The Nabdam District Director of Education, Madam Mary Magdalene Wompakeah, has encouraged students, pupils, and children of the district to attach  significant seriousness to education as that would enable them to be responsible citizens in the future.

She gave this encouragement in a speech to commemorate the 66th  Independence Day celebration at Zanlerigu in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region on Monday.

March 6, is a date set aside for all Ghanaians to celebrate the heroes and heroines who toiled to liberate Ghana from the shackles of colonial rule. In this regard, the yearly event is normally observed across the length and breadth of the country, with the district level not excluded.

Addressing the chiefs and people of Nabdam at the ceremony, Madam Wompakeah expressed great concern about the seemingly declining interest in education among the young people of the district, and encouraged them to discard galamsey and take a keen interest in  their education as that is the only avenue through which  they could  succeed in the future. 

“A worrying situation in Nabdam is the way some children of schoolgoing age engage in economic activities to the detriment of their education. Many of these children prefer to engage in the cracking of stones or work in galamsey pits for money. These children should be convinced that formal education can make them professional miners instead.

How can we ascertain a brighter future if we do not encourage the young ones to take up lifelong investment?  Education is the number one investment that can sustain our lives. It takes perseverance, however, to reap the benefits of education,” she remarked.

This year’s event brought together a total of nineteen (19) basic school pupils and students of Kongo Senior High School. It also brought together traditional rulers, the security agencies, and many more, including the Tailors and Dressmakers Association of Ghana, Hairdressers and Beauticians Association of Ghana, the Textile Weavers of Ghana, and many others.

Madam Wompakeah further entreated parents to place  a priority on their wards’ education, stating that “we therefore need to invest in our young ones to guarantee their success in the future”.

She said there is a need for parents to  at all times endeavour to provide children with their basic educational needs instead of relying solely on the government’s Free SHS policy.

“Parents, let the education of your children be your priority. No one wants to bring children to this world to suffer. Help them secure their future by providing them with their basic needs for education. Don’t overrely on free education. Fulfil your part of parenthood while government supports you,” she added.

One of the pressing problems that threatens to hamper education in the Nabdam District lately is teenage pregnancy, with several teenage girls dropping out of school as a result of the menace. 

Touching on the phenomenon, Madam Wompakeah appealed to all parents and guardians to always furnish children with their needs in order to forestall  the occurrences of teenage pregnancy and early marriages in the district.

She also advised all adolescents within the district to cherish education and abstain from premarital sex since abstinence has long lasting benefits.

This year’s anniversary was themed  “our unity, our strength, and our purpose”.

Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Elijah Beyeni Yenibey|Bolgatanga

Issifu Mahmoud, the Chief Inspector, has expressed interest in leading the National Democratic Congress to victory in the Binduri Constituency polls in 2024. It is time for a young, dynamic professional like Mr. Mahmoud to lead the constituencies and utilise existing networks to pursue rapid human and physical development in the area, the lawyer said to Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show.

Mr. Mahmoud retired from the Ghana Police Service in January 2023, to pursue his political ambition. At the time of retirement, he had attained the rank of Chief Inspector and was the lead prosecutor for the Service in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.

Hindered by the ethics of his previous profession, Mr. Mamhoud explained that it had become necessary to retire, pursue politics and bring relief to the people of Binduri.

With his more than two decades of experience with the Ghana Police Service, Mr. Mahmoud aims to address a variety of issues, one of which is how to deal with the local insecurity problem.

“Over 90 percent of the people are into farming and we rear a lot of animals. I am into rearing [of animals]. It is through animal rearing that you’re able to sell the animals and raise, for instance, an amount of Ghc10,000 in your pocket. Imagine that you wake up one morning only to realise that thieves have come to take your bulls or whatever animals away. If you are not even careful, you would die out of shock. The motorbikes are also their [the people of Binduri] means of transport or one of their biggest assets. These days, it [thievery] is very rampant. They steal motorbikes, they steal the cattle and whatever else comes to mind. There is a need to ensure that there is efficient security in the constituency to at least, if not completely eradicate this thing, bring it down to the barest minimum. So that the farmers will be able to put something in their pockets.

Additionally, the MP hopeful, is convinced that given the nod, he would be able to adequately deal with the issues around fertiliser inadequacies in his area.

“You would also realise that during the planting season, every farmer needs fertiliser and yet it has been a challenge. They hardly get fertilisers when the time is due. What I will do, when given the nod, is to ensure that I would engage the producers or businessmen who are into fertilisers to ensure that when the time comes, fertilisers would be made readily available and accessible to the farmers,” he said.

Meanwhile, activities that characterise the election of parliamentary candidates for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been put on hold in two constituencies in the Upper East Region. They are the Pusiga and Binduri constituencies.

According to the NDC, there are a few issues that need to be ironed out within the constituencies.

Jonathan Abdallah Salifu, the Upper East Regional Communications Director for the NDC, said this when he spoke to Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show.

“As we all know, the General Secretary made this point clear the last time, with regard to how it is going to be done. With regard to the number of constituencies, you know we are dealing with 275 but in the Upper East Region for instance, out of the 15 constituencies, 2 of them have been put on hold to make way for certain things to be done further before we can go ahead to conduct elections in those constituencies,” he said.

The NDC does not hold the MP seat in Binduri but holds the seat in Pusiga but according to Mr. Abdallah Salifu, “in the Pusiga area, we are looking at resolving certain internal issues there before we allow them to pick [forms].”

Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana

The Transform Africa Now (TAN) Network, is urging young people across Africa to participate in elections as well as the entire governance process. This would allow the young people to begin to hold leaders accountable. 

TAN urged African youth to take a cue from the participation of Nigerian youth in its elections and begin to change the narrative. 

In a statement by the group issued by the Executive Secretary and copied to this website, TAN “called on all young people to channel their energy and passion into positive actions that will help to build a stronger and more prosperous Nigeria and the new Africa we so desperately desire and deserve.”

“TAN further urges all African Youth to take a cue from their colleagues in Nigeria to continue to participate in the democratic process and hold our leaders accountable for their actions. Together, we can create a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come. Let us continue to work together in peace and unity for the betterment of Nigeria and Africa.”

The statement was issued in connection with the Nigerian election. It would be noted that there was massive youth participation in the Nigerian election. After the election, the leader of the Labour Party, Peter Obi place third, causing massive outcry among young people in Nigeria. 

See the full statement here: THE TRANSFORM AFRICA NOW (TAN) NETWORK CONGRATULATES THE YOUTH AND CITIZENS OF NIGERIA FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES IN THE 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS HELD ON FEBRUARY 25TH 2023. 

 Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana