The flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has assured that his government will make the Upper East Region a growth pole and area of wealth creation, as thousands of jobs will be generated for the teeming masses of unemployed youth resident in the region through Agribusiness.

According to him, irrigation would be a key component hence the expected one village one dam policy to create a condition for all year round farming.

He believes the policy will create more jobs for the youth in the region, because is possible and achievable

“NPP has a big plan for the development of our country. A plan that is going to bring jobs and prosperity to all parts of Ghana. And, in the Upper East Region, agribusiness is going to be our focus. We are going to create the conditions of year-round farming. If Burkina Faso can do it, so can we also do it in the Upper East Region and create prosperity and jobs for our people,” he said.

He further stated that Sanitation, Roads and Electricity are problems that can be dealt with locally and the reason his government if voted into power will commit 1millon dollars to every constituency yearly to enable them deal with the issue of infrastructural development.

He stressed that former President John Agyekum Kuffor left a very good legacy for the people of Ghana by establishing the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Teacher Trainee Allowance and Nursing Trainee Allowance which have gone a long way in changing and improving the lives of Ghanaians.

The NPP Flag bearer accused the Mahama led administration of collapsing already existing social intervention programs meant to inure to the benefit of the poor and asked the people of upper east to give him the mandate come December 7 for him restore all the policies saying “the time has come for the Upper East region and the New Patriotic Party to become one”, and “forge a bond of co-operation and of friendship that is going to lead to the development of the Upper East Region and the whole of our country, Ghana.”

Touching on the Free SHS policy, Nana Addo said that is still a strong initiative his government would implement to ensure that education is made available to every Ghanaian child.

By: Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen/A1RADIOONLINE.COM/GHANA

President John Dramani Mahama’s rally in the Tempane constituency had to end abruptly when supporters of the party left the rally grounds to catch a glimpse of the aircraft which the President was using in his tour of the Upper East Region.

The supporters who were cheering to the President’s message diverted their cheers and attention to the skies when they saw the aircraft circling in the skies.

Although the President tried his best to get the attention of the supporters by shouting “JM Toaso” and other NDC jargons, his efforts proved futile when supporters of the umbrella fraternity rather run to catch a glimpse of the aircraft circling in the atmosphere and its eventual landing.

The President had to fast forward his interaction in order to get the attention of the few supporters who remained at the rally venue.

The President toured the eastern zone of the region and visited Garu, Tempane, Pusiga.

Meanwhile speaking to some supporters of the party who were running to catch a glimpse of the aircraft, they mentioned that although it was not the first time seeing an aircraft, the last time they saw one was when President Rawlings came to the constituency many years ago.

They said for the younger generation, this was their first time hence the mad rush to make their dream a reality.

By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh/A1RADIOONLINE.COM/GHANA

The latest Demographic Health Survey report has ranked the Upper East Region as the leading Region in the practice of open defecation in the country.

According to the report, seventy-five percent of the people in the region engage in open defecation, meaning every three out of four people are indulged in the menace.

Disclosing findings of the report to journalists at the Commemoration of World Toilet Day in Bolgatanga, Regional Focal Person of the Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate, Mr. Asayuure Juventius, said although the position and the numbers are worrying, there is an improvement on the numbers from 2011.

According to him, although upper east was first in last year’s report, the percentage was pegged close to ninety percent but has reduced by fifteen percent; a reduction he believes if continues consistently will help the region achieve an open defecation free status by 2029.

On his part, Programs Manager of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene project (WASH), Kweku Quansah, thinks the increasing numbers is because most Ghanaians do not prioritize when it comes toilet and therefore called for attitudinal change in order to arrest the menace of open defecation.

He added that in the course of advocating for attitudinal change on the part of the citizens, it is prudent that institutions charged with the enforcement of laws be given the space to enforce them to the latter.

According to him “if you have a toilet and your neighbour does not have and nothing is done to him if my facility breaks down I will not be motivated to even repair it because my other neighbour, nothing was done to him so the need to look at law enforcement as part of behavioral change because once people are faced with the option of whether you do it or not no one does nothing, it’s won’t help.”

He prayed for an end to the interference in the work of Sanitation officers by chiefs and elders of the societies, administrative heads and political leaders in the work of sanitation workers in order for laws to be enforced to arrest the menace.

“Our field worker will tell you the kind of interferences they face from our chiefs and elders, administrative heads and political heads even to the extent that they ask you to even stop sending people to court and if we do that then it’s optional for people to do what is right and no society will develop if the option is for the citizens to do what he/she wants. It becomes a chaos and that’s exactly what you find in the sanitation industry, we need to straighten things up, we need to free people who want to enforce laws so that they will be confident to enforce the laws because with that they will get to know that they won’t be called back to the office to answer to a superior power.”

This year’s World Toilet Day was celebrated under the theme ‘Stop Open Defecation, Own a Household Toilet Now’ and the event held at the Bolgatanga Lorry station and was attended by the Upper East Regional Minister, Albert Abongo, representatives of UNICEF and officials of the Bolgatanga Regional Coordinating Council.

By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh/A1RADIOONLINE.COM/GHANA

The first phase of the expansion work at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital under the Mahama led administration is 95% done, Engineers have told President John Dramani Mahama.

The President who is in the region for a four-day campaign tour visited the project site where engineers told him that work is progressing steadily.

On his part, the President mentioned that money has been secured from Saudi Arabia for the start of the second phase.

“I sent a delegation to Saudi Arabia and they have received financial clearance for start of the second phase of work on the hospital.”

The President acknowledged that although there are challenges in the hospital, the expansion will ease those challenges and birth a new era.

He indicated that when completed, the Upper East Regional hospital will be a major referral facility because it will be furnished with state of the art equipment.

The $48 million expansion project is part of the government’s efforts to provide each of the 10 regions with a modern regional hospital.

When completed, facilities such as dental, imaging, pharmacy, accident and emergency, intensive care, ENT, eye, mental health, public health, herbal medicine units would be provided.

A mortuary, laundry, laboratory and a blood bank unit would also be constructed.

The Saudi Fund for Development is providing 85 per cent of the total cost of the project while the government is taking care of the remaining 15 per cent.

The Saudi Consulting Services is supervising the project which is being constructed by Berock Ventures Limited.

By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh/A1RADIOONLINE.COM/GHANA

President John Dramani Mahama, has asked supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress and all Northerners to vote massively to retain him and the NDC in power because the party loves Northerners than any other political party in the country.

According to him, it is important for northerners to turn-up in their numbers to vote for the NDC because all the development the north has enjoyed was under the National Democratic Congress, a clear attestation of the love of the party for people in the north.

The President who was addressing a charged crowd at a rally in the upper east regional capital, Bolgatanga said “it is important for us in the three northern regions to turn up properly not because I come from here but because when you weigh the two parties, the NDC has done more for the people of the north than any political party.”

He indicated that although elections is about choices, “if this one says I will do this for you and that one too said I will do that for you, what do you look at? You weigh the two and look at this one when he had the opportunity what did he do for me and this one what did he do for me and when you weigh it you will find that the NDC is heavier than the NPP.”

President Mahama reminded the crowd of the NDC’s commitment to the northern and upper regions, citing the introduction of electricity to the three northern regions by the founder of his party, Jerry John Rawlings. He added that “if you look in all sectors, in health care, in education, in provision of water, any time we have enjoyed advanced development in the northern part of Ghana it has been an NDC government and that is why I say the north should come out and vote for the NDC because we have proven that we love the people of the north and bring development to the people of the north.”

He urged Ghanaians and especially Northerners to come on board the NDC train because the party is not known for discriminating against people with dissenting views because he believes that every Ghanaian should enjoy fruit of economic growth.

“NDC is not the kind of party that will say this people didn’t vote for us so we will not develop their place. Since I became President I have evenly developed various regions because I believe that regardless of party affiliation, all Ghanaians deserve to enjoy the fruits of economic growth.”

The President calling on his supporters to come out on the Election Day to vote recalled that the party’s victory was challenged because it was by a slim margin and therefore charged supporters to work tirelessly for the party to win convincingly to avoid any legal tussle.

“We want a high turnout because we want every single vote to count. Why am I saying so? I am saying so because if you are settling things the Builsa way, if you don’t put the person’s back on the ground he will say you have not beaten him. So you have to put the person’s back on the ground and sit on him so that he knows that you have beaten him properly. In 2012 we had 50.7% and so the margin was too small then somebody is tempted to go to court that you cheated him but if you whip him by 56,57,58,59,60%,  he won’t waste his time by going to court and that is what we need to do in this election, we must defeat our opponents by one million votes.”

By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh/A1RADIOONLINE.COM/GHANA

The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) led by the Chief Fire Officer Dr. Albert Brown Gaisie has launched the Upper East Regional 2016/2017 National Bush fire Prevention Campaign and the Regional Home Fire Safety Certification Project in the region under the theme ‘PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENSURING FIRE SAFETY AT HOME.’

Addressing the congregation at the official launch on Tuesday in Bolgatanga, the Chief Fire Officer said “we always look at the advantages of fire without considering the disadvantages that associated with the effects of fire outbreak.”

Dr. Gaisie noted that the number of fire outbreaks recorded in Ghana in recent times could have been avoided with basic fundamental and essential practices of fire safety management.

He indicated that the fire service as an administration has considerably done well in terms of ensuring protection of lives and property in the country.

He further called for deliberate efforts on the part of citizens to prevent fire outbreaks adding “one thing that the general public need to understand is that, the fireman does not create fire, the fireman extinguishes fire, so if the fire is not created, the fireman will have no job to do,” he said.

The Chief Fire Officer also commissioned 6 fire stations in various districts of the region.

By: Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen

President John Dramani Mahama is expected to address the Coalition of Civil Society Organizations in the Northern Savanna Ecological Zone on the National Democratic Congress’ vision to transform the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone.

The President’s visit to the region would form part of his campaign tour of the region which will last for three days and will see the President meeting and addressing party members, opinion leaders in most of the constituencies.

The three-day tour will start from Bawku where the President will call on the chiefs and elders of the area before he sets out to other parts of the eastern corridor of the upper east region.

The second day of his visit will see him tour the western part of the upper east region where he will cut sod for the start of some projects and the commissioning of Paga GES office.

On the third day, the President will tour the central part of the region where he will address party faithful at separate rallies in Bolga, Bongo and Tongo before he departs for Accra.

President Mahama’s encounter on the transformation of the northern zone forms part of a series dubbed ‘The Vision of the NDC to Transform the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone into a Place of Opportunities for All, Free From Poverty and Inequality” organized by the CSO’s to engage flagbearers.

The opposition New Patriotic Party and the Convention Peoples Party took their turn at the encounter.

By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh/A1RADIOONLINE.COM/GHANA

Parliamentary Candidate for the National Democratic Congress in Bolgatanga Central constituency Isaac Adongo has said the people of Bolgatanga Central are matured and will not fall for the lies of desperate people.

“We also know that the good people of Bolga Central are matured enough to know what they want and they will not change their minds or fall for liars, fabrications and running other people down because of desperation to catch up or stay afloat.”

In a post on Facebook Friday, the candidate mentioned that the party will not go into the gutters like other candidates have but will toe the line of truth-telling and matured campaigning which is the hallmark of his political party ahead of the December 7 polls in order not to create unnecessary tension in the constituency.

“We will not succumb to other peoples’ desperation to toe their line of dirty politics. We have a tradition as a party to follow, a tradition of issues-based campaigning, a tradition of clean campaigning, a tradition of respect for electorates and contestants and a tradition of non-violent campaign and they also have their traditions and it is not our duty to choose their tradition for them even though we have once and again called them to reconsider their approach that create unnecessary tension in the constituency.”

He intimated that “Whether they listen to us or not, whether they change or not, we will continue to be committed to our tradition and ensure the peace and unity that the good people of Bolga Central have fought to achieve, sacrifice so much to maintain all these years is not disturbed.”

Isaac Adongo commended his party faithful and supporters for comporting themselves throughout the campaign period assuring them of maintaining the seat come December 7.

“I want to commend our supporters and party members for our commitment to peace, issues based campaign and our resistance to violence. I continue to entreat all of us to keep it at that. We are maintaining the seat based on what our predecessors from our great party have done and our vision and commitment to serve and bring development to the good people of Bolga Central.”

By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh/A1RADIOONLINE.COM/GHANA

Ahead of the upcoming general elections, women in the Upper East Region have asked the various political parties and their teeming supporters not to compromise the relative peace they are enjoying in the name of politics.

According to them, women and children suffer the most when there is violence and that there is the need for the various political parties to conduct themselves in the lead up to the general elections and after.

The women made this known when they submitted their Peace March Statement to the two leading political parties, National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party after one thousand women from all parts of the region marched for peace on Thursday November 17 in Bolgatanga.

The women noted that the development of a country hinges on the peace being enjoyed by its citizens and advised that the situation in some conflict afflicted sister African countries should be an example for the country to choose the path of peace.

The women who wielded placards with inscription including “Votes not Violence”, “Ghana needs you alive”, “Ballots not Bullets”, “Different Parties one Ghana” marched through the principal streets of Bolgatanga amidst brass band music to drum home the need for peace before, during and after the elections.

Receiving the statement on behalf of the President, member of the National Democratic Congress Regional Election Directorate, Ahmed Tijani, said his party was committed to ensuring that Ghana continues to enjoy her peace by accepting the results of the elections. He indicated that like the President has assured of a peaceful Ghana, the NDC party was also committed to ensuring a safe Ghana.

He underscored the need for other political parties and individuals to remember Ghana is their only home and that the least violence could not only destroy their lives but rid them of their beautiful country.

On their part, the NPP reiterated their commitment towards ensuring that Ghana remains peaceful before, during and after the elections, calling on other parties to be ready to accept the results of the election.

Aniah Patience, a participant in the march who spoke to a1radioonline.com indicated that she took part in the march because women form the majority in the country and wield huge influence hence the need to spearhead the need for peace.

She was optimistic that the parties will be committed to their words to keep the country free and safe from violence and its rippling effects.

The March was organized by Women’s Situation Room, a women’s peace building mechanism that mitigates conflict before, during and after elections.

By: Offei-Akoto Ayeh/A1RADIOONLINE.COM/GHANA