The Upper East Regional Directorate of the National Sports Authority (NSA) has pledged to support the development of taekwondo in the region and urged the regional association to engage the authority early when planning competitions and other activities.
Upper East Regional Sports Director Abdul-Rahman Danladi gave the assurance when officials of the Upper East Regional Taekwondo Association (UERTA) paid a courtesy visit to his office on Friday, September 25, 2026.
The association used the visit to present medals won by the Upper East Regional taekwondo team at this year’s Korean Ambassador’s Cup in Accra and discuss the development of the sport in the region.
Mr Danladi, who previously practised taekwondo, congratulated the team on its performance and encouraged the association to continue identifying and developing athletes in the region.
He assured UERTA of his office’s readiness to support its activities, but urged the association to communicate its programmes and competitions to the NSA early enough to allow the authority to plan for possible assistance.
According to him, timely communication could enable the authority to determine what resources and other forms of support could be made available for the association’s activities.
Mr Danladi also appealed to government institutions, businesses and non-governmental organisations to support taekwondo and help develop athletes capable of representing the Upper East Region at competitions.
The visit followed UERTA’s presentation of the medals to its chairman, R.Y. Mark Billa, on Thursday, September 24.
The Upper East Regional Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Anthony Adongo Apubeo, has described journalism as a calling that requires courage, sacrifice and a strong commitment to public service.
Speaking on Bolga FM’s Tinmaalgo Sanga, Mr Apubeo said the work of journalists extends beyond newsrooms and studios, often requiring them to travel to communities, investigate issues and work under difficult circumstances to keep the public informed.
“The work of a journalist is not in the studio alone. It starts from your house to the community or the place you are going to work,” he said.
Mr Apubeo said journalists could be exposed to risks because of the places they work and the nature of some of the stories they pursue.
He described journalism as a specialised profession that requires particular skills, courage and commitment to effectively gather, verify and communicate information to the public.
According to him, journalists frequently have to engage people from different backgrounds and pursue information in challenging circumstances as part of their responsibility to provide accurate and relevant information.
Mr Apubeo also highlighted some of the challenges facing women journalists, particularly those who have to balance demanding professional responsibilities with family and household obligations.
He called for greater support for women in the profession to help create an environment in which they can pursue their careers while managing other responsibilities.
Mr Apubeo said journalism should not be viewed solely as a means of earning a living, arguing that the profession carries a broader responsibility to serve the public.
He said the risks, sacrifices and demands associated with the work require journalists to remain dedicated to their responsibilities and the communities they serve.
NorthLite Solar Limited has announced its sponsorship of the 5th Upper East Regional Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards, scheduled for October 2, 2026.
Chief Executive Officer of the company, Frank Adabre, said the sponsorship was intended to support journalism in the region and recognise journalists whose work contributes to public understanding of development issues.
“We believe journalism is vital in shaping public understanding of issues like renewable energy, climate change, and job creation,” Mr Adabre said.
“Our sponsorship is our way of recognising journalists who demonstrate professionalism, integrity, and courage in their work.”
Mr Adabre said NorthLite Solar had invested more than US$5 million in solar Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) projects in the Upper East Region as part of its work in the renewable energy sector.
The company is also expanding into the United States market, which it says is intended to create opportunities for energy-related investment between Africa and the US.
Upper East Regional Chairman of the GJA, Albert Sore, welcomed the sponsorship and thanked the company for supporting the awards.
He said support from organisations and individuals was important to the successful organisation of the event and appealed to other institutions to support the initiative.
“We appeal to more organisations and individuals to come on board with support,” Mr Sore said.
The 5th Upper East Regional GJA Awards will be held on October 2, 2026, under the theme, “Beyond the Headlines: The Media’s Role in Promoting WASH for Safe Motherhood and Quality Healthcare.”
For Vida Dawuni, getting her children to school should be a short journey from their home at Gambibgo-Kumbangre in the Bolgatanga East District.
But when the rains come, the most direct route becomes difficult to use.
Instead, she says, she has to travel with her children through Zuarungu, join the Bolgatanga Bawku road and then make their way back towards the school.
The school itself is not far from their home. The problem is what stands between them and it: an unfinished bridge across a river that residents say has disrupted movement in the area for years.
“Because of this, I have to take my children through Zuarungu before joining the Bolgatanga-Bawku Road, and then travel back to their school, even though the school is actually not far from our home,” Ms Dawuni said.
“What should be a short journey becomes much longer and more difficult, especially during the rainy season.”
For residents of Gambibgo-Kumbangre, the unfinished bridge is more than an abandoned construction project. It sits on a route they depend on to reach schools, healthcare facilities, markets, farms and neighbouring communities.
During the dry season, crossing can still be difficult. But residents say the danger increases considerably when the rains arrive and the river rises.
Some residents have resorted to placing pieces of wood around the unfinished structure to help them climb across. A slip could send a person into the water or onto the rocks below.
Residents say people have suffered injuries while attempting to cross. They also claim lives have been lost at the river when water levels were high, although A1 Radio has not independently established the circumstances of the reported deaths.
Ms Dawuni remembers when work was underway on the bridge. Then, she says, construction stopped.
“The bridge has been abandoned. They started constructing it, but they stopped work a long time ago,” she said.
For her, the consequences are felt most during the rainy season.
“Whenever it rains, I cannot use the road because the river floods and becomes impossible to cross. This makes it very difficult for us to access the road and travel to other places,” she said.
The alternative is the lengthy detour through Zuarungu.
It means a journey that should take relatively little time requires more travelling, particularly when she is taking her children to school.
She wants the authorities to return to the site and finish what was started.
“We are appealing to the authorities to come back and complete the bridge so that we can use the road safely and our children can get to school without these unnecessary difficulties,” she said.
But schoolchildren are not the only people affected.
For farmers whose fields lie across the river, the unfinished bridge can stand between them and their livelihoods.
A commuter who identified himself only as Ayariga said reaching his farm becomes particularly difficult when the river rises.
Sometimes, he said, farmers carrying produce have to balance their loads on their heads while negotiating pieces of wood placed around the unfinished bridge.
“When it rains, it becomes very difficult for me to cross to my farm. Sometimes I have to carry what I have on my head and use the wood they have placed there as a ladder to climb the bridge,” he said.
It is a journey that requires care.
“It is very risky because if you make a small mistake, you can fall into the water,” Ayariga said.
And the problem does not disappear immediately when the rains stop.
He said rocks and water around the crossing continue to make it difficult, particularly for someone unfamiliar with the area.
“Even if it has not rained for some days, it is still difficult to cross because there are rocks inside the water. If you do not know the place well, you can easily fall,” he said.
For people carrying farm produce, the difficulty is compounded by the need to maintain their balance while navigating the crossing.
The alternative is to find another route, adding time and distance to journeys that residents say should otherwise be straightforward.
So why has the bridge remained unfinished?
Assembly Member for the area, Mahamudu Bukari Alhaji, said work on the project began in 2019.
According to him, the contractor told him that payments for work already undertaken had not been made, eventually leaving the contractor unable to continue financing construction.
“The contractor told me that the government has not paid him since he started working on the bridge in 2019,” Mr Mahamudu said.
“Because he was not being paid, he could not continue funding the project, so he stopped the work.”
A1 Radio has not independently verified the contractor’s payment status.
Mr Mahamudu said he had also received no indication that the contractor would return before the outstanding payment issue was resolved.
“As it stands now, there is no sign that the contractor will come back to the site until he is paid,” he said.
The bridge is not the only incomplete infrastructure project affecting movement in the area.
Mr Mahamudu said work on the Gambibgo road, which connects the area to the Bolgatanga Bawku road, also stalled around the same period.
He stressed, however, that the road and bridge were awarded to different contractors.
According to him, efforts are underway to have the Gambibgo road project awarded to another contractor to continue the work. There is less certainty about the bridge.
“The Gambibgo Road project is in the process of being awarded to another contractor, but I cannot say the same for the bridge because the contractor is still waiting for payment,” he said.
Another reminder of the unfinished project remains at the construction site: cement supplied for the work.
Mr Mahamudu said the cement was supplied separately from the bridge construction contract, explaining why it remained at the site even after the contractor stopped work.
“The supplier of the cement is different from the contractor constructing the bridge. That is why the cement is still there,” he said.
According to him, some of the cement has remained unused for so long that it has deteriorated.
Meanwhile, residents continue to negotiate the river.
For Ms Dawuni, that can mean taking her children on a detour to reach a school close to their home.
For Ayariga and other farmers, it can mean navigating an improvised crossing while carrying produce or travelling to their farms.
And when the rains are heavy enough, residents say the route can become impassable altogether.
A completed bridge would reconnect more than two sides of a river.
For residents, it would mean easier access to farms and markets, a shorter journey to school and a safer route to healthcare facilities and neighbouring communities.
It could also remove the need for people to climb across the unfinished structure using pieces of wood or make lengthy detours when the river rises.
But seven years after the project began in 2019, residents say they still do not know when construction will resume.
They are now appealing to the government, the Member of Parliament and the Bolgatanga East District Assembly to intervene and get the project completed.
Their concern is particularly urgent as each rainy season brings the same problem back: rising water, a difficult crossing and longer journeys around a bridge that was supposed to make movement easier.
For Ms Dawuni, the request is straightforward.
“We are appealing to the authorities to come back and complete the bridge so that we can use the road safely and our children can get to school without these unnecessary difficulties.”
For a community that has spent years finding ways around an unfinished bridge, completing it would turn what has become a difficult and sometimes dangerous journey back into the short trip residents say it was always supposed to be.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Mary Atiamah Aperika | Bolgatanga
The Upper East Regional Taekwondo team has presented medals won at this year’s Korea Ambassador’s Cup in Accra to the Chairman of the Upper East Regional Taekwondo Association (UERTA), R.Y. Mark Billa.
The presentation was made by coaches Michael Ayine and Jesse Apaalazoya at Mr Billa’s office at the Bolgatanga Technical Institute on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
Receiving the medals, Mr Billa congratulated the athletes and coaches on their performance at the competition and encouraged them to continue working to improve their performance at future championships.
He also appealed to government institutions, businesses and other stakeholders to provide greater support for the development of taekwondo in the Upper East Region.
Mr Billa said the sport had produced medals for the region at competitions and argued that increased investment could help identify, train and prepare more athletes for regional and national competitions.
He pledged to continue working with the association’s executives and coaches to promote the development of taekwondo in the region.
Hannah Talata Asanyuu-re has filed her nomination to contest the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Women’s Organiser position in the Bongo Constituency, after an earlier unsuccessful attempt at the position.
Madam Talata is campaigning on an agenda focused on strengthening the party’s women’s wing and advocating for economic opportunities for women, particularly farmers and small business owners.
Among her proposals is the creation of a database of women organisers and women’s groups across polling stations in the constituency to improve communication, coordination and mobilisation.
She also plans to advocate for women-owned businesses to access financial support through government programmes and institutions, including the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) and the Women’s Development Bank.
Madam Talata, who is also a farmer, said she would advocate for women farmers to have better access to fertiliser, chemicals, tractor services and other agricultural inputs.
Her campaign also proposes advocating for an expansion of the Ghana School Feeding Programme to more schools in the constituency, which her supporters say could provide additional opportunities for women working as caterers.
Supporters of Madam Talata say she remained active in the NDC after her previous unsuccessful attempt to become Constituency Women’s Organiser.
They are appealing to branch women organisers, who will participate in choosing the constituency leadership, to support her candidature.
Madam Talata is campaigning as a grassroots candidate with a focus on strengthening the NDC women’s wing and advocating for the welfare and economic empowerment of women in the constituency.
The Talensi Youth Parliament has called on mining regulators and local authorities to urgently intervene in a concession dispute involving Nalamtaaba Local Small-Scale Mining Company and Earl International Ghana Group Mining Limited, warning against an escalation of tensions.
The youth body said it was concerned about recent tensions and heated exchanges reportedly involving some young people in affected communities over the dispute.
Addressing a press conference, Speaker of the Talensi Youth Parliament, Clinton Bukari, urged the Minerals Commission and other relevant authorities to establish the status, boundaries and authorisation of the concessions at the centre of the disagreement.
“We need facts, transparency and lawful processes, not speculation and confrontation,” he said.
Mr Bukari said disagreements over land, natural resources, livelihoods and economic opportunities could generate legitimate concerns, but warned that violence would not resolve the dispute.
“Talensi has a shared history, a common identity and a collective future. No mining concession, business interest or disagreement should be allowed to destroy the bonds of brotherhood that unite our people,” he said.
The Parliament urged young people in the affected communities to remain calm, reject violence, resist provocation and avoid circulating rumours and unverified information, particularly on social media.
“We remind the youth that we can demand justice without violence, defend our interests without hatred and disagree without destroying one another,” Mr Bukari said.
The group also called on chiefs, Tindaamas, elders and other traditional authorities to intervene to prevent further escalation and facilitate dialogue between the parties.
It urged the Talensi District Assembly and other government authorities to engage the affected communities, establish the facts surrounding the disputed concessions and provide clear information to residents.
The Environmental Protection Authority and other regulators were also asked to examine environmental and community concerns associated with mining activities, including their potential effects on land, water and agriculture.
The Parliament called on the Ghana Police Service and other security agencies to protect lives and property while remaining impartial in dealing with the dispute.
“The matter requires more than statements of concern. It requires action,” Mr Bukari said. “We need dialogue, not confrontation; investigation, not speculation; justice, not retaliation; leadership, not silence; peace, not violence.”
He stressed that the Parliament was not taking a position on which party was entitled to the disputed concession.
“Our concern is broader and fundamental: the protection of human life, preservation of peace, respect for the rule of law, protection of livelihoods, justice and the sustainable development of the Talensi Traditional Area,” he said.
The Youth Parliament said it was prepared to support dialogue between the parties and urged authorities to act before tensions worsen.
“The time to prevent escalation is now,” Mr Bukari said.
The Rotary Club of Bolgatanga Goodwill has donated 50 dual desks to Zorko Kankom Primary School in the Bongo District, where a shortage of furniture had left some pupils sitting on the floor during lessons.
The desks, valued at about GH¢27,000, were provided after the club received appeals from community members and conducted an assessment of the school’s needs.
President of the Rotary Club of Bolgatanga Goodwill, Alexis Ayamdoo, said the assessment found that the school had about 27 dual desks, which were inadequate for its enrolment.
“Prior to this, we had received appeals from some community members. We followed up with a community needs assessment and discovered that, based on the school’s enrolment, there were only about 27 dual desks available. This was not enough, which meant that some of the pupils had to sit on the bare floor to learn,” he said.
Mr Ayamdoo said the findings prompted the club to mobilise resources to provide additional furniture.
“It was based on these needs and challenges that the Rotary Club of Bolgatanga Goodwill decided to intervene. We are happy that we have eventually been able to mobilise the resources and present these desks to the school today,” he said.
He urged the school, parents and pupils to properly maintain the furniture, saying the sustainability of projects was an important consideration when the club decided where to provide further support.
“Teachers, students and parents must show commitment to maintaining these dual desks if you want to attract additional Rotary interventions. We are asking you to keep whatever has been donated to you in good condition,” he said.
Mr Ayamdoo said the club had also undertaken interventions in water, sanitation and hygiene in parts of the Upper East Region.
It is currently supporting the construction of household latrines and a mechanised borehole at Kalbeo in the Bolgatanga Municipality.
The presentation at Zorko Kankom Primary School was attended by Bongo District Chief Executive Diana Asoketarige Agamga, District Director of Education Michael Ayamdoo, teachers, parents, pupils and community members.
A1 Radio | 101.1 MHz | Joseph Napoleon Anaaya | Bongo
St John’s Junior High School in Bolgatanga has introduced taekwondo as part of its extracurricular activities following a collaboration with the Upper East Regional Taekwondo Association (UERTA).
The initiative followed discussions between the school’s headteacher and the association on providing pupils with opportunities to develop skills beyond classroom learning.
Taekwondo was formally introduced to pupils and teachers during the school’s morning assembly on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
Instructors from UERTA demonstrated basic kicks and self-defence techniques and introduced pupils to some of the principles associated with the sport, including discipline and respect.
The association’s lead coach, Michael Ayine, thanked the school for embracing the initiative and said UERTA would continue working with the school to provide training for interested pupils.
The association said it is also willing to work with other basic and second-cycle schools across the Upper East Region that are interested in introducing taekwondo to their pupils and students.
Youth organisers and polling station executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Nabdam Constituency have submitted nomination forms on behalf of incumbent Chairman Tetteh Zure as he seeks another term.
Mr Zure is among 48 aspirants who have filed nominations for various constituency executive positions ahead of the party’s internal elections.
His nomination forms were submitted at the NDC constituency office on Thursday, September 24, 2026, after supporters earlier mobilised to pick the forms on his behalf.
More than 40 youth organisers and polling station executives, representing over 40 of the constituency’s 55 polling stations, have declared support for his re-election.
The group says Mr Zure has helped strengthen grassroots organisation and contributed to the party’s electoral performance in the constituency.
In making their case for his re-election, the supporters cited the NDC’s presidential vote margins in Nabdam over the past three general elections.
According to figures cited by the group, the party’s presidential margin over the New Patriotic Party increased from 2,890 votes in 2016 to 3,454 in 2020 and 5,434 in 2024.
They said the NDC’s 2024 presidential candidate, John Mahama, received 11,393 votes in the constituency, compared with 5,959 for the NPP candidate. The NDC also retained the Nabdam parliamentary seat.
Speaking after the nomination forms were submitted, Mr Zure thanked the youth organisers and polling station executives for supporting his candidature.
He said he would seek to build on the party’s previous electoral performance and increase its vote share in the constituency if re-elected.
Mr Zure will, however, face another aspirant for the Constituency Chairman position.
His contest is part of a wider race for constituency leadership, with 48 aspirants filing nominations for positions including Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Organiser, Communication Officer, Women’s Organiser, Youth Organiser and Treasurer.
The aspirants are expected to undergo vetting before the constituency executive elections.
