Even though society sees them as individuals who need special attention, persons with special needs see themselves differently.
They believe they should be accepted and integrated in spite of their conditions which makes them act differently in society, compelling their parents to hide them for fear of stigma.
In this regard, pupils with special needs at the Saint Charles Special School in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region are calling on relevant authorities to empower and mentor them to become responsible people in society.
They are also calling on members of the public to show them love and treat them equally as their colleague children.
Some of the pupils who spoke to A1 News expressed their desire to be in school, and their aspiration to be Doctors and Lawyers in society.
One named Salimi said, ” I really like to be at school because that gives me total satisfaction. I dream to become a doctor in the future.”
Another pupil, Kanifa explained that without the school, she would not have been enlightened.
“I’m happy to be here and I want the government to help us with learning materials because we don’t have some here.” She said.
The school, since its establishment in the Municipality, suffered various forms of neglects including refusal of newly trained teachers to accept postings to the school.
Madam Samare Fatimah, Headteacher of the school, told A1 news that lack of adequate professional teachers has over the years affected effective teaching and learning, adding that there were only four teachers in the school handling about 95 pupils.
“Teachers do not accept postings here, upon seeing the pupils they normally took off with excuses that they can not waste their youthful time with such pupils. Now, there are only four professional teachers that are handling about 95 pupils and that is bad because per the standards of the law, each teacher supposed to be handling five pupils each, not the other way around.” She lamented.
She added that in spite of the numerous challenges facing the school, enrollment was high, and appealed to authorities to upgrade the school to a boarding facility.
“Upon hearing about the school and the effective methodology teachers are using to teach these pupils, more parents are willing to bring their children with such conditions. I hope if authorities can help the facility to become a boarding school.”She appealed.
Pupils numbering up to 300 in the Dua primary school in the Bongo District are calling on relevant authorities and the government to as a matter of urgency come to their aid as their school structure is virtually collapsing.
They are expressing fear that the building can collapse on them at any moment because of it’s weak nature.
The school, according to community members is one of the oldest schools in the region and since its establishment had never been renovated despite numerous appeals made to past and present governments.
Anane Daniel Akatabila, a concerned youth said that the situation was affecting effective teaching and learning in the school as both teachers and pupils feel insecure under the weak building which has been supported wood to prevent the roof from carving in.
“It is sad when the name of this school is always mentioned. Just imagine old as it is, it has never seen the face of renovation. Pupils numbering up to 300 have to squeeze themselves into one classroom” He said.
Mr. Akatabila also indicated that the school has been neglected from the School Feeding Programme hence,affecting enrollment.
“Since it inception, the school has not been enlisted into the school feeding program. These pupils are children below 13 years old, imagine them staying in the classrooms for such long hours. Most of these pupils are now refusing to come to school simply because of hunger” He added.
In this regard, a group called Apusambisi Youth Association in the Dua Yikene Community has launched an educational fund aimed at addressing educational needs in the community.
The Vice-Chairman of the group, Simon Nsohbila Atampugre,said that one of the priorities of the group was to champion health and educational needs of the community through soliciting funds to address the challenges of the school.
Meanwhile, the District Chief Executive for Bongo, Peter Ayinbisa has assured the pupils and teachers of the school that his outfit was committed to providing the needs of the school.
Parliamentary candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Talensi constituency, Thomas Duanab Wuni as part of his contributions to improve health delivery in the area, has donated drugs and medical equipment to 5 health centers.
The shortage of drugs and medical essentials can be attributed to the Regional medical stores refusal to supply the health centers with drugs due to outstanding bills left unsettled.
The
situation at the health centers has affected proper health care delivery and visitations
of patients. This could have contributed to a closure of the facilities if not
for the timely intervention by the NPP’s Parliamentary Candidate.
Mr.
Duanab said the gesture was in line with reports he received about lack of
proper health care delivery in these health centers due to the shortage of
drugs.
The
donation he said was not politically inclined but his contribution to aid improve
and provide the best of health care to the people of Talensi.
“If
it was just the need for political power, individual satisfaction would have
been more important than community satisfaction. But I am committed to helping
the wellbeing of the community”, he said.
Among
the items donated by Mr. Duanab included a slit lamp to the Ophthalmology Unit
of the Talensi district Hospital. The rest were drugs, children and adult weighing
scales for Gorogo, Yinduri, Pwalugu and Balungu health centers.
A Senior Community Health Nurse at the Gorogo Health Center, Maxwell Adombire said some of the community members had no option than to resort to the use of concoctions for the cure of the ailments, adding that, the supply of the drugs came at the right time.
Medical Superintendent at the Talensi District Hospital, Dr. Freeman Saman who could not hide his joy, thanked the NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the support.
Two men from the Nabdam District of Upper East Region have survived the deadly accident that occurred Monday dawn on the Kintampo road.
Nambey Kwaku and Bulig Yenbila both boarded the Bawku-Kumasi bound Yutong Bus from Kongo when they were involved in that deadly accident in Kintampo.
Nambey Kwaku was on his way to Techiman with his carpenter,Bulig Yenbila to buy Wood to complete his building project until they met that horrifying accident.The two have sustained minor injuries and have since been treated at a health facility at Kintampo in the Bono-East Region.
But Nambey Kwaku has lost Ghs 25000 to the accident.
Many are reported dead after a Yutong bus is said to have collided with a Benz Sprinter bus with registration number AS 1801-18 on the Kintampo-Tamale Highway in the Bono-East region.
Reports have it that both vehicles went up in flames after the collision and about thirty passengers have been burnt beyond recognition in the inferno.
A Police Officer whose name has been given as Emmanuel Yen is part of passengers that have been involved in the ghastly accident that occurred Monday dawn on the Kintampo highway.
Emmanuel Yen who hails from the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region served as an Assembly Member for Zua Electoral area until his recruitment into the security service. He is stationed at Suhum in the Eastern Region and was returning to his duty post from the Upper East Region when the accident occurred.
Information available to A1 News reveals that among the accident victims was a woman from Dasobligo in the Nabdam District whose name has not been known yet.
According to an insider information from families of the deceased,arrangements have therefore been made for the identification of the bodies for burial.
The Police Officer is survived by two children and a heavily pregnant wife.
Many are reported dead after a Yutong bus is said to have collided with a Benz Sprinter bus with registration number AS 1801-18 on the Kintampo-Tamale Highway in the Bono-East region.
Reports have it that both vehicles went up in flames after the collision and about thirty passengers have been burnt beyond recognition in the inferno.
For the first time since its formation in 2010, Union of May Borns (UMABO) on Friday March 2020, joined selected private and public schools and institutions in Ghana to participate in the country’s 63rd Independence Day march past in Bolgatanga.
UMABO was formed
primarily to bring together as many as possible, persons born in the month of
May for the purposes of sharing the uniqueness that comes with the month with
members, address welfare needs of members and also give back to society.
After the leadership of
the union duly notified organisers of the programme of their interest to
participate in the celebration, members converged at St. John’s Park in
Bolgatanga, where the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly’s celebration parade was
held.
Colorfully cladded in UMABO’s
T-shirts, members tactically marched past as the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief
Executive, Joseph Amiyuure took their salute. Their participation drew
attention of all patrons at the anniversary parade as the Mistress of Ceremony kept
acknowledging the presence of union.
With Madam Joyceline
Abiire as parade leader of Team UMABO, members were praised for their
participation in a grant style.
Meanwhile, the leadership
of the union led by a tutor at St. John Bosco’s College of Education in
Navrongo, Mr. Vincent Asigri has indicated the union’s readiness to participate
in subsequent national programmes.
Governed by its constitution, UMABO is known for its annual blood donation and presentation of toiletries to newborns at the Upper East Regional Hospital in Bolgatanga. Other health centers including Afrikids Medical Center and Coronation Health Center in Bolgatanga have also benefited from UMABO.
Women in Ghana and around the world have been encouraged to stand against violence and force marriages of the girl child as today marks International Women’s Day.
International Women’s Day which comes every 8th of March is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
In a statement issued by the Women’s Wing of the governing New Patriotic Party and signed by the Upper East Regional Women’s Organizer,Georgina Ayamba and copied A1 News, Women have been encouraged to take advantage of government’s pro poor polices in other to make them economically empowered.
They have also been been charged to challenge the status-quo in their fight against bias, stereotypes, gender-based violence, child marriages and economic injustice.
Below is the full statement issued.
PRESS RELEASE BY THE UPPER EAST REGIONAL WOMEN’S WING ON THE COMMEMORATION OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
The Upper East Regional Women’s wing of the New Patriotic Party(NPP) commemorates with Ghanaian women on today’s International Women’s Day on the theme “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights”.
As we use this day to celebrate the cultural, social, economic and political successes of women, we also call for a swift action for accelerating gender equality.
In spite of the herculean task and challenges women go through on daily basis, the survival of happy homes and successful countries is dependent on the critical roles women play in their societies.
It is however important that, governments and state agencies expedite action on policies and programmes to remove all gender-based barriers for the full realization of the potentials of women globally.
As we celebrate the achievements of women today, let us work in synergy to challenge gender norms, break stereotypes, reject the binary and empower each other through active mobilization and decision making to celebrate diversity.
To this end, the NPP government remains committed through its pro-poor programmes and policies tailored at women to addressing gender inequality.
The successful introduction and implementation of the Free Senior high education by government has drastically reduced the financial burden particularly on women in financing their children education and has also afforded thousands of female children access to compulsory secondary education.
Fellow women, under the planting for food and jobs, over 20,000 rural women in the Upper East Region benefited from subsidized fertilizer and inputs that increased their yields and enhanced their livelihoods. We hope to expand this to cover more rural women in the coming farming season.
The purchase and distribution of ambulances by government to all constituencies will significantly help reduce maternal mortality particularly in the region and thus, never again should our pregnant women died due to lack of ambulances to take them to hospitals for safe delivery.
Government continues to disburse loans under MASLOC to women entrepreneurs’ to undertake economic ventures to improve their livelihoods.
Colleague women, the government over the period has engaged more women caterers under the Ghana school feeding programmes which have had great impact on their families .
The construction of One-Village-One-Dam across the five regions of the north has afforded women the opportunity of engaging in all year round farming that has drastically reduced the rural-urban migration of women and its attendant dangers.
The NPP government remains resolute in the economic and political emancipation of women by prioritizing more women in permanent and temporary job opportunities as well as committed to the affirmative action.
The reservation of 30% political appointments for women at the central and decentralize government structures for inclusive good governance is evident of women empowerment at all spheres of life.
Dear colleagues, it is my conviction that, the above policies and programmes have contributed greatly to addressing gender inequality among women, however let’s admonished our governments to improve our situations and create a gender equal world.
Let me use this opportunity to admonished women particularly in rural communities to rebel against child marriage and violence against women by discouraging the act and reporting perpetrators of such crime to the police for swift action.
As we celebrate this crucial day, I call for gender equal workplaces, gender equal government, gender equal media coverage and more gender equality in health and wealth for a healthier, wealthier and more harmonious world.
On this note, I urge my fellow women in various facet of life to challenge the status-quo in our fight against bias, stereotypes, gender-based violence, child marriages and economic injustice.
We shall not relent on our quest for gender equality as we work in synergy to tackle the persistent barriers to gender equality.
The New Patriotic Party’s government has been accused of neglecting the people of Wa Central Constituency in the Upper West Region so far as development is concerned.
The Akufo Addo’s led administration is under this heavy criticisms by NDC Member of Parliament for Wa Central,Dr. Rashid Pelpuo.
According to him, the assumption of the NPP into office for the past three years has been a waste of time and not beneficial to his people since it has done virtually nothing to improve the livelihoods in that area.
The opposition MP lamented that had it not been the NDC that constructed some roads in the area,accessibility and transportation for economic activities would have been affected significantly.
He however indicated that the only development witnessed is the continuation of an almost completed road project left behind left by the NDC government.
Mr. Pelpou said he finds it difficult to fathom why his people have been neglected by the NPP government and expressed optimism that when the NDC wins the 2020 general elections,hi people will see massive developments.
He therefore called on Ghanaians to vote out the NPP in the upcoming elections. These comments were made in an interview on A1 Radio’s Morning Show,Daybreak Upper East.
“The people are doing very well ,everybody is fine,they are happy with each other except that they are in a battle locked up to fight and replace this government which doesn’t seem to be doing well at all.As for the constituency,it is like zero development is happening,I don’t know why they’ve have chosen to make it so but i hope that very soon we will resume our development ways” He said.
Ghana frontman Jordan Ayew has equaled Tony Yeboah’s long-standing goal scoring record in the English Premier League.
Tony Yeboah netted 24 goals during his three-year stay with Leeds United in the English top-flight league.
However, his long-standing scoring record for the LillyWhites was equaled by in-form Crystal Palace striker Jordan Ayew on Saturday after hitting the winner against Watford.
Ayew has now also scored nine Premier League goals for Crystal Palace, more than he did at either Aston Villa (seven) or Swansea (eight), and has taken his tally for the season to eight, which is more than he’s netted in any of his previous campaigns.
The strike against the Hornets took his tally to 24, which is the same as Yeboah.
He has a big chance of overtaking the Ghana legend before the end of the season with nine matches to go.
Ayew first joined arguably the best league championship in the world in 2015, signing for Aston Villa moving on to Welsh-based side Swansea City.
He left the Jack Army to sign for Crystal Palace on a £2 million deal after excelling on an initial loan deal.
Aliko Dangote is the richest man in Africa and should hardly lack anything but he does when it comes to one thing , a wife.
The Arsenal football club supporter who is divorced twice is still in dire need of a wife at the age of 62.
In a recent interview with Financial Times (FT), Dangote revealed that despite an ambition to build a business empire, having a wife is also a priority.
Speaking with David Piling in a Financial Times interview he said “I’m not getting younger….but it doesn’t make sense to go out and get somebody if you don’t have the time.”
Dangote is too busy to focus on choosing a new wife, according to him signaling that “right now, things are really, really very busy, because we have the refinery, we have the petrochemicals, we have the fertiliser, we have the gas pipeline.”
The list of Forbes Africa’s Billionaires for 2020 was revealed in February and once again Aliko Dangote remains the richest on the continent.
He has maintained that accolade for the ninth time in a row, as others on the list struggle to topple him.
According to Forbes the latest list only considered billionaires from only eight countries.
The list is dominated by billionaires from Egypt and South Africa where five billionaires each come from those countries.
Nigeria had four including President and CEO of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and Morocco had two on the list.
Dangote remains in the lead with a net worth of $10.1 billion.
He is the founder of Dangote Cement, the continent’s largest cement producer and owns businesses across the continent.
Dangote also owns nearly 88% of publicly-traded Dangote Cement through a holding company.
The cement company produces 44 million metric tons annually and plans to increase its output 33% by 2020.
Part of his wealth also comes from the stakes he owns in publicly-traded salt, sugar and flour manufacturing companies.
