The much-anticipated playoff between Bolga Ghatel Ladies and Volta Amalgamated Ladies to determine who survives in the National Women’s League has been deferred upon request by the Bolgatanga-based club.
According to A1Radio checks, the game had been scheduled for April 7, but Ghatel Ladies requested for its deferment on the back drop that about 80% of their players would be partaking in this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The maiden women’s league was played in two zones – the Northern and Southern Zones – which saw both clubs emerged second from the bottom in each zone and per the regulations; the winner of the playoff retains its status while the loser joins the other two relegated clubs.
The Deputy Public Relations Officer for the Bolgatanga-based club, Humu Kusum Tahiru, said that most of their players were occupied with the ongoing WASSCE, which had even forced the team to halt training programmes to give the players enough room to prepare.
“We registered about 20 players and as at now, 11 are writing both the BECE and WASSCE and about five are also still in school preparing to write their terminal examination,” Tahiru told Goal.com Ghana.
“It has even affected our training programs; forcing us to break them so they have ample time for their examination. We are not happy breaking them but their education is equally important as well,” she said.
“This was the reason why we requested for the game to be deferred.”
She further stated that their primary objective was to ensure that they add education to the football skills of their players to serve as a backup for them as they enhance their football career.
“Our primary objective is to ensure that every player of ours gains formal education, on the basis that not everyone would make it in football so the education could serve as a backup should the unforeseen happens,” she added.
The game has been deferred until further notice but A1Radio understands it may take place in the middle of May at the Accra Sports Stadium.
THE BAWKU West District Epidemic Prevention Committee has placed a temporary ban on the movement of four legged animals and their meat within and out of the district. This follows the outbreak of anthrax in the Guzongo community of the district.
The decision on the ban was arrived at on Monday when members of the District Epidemic Prevention Committee visited the Guzongo community to ascertain the level of anthrax outbreak in the area which has so far killed about 30 cattle and a donkey.
In an interview, Madam Mary Stella Adapesa, a member of the committee and Bawku West District Director of Health, said the committee’s decision will be place for two weeks. During the period, members with the support of the veterinary officers and their superiors will monitor the situation.
The ban also affects the slaughtering of animals and residents have been advised not to eat meat from ill animals or carcasses. Madam Adapesa also urged the people to report to the nearest health center if they have diarrhea or difficulty in breathing and wash their hands thoroughly.
Last year, a similar ban was enforced in the Sapeliga and Googo communities following an outbreak of the disease.
On Monday, the veterinary officers in the district started the treatment of in-contact animals with antibiotic. The three-day exercise is expected to end today and then pave way for vaccination of the animals.
Ghana have been handed a massive boost after the return of dazzling winger Christian Astu from injury last night.
The Portuguese based midfielder played for his side for the first time in three weeks after suffering from an ankle injury.
He came in as a substitute for Steven Defour in the 64th minute of the game at their favorite home grounds- Estádio Do Dragão and helped his team [FC Porto] triumph over Braga 3-1.
Astu’s, return will boost Ghana’s chances of making it pass Zambia to Brazil 2014 World Cup as his inclusion will bring to bear the needed bite.
The under fire head coach of Asante Kotoko, Mas-Ud Didi Dramani, has apologized to the Kotoko supporters for not giving them the needed win in Sunday’s clash with Algeria’s JSM Bejaia.
The former Black Maidens tactician in an interview with Sunyani-based Moonlite FM on Monday, rendered an unqualified apology to fans of the Reds for his side’s exit from the Caf Champions League.
“Unfortunately we couldn’t get the win. We will turn our focus on the league and the FA Cup. I am standing on behalf of the technical team and the playing body to apologise to the supporters for not given them the needed win,” Dramani said.
However, he urged the followers of the Porcupine Warriors not to be reluctant in supporting them so that they could together get Kotoko to where it only deserves.
Dramani added: “I want to use your medium to urge the supporters to continue to be behind the team. We will continue to fight hard so that we can all get Kotoko to where it only deserves.
“They should continue supporting us; they should still put their weight behind us; we are capable of clenching the league title and the FA Cup”
He added that in other to get his arsenals psyched up for the MTN FA Cup game against Rainbow FC, he would talk to the players via cell phones to get them prepared for the game.
“Immediately after every game, in the dressing room, what I do is that, I talk to the guys for them to know the essence of their profession, the game, and what they should be expecting,” he added.
“Prior to the game, I will be talking to them individually through their cell phones. They will be fine as time goes on.”
When questioned about the most prominent errors he committed in the game, he said it was premature to talk about that, in the sense that, it could cause the team to lose focus.
“It is better to stay cold, that is why I am talking about psychological issue regarding how to get them back on track because the blame games will make them lose focus”
The Ghanaian champions were eliminated from the competition attributable to the away-goals-rule after playing a 1-1 draw with JSM Bejaia.
Baba Ademu Amando, perhaps the Ghana’s version of Joe Barton is in the news again. This time round announcing his retirement from football not only that, also accusing top echelon members of Ghanaian football for masterminding his downfall.
Amando, after an unsuccessful stint with Asante Kotoko in 2009, under the tutelage of Bashiru Hayford, switched carpet to Berekum Chelsea but never had the opportunity to kick a ball owing to injury.
Surprisingly, he divulges in an interview that he was retiring purposely because he wants to have his peace of mind and also relive members of the football governing body (GFA) from the stress of plotting against him.
“I don’t think my time is up to quite football but I am quitting because I want my peace of mind and also save the GFA members from the stress they go through in plotting against me”- Amando told Sunyani based Moonlite FM.
“Ever since I decided to play for my country, they have disliked me so much that some even went on radio to vow not to allow me play for the national team”
According to him, he had a cordial relationship with Mr. Kyereme the bank roller of Berekum Chelsea upon his arrival at the club, only for Oduro Sarfo whom he believes plays to the FA whistle, to collapse the relationship.
“When I went to Berekum Chelsea things were going well and all of a sudden Oduro Sarfo came with the GFA agenda-destroyed everything we had”
“Simply because he didn’t understand why I should have direct contact with Mr. Kyeremeh and not them- he has also decided not to allow me to play the team”
But when contacted on the allegations leveled against him, the Accra Representative for the Berekum based club, Mr. Oduro Sarfo said that he had nothing against him, in that, he met him in the club so couldn’t be a part to his problems.
“Am sad because of what he’s saying- I came to meet him in the club so I can’t contribute to his downfall but will rather help him together with Chelsea to make it attractive. After all what do I gain from destroying him?”-Oduro Sarfo asked.
Amando added that he had regretted been a Ghanaian and blamed himself for not naturalizing for Togo when they approached him.
“I have regretted been born a Ghanaian and blame myself for not playing for Togo when they approach me some years back” -Amando added.
He ended by revealing that a press conference would take place in two weeks to officially announce his decision.
Former Asante Kotoko skipper, Issah Ahmed, is demanding answers from Mas-Ud Didi Dramani as to why experienced Michael Helegbe was sidelined in a crucial game against JSM Bejaia on Sunday.
The stalwart defender who was part of the Black Stars squad that made it to the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt is outraged about Helegbe’s relegation to the bench in their second-leg encounter in Kumasi.
“Why should Helegbe be left on the bench when they needed him the most? Mas-ud Didi has to explain some positive answers to the fans of #Kotoko,” Ahmed wrote on his twitter handle.
He added that it takes players with what he termed ‘big heart’ to stand out in the Asante Kotoko jersey.
“To play for Kotoko you need a big heart to impress the supporters of #Kotoko,” he added.
His tweets followed immediately after his former club was eliminated from the Caf Champions League by Algeria’s JSM Bejaia owing to the away goal’s rule.
Picture By Albert Sore: Aso-Eliya Amaliba, Former Concoction Man
Picture By Albert Sore: Aso-Eliya Amaliba, Former Concoction Man
The practice of killing children believed to possess spirits in the Kasena-Nankana East and West areas of the Upper East Region has almost been abolished with the concoction men who often administer poisons to the children abandoning their practices.
Afrikids Ghana, a child-rights centered non-governmental organization has been doing some educational work in the areas for the past five years towards eliminating the spirit child phenomenon and says after extensive education, the concoction men have resolved to abandon their practices.
Poor antenatal care by pregnant women, resulting in the birth of children with serious disabilities was identified by Afrikids Ghana as a key contributory factor to the spirit child phenomenon in the Kasena-Nankana areas especially in Sirigu. Children born with various forms of disability were often tagged as spirits and ordered to be killed by medicine men. Therefore Afrikids Ghana took steps and educated these medicine men. David Pwalua, Programs Director of Afrikids Ghana said: “the concoction men are those we (Afrikids Ghana) consider the executioners because it is the concoction man who administers the poisonous substance for the child to drink and then pass on.” He added that they identified and brought these men together and began to sensitize them to understand that children born with disability are not spirits. This has led to the well-known concoction men in the area, abolishing their practices.
Atanga Akuzia, a former medicine man from Kandiga-Bembisi now sells locally-made tobacco in the Sirigu market to earn a living. He stopped practicing 5 years ago. Speaking in Nankam, his local dialect, he told me: “I stopped practicing when Afrikids came. I inherited the job of a concoction man from my late father who used to practice but I didn’t practice much until they (Afrikids) came”. He added that: “They thought me to understand that there are no spirit children and that those children are humans just like me. I thought about it and realized there was sense in what they told me so I stopped my practice. Since then, I have been referring parents who bring their children to me, to send them to Afrikids”. Atanga Akuzia said he has been at peace with himself since he stopped practicing. He confessed that: “I never really enjoyed what I was doing. I was only following tradition since I inherited the practice which was handed from our four fathers, down to my late father and then to me. Therefore I feel relieved, now that I have stopped”.
Aso-Eliyah Amaliba is another well-known concoction man in Sirigu who doesn’t believe in spirit children any longer and has abandoned his practice. When I asked him why he decided to stop his practice, he said: “the Afrikids people told me that I should stop it because the children are humans. I stopped practicing with the hope that the spirit children will harm their parents and I will be vindicated. However, nothing of that sort has happened since I stopped practicing”. “As a matter common sense, I saw this as prove that the children are really human beings and not spirits.” He added.
Afrikids Ghana has been able to identify all 30 recognized concoction men in the area and convinced them to stop practicing. An association of former concoction men was formed in 2006, starting with 10 members. Now all the 30 recognized concoction men are members of the association.
The group plays the role of helping Afrikids stop the spirit child phenomenon by turning away parents who bring their children to seek their services and directing such parents to go to Afrikids for scientific solutions to whatever problems their children may be facing.
The group’s secretary is Kongzeriba Ayambire. He is 32 years old and has never practiced with his inherited god of spirit children, known locally as dongo even though he said, he knows how it works. He told me that: “we (concoction men) have to come understand that we should not be repeating what our four fathers were doing out of ignorance”.
Women in the area, whose children were born with disabilities, have responded positively to the education of the former concoction men. They no longer go seeking the services of concoction men because there are none that will be willing to offer them any services (at least not within the Kasena-Nankana areas). Instead, the women bring their disabled children to Afrikids Ghana for scientific help.
Apaselise Nsobilla gave birth to her daughter, Angela, two years ago without complete limbs. She told me that the thought of taking Angela to a concoction man never crossed her mind because she loved her daughter dearly. She said: “I love my daughter very much because I carried her pregnancy for nine months. For the last two years I have been holding her very close to myself. I am not happy about her condition but she is a human being nonetheless”. “I cannot complain that I don’t deserve this because no one deserves this either. Only God knows why this has happened so I am keeping my child”. She added.
Apaselise is not the only loving mother in the area who has refused to link her child’s disability to a spirit and to surrender her to a medicine man to be killed by poisoning. There are several mothers like her and Afrikids Ghana is helping them give their children a fighting chance, by organizing physiotherapy sessions for the children once in a while.
Chiefs and elders of the Kasena-Nankana areas have come together to plan a grand durbar this year to publicly announce their resolve to stop the practice of killing alleged spirit children. Naba Henry Amenga-Etigo II, the chief of Kandiga, one of the popular villages known for their belief in this practice said: “we want to declare that spirit child is a thing of the past”. Formerly people did not know because they grew up to meet it but with the work that Afrikids has done here, things have changed”.
The striking University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has requested for government to pay its members from the Contingency Fund.
The Association has been on strike all week to protest unpaid arrears of 2012 salary.
Government had earlier stated it can only pay the arrears in instalments.
It said UTAG cannot be given preferential treatment.
But speaking on Citi FM’s news analysis program, The Big Issue, Secretary of UTAG, Ato Yankson stated that the issue of the striking teachers ought to be regarded as urgent which need to be solved with the accompanying urgency.
“Government finds money when it becomes necessary to take care of what they call contingencies and emergencies and it is possible to put us in that category. Government should therefore look for the money and pay us,” he stated.
Mr. Yankson further stated, “Our members are not happy with the current situation. It is not the joy of any lecturer to decide not to teach but then when you get pushed sometimes you react.”
“We want the public to understand that UTAG has waited far too long to get the restoration done and the arrears paid. We want our money and government must pay us,” he added.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) Alhaji Gilbert Iddi has said even though the activities of the authority appear to be limited to the Northern Savannah Ecological zone, Ghanaians should see it as a national intervention because the benefits that will come as a result of SADA’s interventions are to the national course.
Alhaji Gilbert Iddi says so far, the authority has received appreciable cooperation from stakeholders and expressed hope that SADA will achieve its results much faster than it had been anticipated.
Speaking on A1 Radio on Friday, Alhaji Iddi said the Tree Planting Project is one of SADA’s most important interventions which seek to deal with the climate change phenomenon by planting trees along water sources; earlier on he met with farmer and civil society groups in the Upper East.
On the sidelines of that meeting Ahaji Iddi told reporters SADA is considering revamping the Zuarungu Meat Factory in its long term plan but will first seek the service of a consultant to do feasibility study and present a white paper on it.
The Upper East Regional Veterinary Unit of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has denied media report about a suspected case of anthrax outbreak in the Bawku West District.
Joy FM today reported there was a suspected anthrax outbreak in the Bawku West District though a livestock farmer in the Guzongo community near Sapeliga who spoke to the station did not state the animals were dying of anthrax.
Adam Yahaya tells A1 News over twenty cattle have died strangely in the community but he did not link it to anthrax. According to him, the death of the cattle was reported to the Sapeliga Technical Officer of the veterinary unit and the animals were vaccinated but they continue to die.
But in a quick response, the Regional Veterinary Officer, Dr. Moses Kwasi Gbordzi says his district officer in the Bawku west district has informed him that three cattle died and not twenty.
Dr. Gbordzi explained that the death of the animals was not caused by anthrax. Hefurther stated that vaccination of livestock against anthrax was however underway in the area.
The much-anticipated playoff between Bolga Ghatel Ladies and Volta Amalgamated Ladies to determine who survives in the National Women’s League has been deferred upon request by the Bolgatanga-based club.
