- Advertisement -
Home Blog

TradeAid Integrated calls for bye-law reforms to address gender, child issues in Bongo District

0

TradeAid Integrated, a non-governmental organization, has held a sensitization workshop in the Bongo District to bring to the attention of stakeholders some gaps the organization said it has identified in its engagement with community members and their assessment of the Assembly Bye-laws.

The Director of TradeAid Integrated, Mr. Nicolas Apokerah, said that as the organization has envisaged building a society where poverty has been eradicated and the right to basic human needs is guaranteed, they had community engagement on pertinent issues that border on empowerment and development of women and children. As part of the engagement, it became clear that the district assembly bye-laws contained little or no information regarding child marriages, teenage pregnancies, women owning farmlands, policies on sustaining girl child education, and parental responsibility for the girl child, among many several others.

Mr. Apokerah, who underscored the need for the sensitization, said it was imperative to bring their findings to the very people who are at the center of the district assembly to consider enacting bye-laws to address the gaps identified.

The forum was attended by staff of the Bongo District Assembly, Assembly members, parents from some selected communities, officials from social welfare, staff of TradeAid Integrated, and many other notable institutions.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Samuel Adagom|Ghana

Former RTU coach Abdul Mumin demands unpaid salaries after dismissal

0

Abdulai Mumin, who was asked to step aside temporarily by Ghanaian Premier League side Real Tamale United (RTU), has poured out his frustrations over the club’s failure to settle his unpaid bonuses after his dismissal amid accusations of match manipulation.

Speaking to Media General’s Akoma FM in an interview, Mumin revealed that the club has not made payments for his services since joining the Tamale-based club in the 2022/23 season.

“We went on a mutual termination. I couldn’t have resigned because I have a lot of money to take from them. That’s my unpaid salaries and bonuses from the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons. The only money we have received is just that of March this year. Just last month, they paid only that one for the whole of this year,” Mumin stated.

Additionally, he explained that his decision to volunteer for the coaching role was pushed by a desire to support the development of young players and contribute to the growth of the game, despite facing financial constraints.

“We thought that we are supposed to develop and help the young guys and the game, but there was a situation where the team had nobody to come and assist. And we thought we have the A license, so I volunteered to help in that direction, and there were even occasions where players were paid, and I wasn’t paid,” Abdulai Mumin added.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Pius Asack|Ghana

WRC warns of water scarcity due to environmental degradation

0

The Water Resources Commission (WRC) has called on Ghanaians to be conscious about their activities that harm the environment, particularly water resources.

If water within the country is not protected and kept safe for consumption, the country might, in the coming years, struggle to get clean water.

When the head of the White Volta Basin with the Water Resources Commission, Jesse Kazapoe, spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show, he mentioned that because of the current human activities, it is becoming increasingly difficult to treat water.

“If we don’t manage the water resources very well, and they end up being polluted, then we would end up having a big problem. These water basins, once we get them in a state where we cannot use them, it is a big challenge because the government of Ghana doesn’t even have the resources to be able to construct treatment plants to be able to treat water. But if they have, we are polluting the water so much that it becomes impossible to treat the water.”

“It is our responsibility as human beings of this country to make sure that the water that we get is in a state that would not cause harm to us, but we are not doing so because we believe water is available to us. This is not true; water is actually finite,” he explained.

Additionally, it would be recalled that Jesse Kazapoe, Head of the White Volta Basin at the Water Resources Commission (WRC), drew attention to the adverse effects of human activities on the accessibility of clean water to households across Ghana. According to Mr. Kazapoe, the country over the years made strides to improve the standards and supply of potable drinking water.

However, he mentioned various factors, including illegal mining, logging, sand winning, and pollution from liquid and solid waste, as significant contributors to the degradation of water quality and availability in the country.

“Even though we are doing our best to provide our people with water, we are the same people who are putting in the same efforts to erode these gains. So it will be difficult for us to say we are making gains when we are at the back and eroding the same gains,” he lamented.

The Head of the White Volta Basin at the Water Resources Commission (WRC) pointed out that illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, has emerged as a major threat to water resources in Ghana, particularly in river basins like the White Volta.

He said the indiscriminate mining activities have led to the contamination of water bodies with toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide, rendering the water unsafe for consumption and other domestic uses.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana

Water Resources Commission mandates registration of drilling companies for better data collection

0

All drilling companies must be registered with the Water Resources Commission (WRC). Among other things, the registration would help the WRC monitor the activities of the drilling companies and ensure that they do right by their clients.

The WRC would also build the capacity of the drilling companies to collect data around underground water and the usage of the same across the country.

The Head of the White Volta Basin with the Water Resources Commission, Jesse Kazapoe, made these comments when he spoke with A1 Radio’s Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show yesterday, Wednesday, April 24, 2024.

“Drilling companies which have rigs are supposed to be licensed. This is where we are all supposed to help each other. These companies are supposed to drill boreholes on behalf of people and provide us with data, but most of them don’t. So we have a cause to complain about them. They don’t even employ the right people who would be able to log the data and give us the right information to plan,” he said.

The data, according to Mr. Kazapoe, is necessary to help the country plan properly.

“We need to plan because as a nation, we should be able to tell how much water we have underground. Other nations have done that; which amount is safe for drinking, which amount should we use for irrigation because we cannot drink, which amount cannot be used because the elements in them are so high that if we want to use them, it may cause harm to us, our bodies, or any other thing,” he said.

The Water Resources Commission (WRC) in Ghana is a regulatory body established under the Water Resources Commission Act, 1996 (Act 522). It oversees the management and allocation of water resources across the country. Its main functions include regulating water abstraction through permits, promoting Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles, collecting and managing water-related data, developing policies for water resource management, resolving conflicts among stakeholders, and conducting capacity building and awareness campaigns.

The WRC plays a crucial role in ensuring sustainable and equitable access to water resources in Ghana. By issuing permits and licenses, it regulates the use of water to prevent overexploitation and depletion of water sources. Additionally, through its policy development and implementation efforts, the commission promotes the responsible management of water resources while addressing conflicts and raising public awareness about the importance of water conservation and sustainable use.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana

Dr. Akatibo cautions against unregulated use of herbal & synthetic products

0

Health professional and the lead convenor for the establishment of a dialysis center in the Upper East Region, Dr. Emmanuel Akatibo, is worried about the unrestrained consumption and use of products, both herbal and artificially synthesized.

Dr. Akatibo, speaking with A1 Radio’s Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show recently, added that even naturally occurring products can have severe harm on the body if intake is not regulated.

His comments were made on the back of the sharp rise in end-stage renal failure cases in the Upper East Region and generally across the country.

“What we know is that people who are supposed to get kidney diseases are those who have had diabetes for a long time or hypertension. Now, you look at these young people, and you don’t find that in them, and yet they have kidney issues. Most of the patients that I even have now, all of them are below 40 years, and yet they are requiring dialysis.”

“For some of them, it’s the intake of herbal medicine. People are out there saying that if you take these capsules, you can do this and that. All those things you take give work to the kidneys. Some damage the kidneys directly. People tend to believe that once something is natural, it is better than what is not natural. That is not always the case. Whatever is natural, there are components of it that are not good for the body. So if we want to use what is natural, we have to be able to extract what is not good and leave what is good,” he explained.

Dr. Akatibo suggested a change in lifestyle to include more exercises and highly regulated intake of food and non-food products.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana

Water quality issues delay opening of Upper East Regional Dialysis Center

0

The Upper East Regional Dialysis Center has still not been opened to the public. According to the lead convenor for the establishment of the dialysis center, Dr. Emmanuel Akatibo, the water running through the facility is still being tested.

Dr. Akatibo, speaking to A1 Radio’s Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show, explained that the water running through the facility has failed to meet the standards set because of the high incidence of some chemicals.

The current tests are the third in a row.

“We reran the tests, and we still did not meet the desired levels we needed to use for the dialysis. We had to bring another engineer from Kumasi to take a look at the setup to ensure that everything is okay and for us to now buy some new cylinders. The level of chlorine is higher than what is accepted for us to use for the dialysis. So, he had to buy another cylinder that would help extract the chlorine from the water to the desirable level that we want.”

According to Dr. Akatibo, funds have been forwarded to the engineer to purchase the necessary items to fix the issues. He hopes this can be done by the close of the week.

The lead convenor explained that the only thing holding back the running of the facility is the issue around the water. Consumables for the facility have already been procured, Mr. Akatibo said.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana

Trax Ghana implements SPRING Project in Nabdam District 

0

Trax Ghana with funding from Tools for Self Reliance (TFSR) UK, is implementing the “Sustainable Project in Northern Ghana (SPRING) Project” in the Pelungu, in the Nabdam District. The overall goal of the project is to increase household income and well-being of 50 Female-Headed Households (FHH) at Pelungu (Nabdam district) through enterprise development and Agribusiness of Shea and the Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP). 

Commenting on the choice of women as main beneficiaries of the project, the Director for Trax Ghana, Mr. Vincent Subbey mentioned that, women largely rely on the shea as a source of finance for their family up keep. However, they lack a competitive market, quality of product, and business skills. 

“The shea is a major source of income for majority of households and women in particular rely on the Shea for financial independence. However, women face several challenges such as lack of sound business skills in the industry, poor quality of products and limited access to competitive markets.” 

He emphasized that the project will attempt Address the challenges through capacity training, key stakeholder engaments, installation of shea processing equipment and promoting market linkages for the products. 

“The project intends to address these challenges through capacity development training, provision (installation) of Shea processing equipment and promotion of market linkages for Shea and OFSP products. Key stakeholders conferences will be organized to link Shea and OFSP farmers to identified markets and opportunities.”

The Director further highlighted that through Monitoring and Evaluation, baseline data collected will be analyzed to enable stakeholders assess the overall performance of the project against the achievement of its development goal, objectives, outputs and impact on the beneficiaries and the wider community.

The project will also promote tree growing in the area to restore degraded lands to combat desertification and influence conversations around climate change. 

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Gerard Asagi|Ghana

Dr. Bin Salih appointed as Upper East Regional Minister to help manage Bawku crisis – UERCC

0

It has come to light that one of the major reasons Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, former Upper West Regional Minister, was transferred to the Upper East Region was so he could help manage the Bawku conflict.

When the Chief Director of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council, Alhaji Abubakar Inusah, spoke to A1 Radio’s Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show yesterday, April 23, 2024, he mentioned that it had become necessary to allow someone who had no connection to the feuding factions to lead the process leading to the restoration of peace in Bawku, an area bedeviled with conflict for years on end.

This, Alhaji Inusah insisted, is not an indictment on the work that the former Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, has done under his tenure to ensure peace returns to the area.

“Stephen Yakubu, as we all know, hails from the Bawku area, and the Bawku crisis is a big challenge, especially going into the 2024 elections. And so, to get a very neutral person to come and manage both security and development issues, the transfer is very critical.”

“For me, I have been saying that if not for Hon. Yakubu on the security chair, I don’t know what the situation would have been. He has done a lot,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, former Upper West Regional Minister, has taken over the administration of the Upper East Region.

This is after a letter from the presidency caused his transfer from the Upper West Region and the transfer of the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu.

Speaking to A1 Radio’s Mark Smith, the Chief Director for the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council stated that Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih had officially assumed office as the Upper East Regional Minister and had begun work.

“Just as Hon. Stephen Yakubu has begun work in the Upper West Region, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih has taken over. In fact, we met with Heads of Department. We have met with REGSEC. He will be meeting MMDCEs.”

“We are rolling out a comprehensive itinerary for him to start his work with a tour or courtesy calls on traditional leaders and all key stakeholders,” he said.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana

Apuuri Golden Age Foundation launched in Fumbisi: a beacon of hope for aged

0

Retired Regional Director for the Center For National Culture, Helen Akanbong, has officially launched The Apuuri Golden Age Foundation in Fumbisi. The foundation’s primary focus is to address the various challenges faced by the elderly population not only in Builsa land but also beyond its borders.

During her address at the launch, the founder emphasized the foundation’s commitment to addressing the myriad challenges confronting the elderly populace in Builsa land and beyond.

The vision of the Apuuri Golden Age Foundation, she said is, aspiring towards a tranquil society where elderly individuals in Buluk are entitled to an active, dignified, and healthy lifestyle.

“In a society where over 90% of the elderly are compelled to work for survival, access to adequate medical care remains a distant reality. Eighty-nine percent endure chronic ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, and heart conditions. Socially, they often face marginalization and endure loneliness,” she remarked.

Reflecting on the genesis of the initiative, Madam Helen underscored its longstanding presence as a personal passion. “This initiative has been a passion of mine for many years. However, as a public servant, its implementation posed challenges. Now, having completed my tenure in public service, I am redirecting my focus towards community service, contributing to the betterment of our society. This endeavor has been a collaborative effort involving many individuals, most of whom are still in their youthful stage, and their contributions will become evident as we progress.”

The Apuuri Golden Age Foundation aims to create meaningful change in the lives of the elderly, promoting inclusivity, dignity, and support for those who have contributed to society throughout their lives. 

Madam Helen utilized the occasion to call upon the general public for support in providing a more comfortable life for the elderly in our community. 

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Gerard Asagi|Ghana

Dr. Bin Salih takes over as RM of Upper East Region; says even one day is enough to cause change

0

Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, former Upper West Regional Minister, has taken over the administration of the Upper East Region.

This is after a letter from the presidency caused his transfer from the Upper West Region and the transfer of the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu.

Speaking to A1 Radio’s Mark Smith, the Chief Director for the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council stated that Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih had officially assumed office as the Upper East Regional Minister and had begun work.

“Just as Hon. Stephen Yakubu has begun work in the Upper West Region, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih has taken over. In fact, we met with Heads of Department. We have met with REGSEC. He will be meeting MMDCEs.”

“We are rolling out a comprehensive itinerary for him to start his work with a tour or courtesy calls on traditional leaders and all key stakeholders,” he said.

Alhaji Inusah stated that he is confident the new Upper East Regional Minister, Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih, would be able to achieve success because “he [Dr. Hafiz Bin Salih] said [at a meeting] that even one day matters. A day can be used to turn so many things around. With the assurance he gave, I could see the vim and that the reasons for which he has been assigned to the Upper East Region will be achieved.”

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana

123...1,610Page 1 of 1,610

Editor Picks

Site map

Useful Links

- Advertisement -