, as well as the former regional minister.
He also called on the Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Issahaque Yakubu, and asked for his support and prayers.
Mr Mabengba told the clergy that his mission to the region was not because he had a magic wand to deal with all the problems there, adding, “Perhaps being a minister in a conflict-prone region, may be the President thought I could bring these experiences to bear on the Upper West.”
The Chairman of the Local Council of Churches and Head Pastor of the Fountain Gate Chapel in Wa, Rev Ben Ancheba, in his response, called for transparency on the part of political leaders in their dealings.
“Leaders must begin to open up. Very often you know people who you could easily call on but the moment they get into political positions, they are clouded with some kind of mystery,” he said.
On the recent disturbances by some irate NDC youth in the region, he called for patience and urged all to keep praying for the region and the country at large.
He attributed the disturbances to the lack of understanding of the governance process and ignorance on the part of the people.
Other speakers advised political parties to set up prayer groups to intercede spiritually on behalf of governments and the parties, while others thought the incident was an eye opener which would push political leaders to open up and engage more people at the grass roots.
That, he said, was the only way to create the required atmosphere to resolve intra-party problems and continue with the development agenda of the region.
Mr Mabengba made the call when he met members of the Upper West Regional Local Council of Churches at the Conference Room of the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) in Wa.
He called on the people to come to terms with the principle that there must always be one leader at a time, adding, “The Upper West, which is the youngest region, used to be the most peaceful, but in recent times we have not had the peace we are all yearning for.”
He appealed to the clergy to use their influence in society to intercede, both spiritually and physically, when the need arose.
Mr Mabengba further appealed to the people to unite to fight poverty, disease and squalor which, according to him, were the common enemies of the three northern regions, instead of fighting among themselves.
Mr Mabengba took oversight responsibility of the Upper West Region after the dismissal of the substantive regional minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, last week Tuesday by the President.
He will be acting as Upper West Regional Minister until a substantive Regional M
inister is appointed.
He arrived in Wa last Sunday and has since met with the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), heads of departments, the leadership and members of the NDC, as well as the former regional minister.
He also called on the Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Issahaque Yakubu, and asked for his support and prayers.
Mr Mabengba told the clergy that his mission to the region was not because he had a magic wand to deal with all the problems there, adding, “Perhaps being a minister in a conflict-prone region, may be the President thought I could bring these experiences to bear on the Upper West.”
The Chairman of the Local Council of Churches and Head Pastor of the Fountain Gate Chapel in Wa, Rev Ben Ancheba, in his response, called for transparency on the part of political leaders in their dealings.
“Leaders must begin to open up. Very often you know people who you could easily call on but the moment they get into political positions, they are clouded with some kind of mystery,” he said.
On the recent disturbances by some irate NDC youth in the region, he called for patience and urged all to keep praying for the region and the country at large.
He attributed the disturbances to the lack of understanding of the governance process and ignorance on the part of the people.
Other speakers advised political parties to set up prayer groups to intercede spiritually on behalf of governments and the parties, while others thought the incident was an eye opener which would push political leaders to open up and engage more people at the grass roots.
UPPER WEST NPP REFUTES ALLEGATIONS (PAGE 14, MAY 21, 2010)
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper West Region has refuted assertions by some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the region that it caused the removal of the former Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid.
It noted that events which led to the immediate dismissal of Mr Khalid were purely an internal NDC affair and, therefore, the NDC must concentrate on solving its problems rather than pointing accusing fingers at the NPP.
A statement signed and released by the Upper West Regional Secretary of the NPP, Mr Stephen Engmen, therefore, urged members of the NDC to stop dragging the name of the NPP through the mud.
It described events which lead to the dismissal of the minister as unfortunate and said the NPP was worried about the development in the region and not that of a few individuals who were fighting for their selfish needs.
The statement further said contrary to claims that the former regional minister was awarding contracts to NPP people, the NDC had rather consciously refused to award contracts to people perceived to be NPP sympathisers.
The statement, therefore, called on the NDC to deliver on its promises and find solutions to their recent intra party wrangling and stop drawing the NPP into such confusion.
It further described Mr Khalid, the former Regional Minister, as a sacrificial lamb who had been sacrificed to appease a few people to the detriment of the interest of majority of the people.
The statement further noted that it was totally wrong for the NDC to misinform the world that NPP members were benefiting from contracts from the NDC when in actual fact it was not the case.
It noted that events which led to the immediate dismissal of Mr Khalid were purely an internal NDC affair and, therefore, the NDC must concentrate on solving its problems rather than pointing accusing fingers at the NPP.
A statement signed and released by the Upper West Regional Secretary of the NPP, Mr Stephen Engmen, therefore, urged members of the NDC to stop dragging the name of the NPP through the mud.
It described events which lead to the dismissal of the minister as unfortunate and said the NPP was worried about the development in the region and not that of a few individuals who were fighting for their selfish needs.
The statement further said contrary to claims that the former regional minister was awarding contracts to NPP people, the NDC had rather consciously refused to award contracts to people perceived to be NPP sympathisers.
The statement, therefore, called on the NDC to deliver on its promises and find solutions to their recent intra party wrangling and stop drawing the NPP into such confusion.
It further described Mr Khalid, the former Regional Minister, as a sacrificial lamb who had been sacrificed to appease a few people to the detriment of the interest of majority of the people.
The statement further noted that it was totally wrong for the NDC to misinform the world that NPP members were benefiting from contracts from the NDC when in actual fact it was not the case.
UNITE, FORGE AHEAD IN PEACE — DERY (PAGE 13, MAY 21, 2012)
THE Member of Parliament for the Lawra-Nandom Constituency, Mr Ambrose Dery, has made a passionate call on the chiefs and people of the three Northern Regions to unite and forge ahead in peace.
This, he said, was because the three Northern Regions could not continue to be associated with violence when there is a lot they could do to improve the living condition of their people.
Mr Dery expressed grave concern about the incessant cases of violence that had clouded the northern parts of the country and urged all peace loving Northerners to help reverse the trend.
Mr Dery made the call when he addressed a durbar to mark the 10th anniversary celebration of the Sungtaa Nyog women’s group at Lawra in the Lawra district of the Upper West Region.
“Why is it that whenever there is a misunderstanding in the North, it leads to violence? Are we saying that we cannot use dialogue to seek solutions to our grievances?” Mr Dery asked.
Commenting on the recent events in the Upper West Region which led to the removal of the Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, Mr Dery called for a cease fire and reminded the people that the President had the prerogative to appoint and dismiss anybody he appointed.
He said protesting violently and above all, invading the precinct of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to destroy government documents cast a slur on the security situation in the region and must be condemned by all.
Mr Dery, who is also the Deputy Minority Leader in Parliament, advised the youth to always bear in mind that the Upper West in particular was the least developed region in the country and therefore, instead of engaging in such lawlessness, they must rather channel their energies into ventures which would bring development and prosperity to the people.
On the development of women in the region, the MP said women must act as agents of peace since they were at the receiving end in times of violence.
He advised women to use their motherly techniques to convince their children and the youth, many of who were used to forment such troubles, to desist from such practices and be of good behaviour.
He said Northern Ghana was becoming too violent and challenged women to partner men in the crusade to bring peace.
He also called for a change in some cultural practices such as early marriages, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) among other practices which were detrimental to the development of women and appealed to parents to be much concerned about the nutritional needs of their children.
That, he explained, would go along way to check the incidence of maternal and under five mortality cases in the region.
Touching on the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), the Deputy Minority Leader was not happy about the pace with which it was being handled and described the NDC government as a government of broken promises.
He added that as one of the major campaign promises of the NDC, the respective communities must be enjoying the fruits of the SADA by now.
He, therefore, called on the government to make the SADA operational in the shortest possible time in the interest of the people and also to enhance the development of the respective beneficiary communities.
This, he said, was because the three Northern Regions could not continue to be associated with violence when there is a lot they could do to improve the living condition of their people.
Mr Dery expressed grave concern about the incessant cases of violence that had clouded the northern parts of the country and urged all peace loving Northerners to help reverse the trend.
Mr Dery made the call when he addressed a durbar to mark the 10th anniversary celebration of the Sungtaa Nyog women’s group at Lawra in the Lawra district of the Upper West Region.
“Why is it that whenever there is a misunderstanding in the North, it leads to violence? Are we saying that we cannot use dialogue to seek solutions to our grievances?” Mr Dery asked.
Commenting on the recent events in the Upper West Region which led to the removal of the Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, Mr Dery called for a cease fire and reminded the people that the President had the prerogative to appoint and dismiss anybody he appointed.
He said protesting violently and above all, invading the precinct of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to destroy government documents cast a slur on the security situation in the region and must be condemned by all.
Mr Dery, who is also the Deputy Minority Leader in Parliament, advised the youth to always bear in mind that the Upper West in particular was the least developed region in the country and therefore, instead of engaging in such lawlessness, they must rather channel their energies into ventures which would bring development and prosperity to the people.
On the development of women in the region, the MP said women must act as agents of peace since they were at the receiving end in times of violence.
He advised women to use their motherly techniques to convince their children and the youth, many of who were used to forment such troubles, to desist from such practices and be of good behaviour.
He said Northern Ghana was becoming too violent and challenged women to partner men in the crusade to bring peace.
He also called for a change in some cultural practices such as early marriages, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) among other practices which were detrimental to the development of women and appealed to parents to be much concerned about the nutritional needs of their children.
That, he explained, would go along way to check the incidence of maternal and under five mortality cases in the region.
Touching on the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), the Deputy Minority Leader was not happy about the pace with which it was being handled and described the NDC government as a government of broken promises.
He added that as one of the major campaign promises of the NDC, the respective communities must be enjoying the fruits of the SADA by now.
He, therefore, called on the government to make the SADA operational in the shortest possible time in the interest of the people and also to enhance the development of the respective beneficiary communities.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
GROUP WANTS UPPER WEST DEPUTY MINISTER SACKED (PAGE 13, MAY 17, 2010)
THE dust of confusion surrounding the Upper West Regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is far from settling, after the dismissal of the former Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, last Wednesday.
This is because of calls by another group of NDC youth, the Concerned Youth of NDC, on President Mills to equally remove the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Caesar Kale, and bring in neutral people to administer the region.
The group alleged that Mr Kale had undermined his boss, the former regional minister, and seen to his exit and that in the same vein Mr Kale must opt out.
It threatened to replicate what the other NDC youth group did by causing confusion and going on rampage to get its concerns across if the President failed to act accordingly.
That, it said, was because President Mills succumbed to such pressure the group alleged.
At a press conference organised by the group, a former NDC Deputy Secretary in the Nadowli West Constituency, Mr Saandong Mwiniban-era, pointed out that problems in the Wa Central Constituency of the party must not be made to cloud the fortunes of the NDC across the entire region.
“People must not confuse issues in the region with those in the Wa Central Constituency,” he noted, and described the action of the President in dismissing Mr Khalid as a wrong step which would greatly affect the fortunes of the NDC in the region, come the 2012 general election.
Mr Mwiniban-era called on President Mills to be proactive and not bow to pressure for the sake of peace and development in the region, as well as the continuous growth of the party.
He also called on the Upper West NDC Caucus in Parliament to see to the removal of Mr Kale because his continued stay in office as deputy regional minister would worsen the already fragile peace in the region.
Other members of the group are Mr Mathew Sung Aabo, former treasurer of the party; Alhaji Kabore, Wa Central; Mr Yahaya Mahama, Wa West; Joseph Konuba, Nadowli West; Abdul Jaleel Mahama, Wa Central, and Mohammed Ayamga, Sissala East.
This is because of calls by another group of NDC youth, the Concerned Youth of NDC, on President Mills to equally remove the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Caesar Kale, and bring in neutral people to administer the region.
The group alleged that Mr Kale had undermined his boss, the former regional minister, and seen to his exit and that in the same vein Mr Kale must opt out.
It threatened to replicate what the other NDC youth group did by causing confusion and going on rampage to get its concerns across if the President failed to act accordingly.
That, it said, was because President Mills succumbed to such pressure the group alleged.
At a press conference organised by the group, a former NDC Deputy Secretary in the Nadowli West Constituency, Mr Saandong Mwiniban-era, pointed out that problems in the Wa Central Constituency of the party must not be made to cloud the fortunes of the NDC across the entire region.
“People must not confuse issues in the region with those in the Wa Central Constituency,” he noted, and described the action of the President in dismissing Mr Khalid as a wrong step which would greatly affect the fortunes of the NDC in the region, come the 2012 general election.
Mr Mwiniban-era called on President Mills to be proactive and not bow to pressure for the sake of peace and development in the region, as well as the continuous growth of the party.
He also called on the Upper West NDC Caucus in Parliament to see to the removal of Mr Kale because his continued stay in office as deputy regional minister would worsen the already fragile peace in the region.
Other members of the group are Mr Mathew Sung Aabo, former treasurer of the party; Alhaji Kabore, Wa Central; Mr Yahaya Mahama, Wa West; Joseph Konuba, Nadowli West; Abdul Jaleel Mahama, Wa Central, and Mohammed Ayamga, Sissala East.
UPPER WEST NDC APOLOGISES TO PREZ (PAGE 14, MAY 15, 2010)
The Upper West Regional branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has rendered an unqualified apology to President John Evans Atta Mills and the entire party for the disturbances which took place in Wa, the regional capital, prior to the dismissal of the immediate past Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid.
It condemned the unruly behaviour of the youth of the party, which led to the disturbances in the Wa municipality, and expressed gratitude to the President for the competent manner in which he continued to handle affairs of the party.
That, it said, had restored sanity and peace to the party in particular and the region in general.
A statement signed and read on behalf of the regional party executives by the Upper West Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr Eric Dakura, at a press briefing in Wa reaffirmed the confidence and trust of the regional branch in the President and the NDC, saying, “We believe and trust in the President and his team to deliver the better Ghana agenda we promised.”
“Now that the malignant growth has been effectively removed by the wonderful political surgeon who is the President, peace and harmony will prevail,” it added, saying, “We are not against competent businessmen and women from other political parties being given jobs because we believe that any Ghanaian, whether from the NPP, CPP, PNC or any other political party, is entitled to the national cake.”
The statement further pledged its unflinching support for the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Caesar Kale, whom it described as hardworking and somebody who had the interest of the party at heart, and commended the police and the military for the able manner in which they handled the disturbances.
It pointed out that but for the intervention of the deputy regional minister, the party in the region would have been torn into shreds by now.
It said the branch would never condone any violent behaviour that undermined the rule of law and party discipline in the region.
In a related development, the Upper West Regional Police Command has released on bail the eight suspected NDC youth who were arrested in connection with the disturbances in the Wa municipality last Tuesday.
They are Mohammed Imoro, Moomin Malik, Alhassan Lukman and Ibrahim Salifu.
The others are Ibrahim Abdul Rahman, Aburahman Fataw, Mohammed Jimba and Issahaku Nuhu.
The Regional Crime Officer, Mr Wisdom Lavoe, who briefed the Daily Graphic, said the police were still investigating the matter, since all the suspects had distanced themselves from the act, claiming that they had only been arrested on suspicion.
That, he said, was making it difficult for the police to suitably charge the suspects for the crime, since they were not arrested in the act.
Mr Lavoe did not, however, rule out the possibility of an identification parade when the need arose and advised the youth, particularly those belonging to political parties, to be law abiding and adhere to laid down procedures in addressing their grievances.
He said the days when things were done any how were gone and now it was a system of rule of law and respect for human rights.
Meanwhile, the Wa municipality is calm, with the citizenry going about their duties.
It condemned the unruly behaviour of the youth of the party, which led to the disturbances in the Wa municipality, and expressed gratitude to the President for the competent manner in which he continued to handle affairs of the party.
That, it said, had restored sanity and peace to the party in particular and the region in general.
A statement signed and read on behalf of the regional party executives by the Upper West Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr Eric Dakura, at a press briefing in Wa reaffirmed the confidence and trust of the regional branch in the President and the NDC, saying, “We believe and trust in the President and his team to deliver the better Ghana agenda we promised.”
“Now that the malignant growth has been effectively removed by the wonderful political surgeon who is the President, peace and harmony will prevail,” it added, saying, “We are not against competent businessmen and women from other political parties being given jobs because we believe that any Ghanaian, whether from the NPP, CPP, PNC or any other political party, is entitled to the national cake.”
The statement further pledged its unflinching support for the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Caesar Kale, whom it described as hardworking and somebody who had the interest of the party at heart, and commended the police and the military for the able manner in which they handled the disturbances.
It pointed out that but for the intervention of the deputy regional minister, the party in the region would have been torn into shreds by now.
It said the branch would never condone any violent behaviour that undermined the rule of law and party discipline in the region.
In a related development, the Upper West Regional Police Command has released on bail the eight suspected NDC youth who were arrested in connection with the disturbances in the Wa municipality last Tuesday.
They are Mohammed Imoro, Moomin Malik, Alhassan Lukman and Ibrahim Salifu.
The others are Ibrahim Abdul Rahman, Aburahman Fataw, Mohammed Jimba and Issahaku Nuhu.
The Regional Crime Officer, Mr Wisdom Lavoe, who briefed the Daily Graphic, said the police were still investigating the matter, since all the suspects had distanced themselves from the act, claiming that they had only been arrested on suspicion.
That, he said, was making it difficult for the police to suitably charge the suspects for the crime, since they were not arrested in the act.
Mr Lavoe did not, however, rule out the possibility of an identification parade when the need arose and advised the youth, particularly those belonging to political parties, to be law abiding and adhere to laid down procedures in addressing their grievances.
He said the days when things were done any how were gone and now it was a system of rule of law and respect for human rights.
Meanwhile, the Wa municipality is calm, with the citizenry going about their duties.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
UPPER WEST MINISTER SACKED (PAGE 3, MAY 12, 2010)
PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills yesterday relieved Mr Mahmood Khalid of his post as Upper West Regional Minister with immediate effect and asked Mr Moses Mabengba, the Northern Regional Minister, to take temporary responsibility for the Upper West.
A statement signed by the Secretary to the President, Mr J.K. Bebaako-Mensah, gave no reason for the action but the beleaguered Mr Khalid has for some time been under intense pressure from National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists in the region who had persisted with calls for his resignation or removal from office.
A few hours before the Presidential statement, eight persons were arrested, while the Upper West Regional executives of the NDC were invited for questioning by the police after irate youth of the NDC in Wa had stormed the premises of the Upper West Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and ransacked tender documents which had been sent to the conference room to commence a bidding process.
The staff of the RCC looked on helplessly as the youth, who were about 40 in number, engaged in the ignoble act, compelling Mr Khalid’s bodyguard to fire a number of warning shots, after calling for re-enforcement.
The action was so swift that by the time the police and military personnel arrived at the offices of the RCC, the youth had left with the tender documents on their motorcycles.
The regional minister was at the time of the incident held up in a meeting with some foreign dignitaries.
The situation, for a moment, brought panic among workers and onlookers who wondered what was happening in the relatively peaceful Wa municipality, particularly after hearing the warning shots.
The same youth group had, in the evening of Monday, invaded the old presidential residence where Mr Khalid was holding a meeting with regional executives of the party, including the member of the Council of State from the region, Naa Seidu Braimah.
They disrupted the meeting and deflated the tyres of a pick-up vehicle, with registration number GE 5962 Z, said to be owned by the Regional Vice-Chairman of the NDC, Alhaji Natornaa.
But for the timely arrival of a detachment of policemen who cordoned off the streets and the entrance to the old presidential residence, the situation could have been very nasty.
The youth swore to ensure the removal of the regional minister, saying he was not fighting the cause of the NDC in the region.
They told the Daily Graphic that no amount of pleas from the party chairman would make them soften their stance.
In his reaction, Mr Khalid acknowledged that there had been some disagreements between him and the Regional Chairman of the party, Alhaji Malik Issahaque, which had gone as far as the Presidency.
He said the President asked them to return and patch up their differences and he had made every effort to reconcile with the chairman and bring all on board.
He said after a series of scheduled meetings between him and the regional chairman could not come off, they managed to fix a meeting for Monday.
Mr Khalid said they were at that meeting when a number of motorcycle riders tooting their horns stormed the premises of the old presidential residence and demanded the keys to the pick-up vehicle belonging to the vice-chairman.
He said when the youth insisted, the vice-chairman handed over the keys to the chairman, who in turn handed them over to the regional secretary, Eric Dakurah.
He said the youth then went ahead to deflate the tyres of the pick-up.
The police later had to escort the minister’s vehicle from the old presidential residence to his residence.
Mr Khalid called for calm and said he would continue to extend an olive branch to the youth and all members of the party so that they would unite and work for the good of the party in the region.
He was, however, not happy about the security lapse yesterday which, he said, paved the way for the youth to have access to the RCC premises.
“I alerted the police after yesterday’s incident and so it is unfortunate that this security lapse came in,” he lamented.
As of press time yesterday, the party executives were still being questioned at the police station.
The Daily Graphic also gathered that an emergency Regional Security Council (REGSEC) meeting was to have been held yesterday afternoon to point the way forward.
A statement signed by the Secretary to the President, Mr J.K. Bebaako-Mensah, gave no reason for the action but the beleaguered Mr Khalid has for some time been under intense pressure from National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists in the region who had persisted with calls for his resignation or removal from office.
A few hours before the Presidential statement, eight persons were arrested, while the Upper West Regional executives of the NDC were invited for questioning by the police after irate youth of the NDC in Wa had stormed the premises of the Upper West Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and ransacked tender documents which had been sent to the conference room to commence a bidding process.
The staff of the RCC looked on helplessly as the youth, who were about 40 in number, engaged in the ignoble act, compelling Mr Khalid’s bodyguard to fire a number of warning shots, after calling for re-enforcement.
The action was so swift that by the time the police and military personnel arrived at the offices of the RCC, the youth had left with the tender documents on their motorcycles.
The regional minister was at the time of the incident held up in a meeting with some foreign dignitaries.
The situation, for a moment, brought panic among workers and onlookers who wondered what was happening in the relatively peaceful Wa municipality, particularly after hearing the warning shots.
The same youth group had, in the evening of Monday, invaded the old presidential residence where Mr Khalid was holding a meeting with regional executives of the party, including the member of the Council of State from the region, Naa Seidu Braimah.
They disrupted the meeting and deflated the tyres of a pick-up vehicle, with registration number GE 5962 Z, said to be owned by the Regional Vice-Chairman of the NDC, Alhaji Natornaa.
But for the timely arrival of a detachment of policemen who cordoned off the streets and the entrance to the old presidential residence, the situation could have been very nasty.
The youth swore to ensure the removal of the regional minister, saying he was not fighting the cause of the NDC in the region.
They told the Daily Graphic that no amount of pleas from the party chairman would make them soften their stance.
In his reaction, Mr Khalid acknowledged that there had been some disagreements between him and the Regional Chairman of the party, Alhaji Malik Issahaque, which had gone as far as the Presidency.
He said the President asked them to return and patch up their differences and he had made every effort to reconcile with the chairman and bring all on board.
He said after a series of scheduled meetings between him and the regional chairman could not come off, they managed to fix a meeting for Monday.
Mr Khalid said they were at that meeting when a number of motorcycle riders tooting their horns stormed the premises of the old presidential residence and demanded the keys to the pick-up vehicle belonging to the vice-chairman.
He said when the youth insisted, the vice-chairman handed over the keys to the chairman, who in turn handed them over to the regional secretary, Eric Dakurah.
He said the youth then went ahead to deflate the tyres of the pick-up.
The police later had to escort the minister’s vehicle from the old presidential residence to his residence.
Mr Khalid called for calm and said he would continue to extend an olive branch to the youth and all members of the party so that they would unite and work for the good of the party in the region.
He was, however, not happy about the security lapse yesterday which, he said, paved the way for the youth to have access to the RCC premises.
“I alerted the police after yesterday’s incident and so it is unfortunate that this security lapse came in,” he lamented.
As of press time yesterday, the party executives were still being questioned at the police station.
The Daily Graphic also gathered that an emergency Regional Security Council (REGSEC) meeting was to have been held yesterday afternoon to point the way forward.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
BISHOP AFRIYIE CALLS FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY (PAGE 22, MAY 11, 2010)
THE Methodist Bishop of the Northern Ghana Diocese, Rt Revd Emmanuel Maclord Afriyie, has observed that oneness in the church is paramount if Christendom is to accomplish its missionary mandate.
He has therefore, called on Christians and the world at large to shake themselves from all forms of negativity and be transformed as renewed minds.
Rt Revd Afriyie was preaching a sermon to mark the opening of the 49th annual synod of the northern Ghana Diocese of the Methodist Church of Ghana at the Rev. Paul Adu Memorial Methodist Church at Wa in the Upper West Region.
The three-day synod was on the theme: “With oneness in Christ, we contend for the faith of the gospel”.
Rt Revd Afriyie stressed the need for unity in diversity in all deliberations of the church, stressing that it was the only means through which mankind would be redeemed.
The Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, who graced the occasion, stressed that the recent upsurge in indiscipline and impatience, which were creeping into the church was worrying and did not augur well for people who wanted to serve God.
Mr Khalid called on the church to ascertain what had gone wrong to correct the situation.
“Is it a problem of greater accountability demanded by the youth, wrong people in leadership positions, the current generation being hard-hearted or is it a problem of the sermons not getting down well with the congregation?,” the regional minister asked.
He appealed to all churches to join the Christian Council of Ghana or similar recognised Christian bodies to adopt uniformed regulation and the application of a common disciplinary code for all.
Mr Khalid said that would help maintain and uphold the sanctity of the church.
The regional minister, also urged the church and the Christian community to strive to let their activities be in line with the teachings of Christ.
He has therefore, called on Christians and the world at large to shake themselves from all forms of negativity and be transformed as renewed minds.
Rt Revd Afriyie was preaching a sermon to mark the opening of the 49th annual synod of the northern Ghana Diocese of the Methodist Church of Ghana at the Rev. Paul Adu Memorial Methodist Church at Wa in the Upper West Region.
The three-day synod was on the theme: “With oneness in Christ, we contend for the faith of the gospel”.
Rt Revd Afriyie stressed the need for unity in diversity in all deliberations of the church, stressing that it was the only means through which mankind would be redeemed.
The Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, who graced the occasion, stressed that the recent upsurge in indiscipline and impatience, which were creeping into the church was worrying and did not augur well for people who wanted to serve God.
Mr Khalid called on the church to ascertain what had gone wrong to correct the situation.
“Is it a problem of greater accountability demanded by the youth, wrong people in leadership positions, the current generation being hard-hearted or is it a problem of the sermons not getting down well with the congregation?,” the regional minister asked.
He appealed to all churches to join the Christian Council of Ghana or similar recognised Christian bodies to adopt uniformed regulation and the application of a common disciplinary code for all.
Mr Khalid said that would help maintain and uphold the sanctity of the church.
The regional minister, also urged the church and the Christian community to strive to let their activities be in line with the teachings of Christ.
Monday, May 10, 2010
DERY CALLS FOR UNITED FRONT (PAGE 13, MAY 10, 2010)
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lawra-Nandom Constituency, Mr Ambrose Dery, has called for a united front on the part of leaders from the entire political divide in the constituency.
He said differences in political ideologies and the colours of political parties must not be misconstrued as political opponents being at each others throat.
Mr Dery who was addressing the first ordinary meeting of the fourth session of the Lawra District Assembly at Lawra in the Upper West region, stressed the need for political leaders to work to promote unity at all times.
“We in leadership are friends, classmates and schoolmates but many a time, we do not potray these characters to trickle down to our people” Mr Dery noted and said “The interest of the people must always be above our parochial interest”.
Touching on the relationship between District Chief Executives (DCE)’s and members of the assembly, Mr Dery, who is also the deputy minority leader in parliament, advised assembly members to relate well with their DCEs and all those who matter in the assembly so that they could work together as partners in development.
He equally called for effective collaboration between DCEs and MP’s to get the best for the people saying, the role of the members of the assembly and sub assemblies was very critical to the country’s decentralisation process and the democratic dispensation.
The Lawra-Nandom MP further commended all workers, particularly those on transfer to the district for their immense contributions towards the development of the district over the years and urged them to put in their best.
On the security and the relative peace prevailing in the district, Mr Dery cautioned the chiefs and people not to take them for granted but to work to sustain it saying “When we take a cue from the people of Gonja for instance, it means that we could traditionally pass power from one person to the other without encountering any problems”.
For his part, the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, who also graced the occasion, expressed grave concern about the bad blood among some members of the various political divide in the region, especially among members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and called for a change of stance among the people.
Mr Khalid further called for unity if the region was to accelerate its pace of development pointing out that “Whether we are in opposition or in government, we are all working to attain one goal and that is to sought the welfare of our people”.
He said differences in political ideologies and the colours of political parties must not be misconstrued as political opponents being at each others throat.
Mr Dery who was addressing the first ordinary meeting of the fourth session of the Lawra District Assembly at Lawra in the Upper West region, stressed the need for political leaders to work to promote unity at all times.
“We in leadership are friends, classmates and schoolmates but many a time, we do not potray these characters to trickle down to our people” Mr Dery noted and said “The interest of the people must always be above our parochial interest”.
Touching on the relationship between District Chief Executives (DCE)’s and members of the assembly, Mr Dery, who is also the deputy minority leader in parliament, advised assembly members to relate well with their DCEs and all those who matter in the assembly so that they could work together as partners in development.
He equally called for effective collaboration between DCEs and MP’s to get the best for the people saying, the role of the members of the assembly and sub assemblies was very critical to the country’s decentralisation process and the democratic dispensation.
The Lawra-Nandom MP further commended all workers, particularly those on transfer to the district for their immense contributions towards the development of the district over the years and urged them to put in their best.
On the security and the relative peace prevailing in the district, Mr Dery cautioned the chiefs and people not to take them for granted but to work to sustain it saying “When we take a cue from the people of Gonja for instance, it means that we could traditionally pass power from one person to the other without encountering any problems”.
For his part, the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, who also graced the occasion, expressed grave concern about the bad blood among some members of the various political divide in the region, especially among members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and called for a change of stance among the people.
Mr Khalid further called for unity if the region was to accelerate its pace of development pointing out that “Whether we are in opposition or in government, we are all working to attain one goal and that is to sought the welfare of our people”.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
MAKE BILL ON SADA PUBLIC (PAGE 58, MAY 10, 2010)
PARTICIPANTS at a forum on the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) have called on the government to make public the bill on the SADA which was recently approved by cabinet before it is subsequently forwarded to Parliament for consideration.
This, they believe, would enable the respective beneficiary regions and the people to make inputs into the bill.
They were also of the view that it was the only way the people would know that they owned the initiative.
Making a submission at an open forum during a stakeholders seminar at Wa, a member of the Council of State, Naa Seidu Braimah, expressed regret that much had not been done with respect to the involvement of traditional rulers from the beneficiary communities of the SADA.
Naa Braimah, therefore, stressed the need for the bill to be sent down to the ordinary Ghanaian for them to come to appreciate the programme.
Stressing on how the SADA could succeed, Naa Braimah appealed to the chiefs and people of the three northern regions and the Volta and Brong Ahafo regions, who are the beneficiaries of the SADA to be ready to make land available under the programme, eschew all forms of disputes and give peace a chance.
He said it was only when there was peace that the SADA would succeed in the beneficiary areas.
“We must learn to be one, stop the ethnic differences and see each other as the brother’s keeper,” he emphasised, saying “we have to free ourselves from the shackles of hatred, corruption and nepotism as northerners to be able to make progress”.
Other speakers called for the training of farmers in modernised agriculture if agriculture was to be modernised under the SADA. Other contributors also wanted to know the relation between the existing Northern Rural Growth Project (NRGP) and the SADA.
There were those who also expressed concern about the politicisation of the SADA by successive governments so that it did not become a nine-day wonder.
The forum, which was organised by SEND Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, was on the theme: “Realising the goal of the SADA, the responsibility of government and citizens”.
Earlier, the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, had expressed regret that stakeholders had not been able to propagate information on the SADA to permeate all sectors of the society.
“It is a problem that when people attend workshops or seminars they always keep the information to themselves. Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives ( MMDCEs) among other stakeholders, have had the opportunity to provide insight into what the SADA entailed and by now that information should have been on the finger tips of the ordinary people,” Mr Khalid lamented.
He said “we have to be careful that we do not have a situation where moneys budgeted for the implementation of programmes are spent on workshops and then we are found wanting when it comes to implementation”.
Mr Khalid said the government placed a lot of premium on the SADA, and urged people to erase the misconception about the programme and reposition themselves for the reality.
He highlighted some of the results to be derived from the SADA, such as the development of infrastructure, to attract investors and that the government would consciously source for funding to give the SADA a sound financial foundation.
The regional minister further urged the media and civil society organisations to join efforts in sensitising the populace to the SADA and its work for the people to appreciate the roles they ought to play during its implementation as well as the opportunities which would come with the SADA.
For his part, the Upper West Regional Programme Officer of SEND Ghana, Mr Adamu Munkaila, traced the history of development programmes initiated by successive governments to bridge the gap between the north and the south, and said with the required commitment the SADA must succeed.
Mr Munkaila also called for a continued and free flow of information on the programme to the people at the grassroots for them to be abreast of developments as far as the implementation of the SADA was concerned.
This, they believe, would enable the respective beneficiary regions and the people to make inputs into the bill.
They were also of the view that it was the only way the people would know that they owned the initiative.
Making a submission at an open forum during a stakeholders seminar at Wa, a member of the Council of State, Naa Seidu Braimah, expressed regret that much had not been done with respect to the involvement of traditional rulers from the beneficiary communities of the SADA.
Naa Braimah, therefore, stressed the need for the bill to be sent down to the ordinary Ghanaian for them to come to appreciate the programme.
Stressing on how the SADA could succeed, Naa Braimah appealed to the chiefs and people of the three northern regions and the Volta and Brong Ahafo regions, who are the beneficiaries of the SADA to be ready to make land available under the programme, eschew all forms of disputes and give peace a chance.
He said it was only when there was peace that the SADA would succeed in the beneficiary areas.
“We must learn to be one, stop the ethnic differences and see each other as the brother’s keeper,” he emphasised, saying “we have to free ourselves from the shackles of hatred, corruption and nepotism as northerners to be able to make progress”.
Other speakers called for the training of farmers in modernised agriculture if agriculture was to be modernised under the SADA. Other contributors also wanted to know the relation between the existing Northern Rural Growth Project (NRGP) and the SADA.
There were those who also expressed concern about the politicisation of the SADA by successive governments so that it did not become a nine-day wonder.
The forum, which was organised by SEND Ghana, a non-governmental organisation, was on the theme: “Realising the goal of the SADA, the responsibility of government and citizens”.
Earlier, the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, had expressed regret that stakeholders had not been able to propagate information on the SADA to permeate all sectors of the society.
“It is a problem that when people attend workshops or seminars they always keep the information to themselves. Municipal, Metropolitan and District Chief Executives ( MMDCEs) among other stakeholders, have had the opportunity to provide insight into what the SADA entailed and by now that information should have been on the finger tips of the ordinary people,” Mr Khalid lamented.
He said “we have to be careful that we do not have a situation where moneys budgeted for the implementation of programmes are spent on workshops and then we are found wanting when it comes to implementation”.
Mr Khalid said the government placed a lot of premium on the SADA, and urged people to erase the misconception about the programme and reposition themselves for the reality.
He highlighted some of the results to be derived from the SADA, such as the development of infrastructure, to attract investors and that the government would consciously source for funding to give the SADA a sound financial foundation.
The regional minister further urged the media and civil society organisations to join efforts in sensitising the populace to the SADA and its work for the people to appreciate the roles they ought to play during its implementation as well as the opportunities which would come with the SADA.
For his part, the Upper West Regional Programme Officer of SEND Ghana, Mr Adamu Munkaila, traced the history of development programmes initiated by successive governments to bridge the gap between the north and the south, and said with the required commitment the SADA must succeed.
Mr Munkaila also called for a continued and free flow of information on the programme to the people at the grassroots for them to be abreast of developments as far as the implementation of the SADA was concerned.
FIVE UPPER WEST DISTRICTS GET FREE SCHOOL UNIFORMS (BACK PAGE, MAY 8, 2010)
FIVE out of the nine districts in the Upper West Region have so far received their share of the free school uniforms from the government.
They are the Lambussie Karni, Nadowli, Jirapa, Wa East and Wa West districts.
At a brief ceremony at the forecourt of the Upper West Regional Co-ordinating Council to present the materials to the districts, the Regional Director of Education, Mr Fabian Belieb, said each of the districts was given 2,000 pieces of the materials.
He appealed to tailors and seamstresses who would have the opportunity to sew the uniforms to do a good job.
The Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, said it was the desire of the government to recognise the efforts of local artisans, hence the directive that the uniforms be sewn by the local people.
He noted that it was the first phase of contracting the services of local tailors and seamstresses to sew the free school uniforms and advised them to live up to expectation in order to sustain the confidence that had been reposed in them.
“This is a challenge to our tailors and seamstresses to prove their worth and I expect DCEs to monitor and ensure value for money,” the minister added.
He charged DCEs to ensure that the uniforms went to needy pupils, pointing out that “we cannot fail and so we must all be responsive”.
Mr Khalid said giving out free school uniforms, increasing the capitation grant, among other interventions, were all tenets of good governance which should convince people to see politics as satisfying the needs of the people and not mere rhetoric.
He added that the desire for free education could not be realised if parents could not afford school uniforms for their children.
On what was being done to improve school infrastructure in the region, Mr Khalid explained that tenders for contracts and the construction of schools blocks to replace schools under trees had opened.
They are the Lambussie Karni, Nadowli, Jirapa, Wa East and Wa West districts.
At a brief ceremony at the forecourt of the Upper West Regional Co-ordinating Council to present the materials to the districts, the Regional Director of Education, Mr Fabian Belieb, said each of the districts was given 2,000 pieces of the materials.
He appealed to tailors and seamstresses who would have the opportunity to sew the uniforms to do a good job.
The Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, said it was the desire of the government to recognise the efforts of local artisans, hence the directive that the uniforms be sewn by the local people.
He noted that it was the first phase of contracting the services of local tailors and seamstresses to sew the free school uniforms and advised them to live up to expectation in order to sustain the confidence that had been reposed in them.
“This is a challenge to our tailors and seamstresses to prove their worth and I expect DCEs to monitor and ensure value for money,” the minister added.
He charged DCEs to ensure that the uniforms went to needy pupils, pointing out that “we cannot fail and so we must all be responsive”.
Mr Khalid said giving out free school uniforms, increasing the capitation grant, among other interventions, were all tenets of good governance which should convince people to see politics as satisfying the needs of the people and not mere rhetoric.
He added that the desire for free education could not be realised if parents could not afford school uniforms for their children.
On what was being done to improve school infrastructure in the region, Mr Khalid explained that tenders for contracts and the construction of schools blocks to replace schools under trees had opened.
Friday, May 7, 2010
UPPER WEST CHRAJ SAVES GIRL, 17 (PAGE 21, MIRROR, MAY 8, 2010)
From Chris Nunoo, Wa
THE dream of a 17-year-old junior high school student in Wa to further her education to the university level was nearly truncated but for the swift intervention of the Upper West Regional office of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Miss Tampaa Mwinikuma did not have anybody to cater for her needs following the death of her mother and when a cousin, Yaw Larry, volunteered to help her to attend school at Elubo in the Western region, she quickly grabbed the offer.
However, Larry’s offer turned out to be a bait to force her to marry his brother and the dowry used to defray her mother’s funeral expenses.
Mr Ubeidu Siddick, Upper West Regional Manager of CHRAJ, who briefed The Mirror, said Mwinikuma refused and resisted Larry’s diabolical plan, packed her belongings and returned to Wa.
Mr Ubeidu said Mwinikuma, who used to live with her mother, completed JHS in 2008 but could not further her course because she had to take care of her divorcee mother who was seriously sick at the time.
He said the mother, however, passed away a year later and her mother’s family from Kunfabiala, a village near Wa, came for the corpse and organised the funeral rites.
Mr Ubeidu said after the burial, Mwinikuma, who could not trace the whereabouts of her father and three other siblings, did not have anybody and did not know where to go and so when Larry, who resides in Elubo, offered to help her, she thought it was God-send.
Mr Ubeidu said Mwinikuma obliged and decided to accompany Larry to Elubo because she was convinced at the time that Larry was going to engage her in a trade or support her to further her education.
He said that was not to be as upon arrival, Larry insisted that Mwinikuma should marry his brother so that he could recoup the expenses the family incurred during the funeral of Mwinikuma’s late mother from the dowry to be paid by the supposed husband.
He said Mwinikuma rejected the proposal made by Larry on countless occasions and this resulted in a quarrel as a result of which Mwinikuma one day packed her belongings and left Elubo for Wa.
Mr Ubeidu said Larry followed up to Wa and tried for the second time to woo Mwinikuma back to Elubo but a neighbour got wind of the issue and intervened, thereby compelling Larry to abandon the idea.
He said the neighbour, after hearing the story, decided to lodge a complaint with the Upper West Regional office of the CHRAJ.
He said upon further deliberations, which involved the parents of Larry and other relatives, Larry’s parents expressed disappointment at his behaviour and denied knowledge of his plans and strongly warned him to stop.
Mr Ubeidu said both parties later agreed to the Commission’s decision that Mwinikuma should stay with a close friend of her late mother, Madam Zeinab Musah Porko, and continue with her school while the family of Larry paid her a visit once in a while.
He said Larry had since gone back to his base at Elubo.
THE dream of a 17-year-old junior high school student in Wa to further her education to the university level was nearly truncated but for the swift intervention of the Upper West Regional office of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
Miss Tampaa Mwinikuma did not have anybody to cater for her needs following the death of her mother and when a cousin, Yaw Larry, volunteered to help her to attend school at Elubo in the Western region, she quickly grabbed the offer.
However, Larry’s offer turned out to be a bait to force her to marry his brother and the dowry used to defray her mother’s funeral expenses.
Mr Ubeidu Siddick, Upper West Regional Manager of CHRAJ, who briefed The Mirror, said Mwinikuma refused and resisted Larry’s diabolical plan, packed her belongings and returned to Wa.
Mr Ubeidu said Mwinikuma, who used to live with her mother, completed JHS in 2008 but could not further her course because she had to take care of her divorcee mother who was seriously sick at the time.
He said the mother, however, passed away a year later and her mother’s family from Kunfabiala, a village near Wa, came for the corpse and organised the funeral rites.
Mr Ubeidu said after the burial, Mwinikuma, who could not trace the whereabouts of her father and three other siblings, did not have anybody and did not know where to go and so when Larry, who resides in Elubo, offered to help her, she thought it was God-send.
Mr Ubeidu said Mwinikuma obliged and decided to accompany Larry to Elubo because she was convinced at the time that Larry was going to engage her in a trade or support her to further her education.
He said that was not to be as upon arrival, Larry insisted that Mwinikuma should marry his brother so that he could recoup the expenses the family incurred during the funeral of Mwinikuma’s late mother from the dowry to be paid by the supposed husband.
He said Mwinikuma rejected the proposal made by Larry on countless occasions and this resulted in a quarrel as a result of which Mwinikuma one day packed her belongings and left Elubo for Wa.
Mr Ubeidu said Larry followed up to Wa and tried for the second time to woo Mwinikuma back to Elubo but a neighbour got wind of the issue and intervened, thereby compelling Larry to abandon the idea.
He said the neighbour, after hearing the story, decided to lodge a complaint with the Upper West Regional office of the CHRAJ.
He said upon further deliberations, which involved the parents of Larry and other relatives, Larry’s parents expressed disappointment at his behaviour and denied knowledge of his plans and strongly warned him to stop.
Mr Ubeidu said both parties later agreed to the Commission’s decision that Mwinikuma should stay with a close friend of her late mother, Madam Zeinab Musah Porko, and continue with her school while the family of Larry paid her a visit once in a while.
He said Larry had since gone back to his base at Elubo.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
CO-OPERATE WITH POLICE TO CONTROL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (PAGE 11, MAY 1, 2010)
the National Co-ordinator of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Superintendent Elizabeth Dassah, has called for maximum co-operation from people in the Upper West Region to help the police control crime, including domestic violence and sexual assault.
Speaking during an interaction with the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, in Wa, Madam Dassah said the days of what is termed as Tijaa Bunyeni, meaning “We are all one” must be over, since that perception was making policing in the region very difficult, sometimes resulting in confrontations between security personnel and some members of the community.
She said information from the police indicated that sometimes when suspects were picked up to the police stations to be investigated for cases mostly relating to domestic violence and sexual assault, some people tended to intervene on behalf of the suspects and that often made investigations difficult.
Chief Superintendent Dassah, who is a native of the region, was not happy that some people in the region were still practising bethrothal, where girls who are in school were still given out to elderly men to marry without any protest from any quarters.
She said such practices were affecting the retention of girls in school and advised victims and families of victims of sexual assault to report such cases.
The National DOVVSU Co-ordinator visited the region with Assistant Superintendent of Police, (ASP) Freeman Tettey, to assess the implementation of DOVVSU projects, funded by United Nations Development Fund (UNDP).
She noted that even though a number of people were abused sexually, many of such cases were either withdrawn from the police stations or did not even get to the security officials irrespective of the seriousness of the offence.
She stressed the need for intensive education and sensitisation on issues bothering on sexual assault to encourage victims to develop the confidence to report such cases.
She said it was the dream of the DOVVSU to establish crisis response centres which would have counsellors, clinical psychologists and officers from the social welfare department to make the DOVVSU offices and such professionals easily accessible to the people.
The Regional Minister, Mr Khalid, described the level of sexual assaults and family interference in such cases as worrying and called for a multi faceted approach in dealing with such cases.
“Seriously, I think that we need everybody on board, especially traditional rulers, teachers and parents, so that we can, as a unit, take a look at some aspects of our culture which do not fit into modern practices and revise them” Mr. Khalid pointed out, saying “You would be surprised that some educated traditional rulers do not even see anything wrong with bethrotal”
Records indicate that the regional office of the DOVVSU received a total of 56 cases from January to March this year. They included six cases of assault, two abduction and defilement cases respectively as well as one case of incest.
Speaking during an interaction with the Upper West Regional Minister, Mr Mahmud Khalid, in Wa, Madam Dassah said the days of what is termed as Tijaa Bunyeni, meaning “We are all one” must be over, since that perception was making policing in the region very difficult, sometimes resulting in confrontations between security personnel and some members of the community.
She said information from the police indicated that sometimes when suspects were picked up to the police stations to be investigated for cases mostly relating to domestic violence and sexual assault, some people tended to intervene on behalf of the suspects and that often made investigations difficult.
Chief Superintendent Dassah, who is a native of the region, was not happy that some people in the region were still practising bethrothal, where girls who are in school were still given out to elderly men to marry without any protest from any quarters.
She said such practices were affecting the retention of girls in school and advised victims and families of victims of sexual assault to report such cases.
The National DOVVSU Co-ordinator visited the region with Assistant Superintendent of Police, (ASP) Freeman Tettey, to assess the implementation of DOVVSU projects, funded by United Nations Development Fund (UNDP).
She noted that even though a number of people were abused sexually, many of such cases were either withdrawn from the police stations or did not even get to the security officials irrespective of the seriousness of the offence.
She stressed the need for intensive education and sensitisation on issues bothering on sexual assault to encourage victims to develop the confidence to report such cases.
She said it was the dream of the DOVVSU to establish crisis response centres which would have counsellors, clinical psychologists and officers from the social welfare department to make the DOVVSU offices and such professionals easily accessible to the people.
The Regional Minister, Mr Khalid, described the level of sexual assaults and family interference in such cases as worrying and called for a multi faceted approach in dealing with such cases.
“Seriously, I think that we need everybody on board, especially traditional rulers, teachers and parents, so that we can, as a unit, take a look at some aspects of our culture which do not fit into modern practices and revise them” Mr. Khalid pointed out, saying “You would be surprised that some educated traditional rulers do not even see anything wrong with bethrotal”
Records indicate that the regional office of the DOVVSU received a total of 56 cases from January to March this year. They included six cases of assault, two abduction and defilement cases respectively as well as one case of incest.
SOCIAL INVESTMENT FUND UNDERTAKES PROJECTS IN UPPER WEST (PAGE 11, APRIL 30, 2010)
THE Social Investment Fund (SIF) has since the commencement of its operations in the Upper West Region spent GH¢981, 533.63 on education, health, agriculture, water and sanitation.
The SIF Zonal Officer in-charge of the three northern regions, Mr Kwame Obeng Nti, who made this known, said the SIF attached special importance to the development of education, and has, therefore, invested GH¢ 590, 000 towards the construction of 20 classroom blocks in six districts in the region.
Speaking at the inauguration of a six-unit classroom block for Monyupelle, near Nandom, in the Lawra District of the Upper West Region, he said the project, costing GH¢86, 680.44, included a reading room, a staff common room, an office, a store, a five seater KVIP toilet and urinal and was undertaken to ensure effective teaching and learning for pupils who hitherto learnt under trees.
Mr Nti, however, expressed concern about the lack of maintenance of most of the school buildings put up for the communities by the SIF, and stressed the need for the Lawra District Assembly to team up with the district education directorate to see to the regular maintenance of the structures.
He explained that the SIF, which became operational about 12 years ago, was to provide a mechanism to directly channel resources to the very poor on a demand-driven basis.
He, therefore, stressed the commitment of SIF to continue to support rural communities to improve their health and education programmes, as well as undertake other income generating projects in order to improve on their living standards.
The Lawra District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Samson Abu, commended the SIF and residents of the Monyupelle for their efforts and communal spirit which he said, facilitated the quick completion of the classroom block.
He called on other civil society groups and non-governmental organisations to complement the efforts of the government in providing educational infrastructure.
The DCE said the Lawra District would soon benefit from the government’s free school uniforms and exercise books projects, adding that the five school blocks would be constructed in the district, and that infrustructural facilities of a number of basic schools would be rehabilitated under the GETFund projects.
Mr Abu further assured teachers of the resolve of the government to reward teachers adequately to boost their moral.
The Assembly member for the Basebelle Electoral Area, Mr Millanus Nateng, expressed appreciation to SIF for the project and said it would help improve the quality of education in the area.
The SIF Zonal Officer in-charge of the three northern regions, Mr Kwame Obeng Nti, who made this known, said the SIF attached special importance to the development of education, and has, therefore, invested GH¢ 590, 000 towards the construction of 20 classroom blocks in six districts in the region.
Speaking at the inauguration of a six-unit classroom block for Monyupelle, near Nandom, in the Lawra District of the Upper West Region, he said the project, costing GH¢86, 680.44, included a reading room, a staff common room, an office, a store, a five seater KVIP toilet and urinal and was undertaken to ensure effective teaching and learning for pupils who hitherto learnt under trees.
Mr Nti, however, expressed concern about the lack of maintenance of most of the school buildings put up for the communities by the SIF, and stressed the need for the Lawra District Assembly to team up with the district education directorate to see to the regular maintenance of the structures.
He explained that the SIF, which became operational about 12 years ago, was to provide a mechanism to directly channel resources to the very poor on a demand-driven basis.
He, therefore, stressed the commitment of SIF to continue to support rural communities to improve their health and education programmes, as well as undertake other income generating projects in order to improve on their living standards.
The Lawra District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Samson Abu, commended the SIF and residents of the Monyupelle for their efforts and communal spirit which he said, facilitated the quick completion of the classroom block.
He called on other civil society groups and non-governmental organisations to complement the efforts of the government in providing educational infrastructure.
The DCE said the Lawra District would soon benefit from the government’s free school uniforms and exercise books projects, adding that the five school blocks would be constructed in the district, and that infrustructural facilities of a number of basic schools would be rehabilitated under the GETFund projects.
Mr Abu further assured teachers of the resolve of the government to reward teachers adequately to boost their moral.
The Assembly member for the Basebelle Electoral Area, Mr Millanus Nateng, expressed appreciation to SIF for the project and said it would help improve the quality of education in the area.
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