Women in Broadcasting (WIB) has begun its 2026 Back-to-School Donation exercise, distributing learning materials to pupils in selected schools across the Upper East Region with support from the HappyMan Foundation.

On the first day of the exercise, members of the group were divided into two teams to simultaneously reach schools in different parts of the region with exercise books, pencils, sharpeners and erasers.

The first team began at Adda Primary School in Navrongo before proceeding to Doba L/A Primary School, Atampuurum Central Primary/JHS and Nyariga Primary School.

A second team visited Kongo Primary School, Afeghera Primary School, Gane Asonge Primary School, Tindanyamga KG/Primary School and Basiengo Primary School.

The exercise was also extended to Zuayanga in the Bawku West District, where pupils received learning materials as part of the initiative.

Women in Broadcasting says the intervention is intended to ensure that children, particularly those who may struggle to access basic educational materials, have some of the supplies they need for the new academic year.

Beyond distributing the materials, members of the group interacted with pupils and encouraged them to take their education seriously as they begin another academic year.

The 2026 exercise builds on the group’s previous Back-to-School intervention, which saw Women in Broadcasting distribute more than 3,000 exercise books and pens across five districts in the Upper East Region.

This year’s exercise is being supported by the HappyMan Foundation, which provided GH¢18,000 towards the purchase of exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers and sharpeners.

Women in Broadcasting expressed appreciation to the Foundation for supporting the initiative and helping the group extend educational materials to children across the region.

The Back-to-School Donation forms part of the group’s community interventions aimed at supporting vulnerable children and promoting access to education in the Upper East Region.

A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Keziah Porepeya Nsoh | Bolgatanga

Environmental Health Officers and Assistants from four assemblies in the Upper East Region are undergoing a three-day training aimed at strengthening their ability to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies.

The training, organised by the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council in collaboration with the Regional Environmental Health Office and Municipal and District Environmental Health offices, focuses on One Health Emergency Preparedness and Response.

The current session, running from September 14 to 16, 2026, brings together environmental health personnel from the Bolgatanga Municipality and the Bongo, Talensi and Nabdam districts at the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council in Bolgatanga.

Other municipalities and districts in the region have already completed their sessions.

The training is being facilitated by the Regional Environmental Health Officer, Charles Yinbil Awuni, and is expected to equip participants to better identify environmental and public health risks and respond effectively when emergencies occur.

The One Health approach recognises the connection between human, animal and environmental health and encourages collaboration across the three sectors in responding to health threats.

The approach is particularly relevant in addressing zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, environmental contamination and other public health threats that can move across human, animal and environmental systems.

Environmental Health Officers play a frontline role in identifying conditions that could contribute to disease outbreaks, including contaminated water, unsafe food, poor waste management and environments that encourage the spread of disease-carrying vectors such as mosquitoes and ticks.

During emergencies, they are also responsible for assessing environmental hazards, helping protect drinking water sources, monitoring food safety and supporting the proper management of wastewater and hazardous waste.

Their responsibilities also include inspecting facilities such as abattoirs, controlling disease vectors and working with other health professionals to protect communities during and after public health emergencies.

The three-day training is therefore expected to strengthen coordination among environmental, human and animal health professionals while improving the preparedness of environmental health personnel to respond to emergencies across the Upper East Region.

A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Seidu Sulemana Akurugu | Bolgatanga

National Democratic Congress (NDC) Upper East Regional Youth Organiser aspirant Samson Samari says his experience helping coordinate the party’s youth activities during the 2020 and 2024 general elections has prepared him to take over the regional youth leadership.

Mr Samari, who currently serves as Deputy Regional Youth Organiser, says working alongside Regional Youth Organiser Abraham Lambon and constituency youth organisers across the region has given him practical experience in youth mobilisation, coordination and party organisation.

He said that experience, coupled with repeated calls from party supporters to contest the position, influenced his decision to seek the Regional Youth Organiser position.

“We’ve really worked with the constituency youth organisers. There have been numerous calls for me to take over and continue what I and my boss, Abraham Lambon, and other executives started.”

Mr Samari said his involvement in the 2020 and 2024 election campaigns provided an opportunity to work directly with the party’s youth structures and understand the demands of organising young people across the region.

He believes the experience places him in a position to build on the work of the current leadership rather than start afresh if elected.

Mr Samari also argued that the current Regional Youth Organiser and other youth leaders should be encouraged to pursue higher responsibilities at the national level, creating opportunities for another generation of leaders to take responsibility for the regional structure.

According to him, such a transition would demonstrate the party’s confidence in young people and create a pathway for them to assume greater leadership responsibilities.

If elected, Mr Samari says he intends to strengthen youth participation in the NDC and create more opportunities for young people to become actively involved in the party’s activities.

He said his agenda would also include supporting the implementation of the NDC government’s youth-centred policies and programmes, particularly interventions aimed at addressing unemployment and providing young people with skills and employment opportunities.

Mr Samari maintained that his ambition goes beyond occupying a party position, saying he wants to build a stronger youth base that supports the NDC while ensuring young people benefit from government policies intended to improve their livelihoods.

A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Moses Apiah | Bolgatanga

The Binduri Constituency Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jambeidu Mbawine Sadat, has announced that he will seek re-election when nominations open next week, arguing that the party cannot afford a “trial-and-error” approach to communications ahead of the 2028 general elections.

Mr Sadat, who currently faces one challenger, says his experience and what he describes as the communications team’s contribution to the NDC’s performance in Binduri in the 2024 elections make him the right person to retain the position.

“You can’t get a communication officer who is a trial-and-error communication officer. You need a communication officer who has the experience and exposure to be able to handle the Binduri affairs,” he said.

According to him, experience will be particularly important in 2028 because the NDC is expected to contest the presidential election with a new candidate, requiring strong communication structures at the constituency level.

Mr Sadat said the constituency communication team played a significant role in the NDC’s performance in the 2024 elections, despite the party not having a sitting Member of Parliament in Binduri at the time.

He said he regularly trained members of the communication team, including in the final days of the campaign, to ensure they understood and could effectively communicate the party’s messages.

“We did a tremendous job, a fantastic job, backed by my communication team members. The vote we had in Binduri in 2024, we have never recorded that as far as the Binduri Constituency is concerned,” he said.

Mr Sadat believes that performance should earn his team another mandate and says he intends to introduce further innovations if re-elected.

He urged delegates to assess candidates based on their performance and ability to deliver rather than personal sentiments.

Beyond his re-election bid, Mr Sadat praised some of the NDC government’s development initiatives, particularly the proposed Free Primary Healthcare programme and the 24-Hour Economy initiative.

He said expanding primary healthcare services could help address healthcare challenges in rural communities, particularly maternal health emergencies where residents have difficulty reaching health facilities.

Mr Sadat cited a recent incident in his community in which a pregnant woman reportedly gave birth while travelling to a health facility, with the newborn dying.

He argued that bringing primary healthcare services closer to communities could help prevent similar incidents.

On the proposed 24-Hour Economy Market in Binduri, Mr Sadat disclosed that construction has not yet started because of ongoing discussions over land for the project.

He said officials from Accra have engaged traditional authorities and landowners in an effort to identify a suitable site acceptable to the various stakeholders.

Mr Sadat acknowledged that while work has started on similar markets in some constituencies, construction is yet to begin in Binduri.

Despite this, he described the government’s performance as positive and expressed optimism that ongoing interventions would deliver further benefits to residents.

A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Moses Apiah | Bolgatanga

Management of the Zuarungu Nursing and Midwifery Training College has rejected claims that incoming students face a shortage of classrooms, saying 458 final-year students have left the institution while 246 new students are expected to report for the 2026/2027 academic year.

The college says claims circulating on social media that a newly admitted student has already been left stranded because of inadequate classroom space are false, as first-year students are not scheduled to report until October 5, 2026.

Management was responding to a TikTok video by Stephen Opoku Awudu, which alleged that a newly admitted student had been left stranded due to a lack of classrooms and suggested that about 300 new students were expected at the college.

According to management, however, the college will admit 246 students for its Bachelor of Science programmes, spread across its three existing programmes.

It also rejected claims that the college requires four additional lecture halls before academic activities can begin, insisting that arrangements are in place to accommodate the incoming students and ensure teaching and learning proceed as scheduled.

Management said the availability of classroom and accommodation space should be considered against the number of students who have completed their studies and left the institution.

According to the college, 458 final-year students have left this year, 212 more than the 246 first-year students expected to report.

Management also addressed ongoing renovation works at the college, explaining that portions of the institution are being rehabilitated following a fire incident last year.

It said significant progress has been made in restoring parts of the affected female hostel with support from Bolgatanga East Member of Parliament Dr Dominic Ayine and other stakeholders.

The college has assured parents, prospective students and other stakeholders that accommodation and lecture space will not hinder the commencement of academic activities when freshers report on October 5.

Management has therefore urged the public to disregard unverified information about the institution and rely on official communication from the college.

A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Moses Apiah | Bolgatanga