The immediate past Upper Eats Regional Director for the Department for Food and Agriculture, Francis Ennor, has been reported dead.
His death was confirmed to A1 Radio by a close family relative. Details surronding his death are unclear.
Mr. Ennor retired after serving for four years in the Upper East Region. News of his retirement broke in November 2022.
When he spoke to a reporter from A1 Radio then, he said serving in the Upper East Region was a tremendous opportunity for him.
“I must admit that I have enjoyed working in the region. I always say the real agric is up north because the daily challenges you encounter will help shape your life and knowledge. I am happy. I have learned something new working here. The people are lovely and always ready to assist you in any way. I should add that my working life, I have spent here, I mean up north, I have worked in the Upper West Region before, and from there, I went to Northern Region, then to Upper East Region. I am grateful to you all for keeping me healthy.”
“I think the Finance Minister doesn’t get it. I don’t know what fixation he’s locked up into that he doesn’t want to open up to listen to the real issues. I am not talking about the individual bond holders as a whole, but the pensioners. These are lifeline bond holders who live daily. We do not live yearly. Some of them have even got doctor’s advice telling them the period they have got to live. Some conditions are terminal. 2 or 3 years, and you will be off. These are the people who have their money locked in there.”
Professor David Millar, the founder of the Millar Open University, said this when he spoke to Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show today, Wednesday, February 1, 2023. Professor Millar’s comments were in respect to the concessions the government had made with regard to the Domestic Debt Restructuring Programme.
Government extended the deadline for the domestic debt exchange programme to February 7, 2023, and the settlement is scheduled for February 14, 2023.
In a statement on Tuesday, the finance ministry announced amended offers for individual bondholders who have requested to be exempted.
“…all individual bondholders are free not to participate. However, upon a successful DDEP, there will be very few of the ‘old bonds’ in circulation, and likely limiting its tradeability, the finance ministry said.
The amended debt exchange offers individual bondholders aged 59 and below instruments with a maturity of 5 years instead of the 15 years proposed earlier, and a 10% coupon rate.
Retirees, including those retiring in 2023, will also be offered instruments with a maximum maturity of 5 years, instead of 15 years, and a 15% coupon rate, according to the statement.
But the concessions, according to Professor Millar, do nothing to deal with the concerns at hand.
“You have a government that is supporting LEAP. LEAP is for people who are unable to make a living. You have retirees who are retirees and are in pension schemes, you [the government] have exempted them, but the same category of people who have their monies locked up in bonds, you say no, I wouldn’t agree to that. A bunch of inconsistencies,” he said.
A maturity date of 5 years for persons retiring this year and those already on retirement with a 15 percent coupon rate is unacceptable, according to Professor Millar.
“How many people have 5 years? I am talking about the lifeline situation. He [the Finance Minister] is 64 years old. The President is 74 years old. They know what we are talking about. They are not strangers to it. They are in that age bracket. For some of us, it really doesn’t matter,” he said.
According to Professor Millar, if the government insists that the bond holders sign onto the arrangement in its current form, it may be better for the government to keep all the money and not even bother with scheduled payments.
“My group, we have been discussing on our platform, they should just take it [the value of the bonds]. They should let us just live our lives,” he said.
To enhance the provision of high-quality healthcare in rural areas, the Member of Parliament for Navrongo Central in the Upper East Region, Sampson Tangombu Chiragiaa donated four brand-new motorcycles to medical personnel.
He said that the motorbikes will make it simple for medical professionals in outlying regions to transport urgent patients to their referral clinics in the municipality whenever necessary.
Mr. Tangombu Chiragiaa said, “… I know of the ambulance as we hear of, but you will agree with me that in remote communities, these ambulances can not access the roads and with these motorbikes in place, the health workers can use them to their advantage.”
The beneficiary health facilities are Naaga, Kologu, Yuah, and Natugnia in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality.
The legislator, however, pledged that he will do more to improve quality and ease access to healthcare delivery in the constituency, so the constituents should have faith in him for more goodies.
Excited about the kind gesture of the MP, the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Health Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Azure Benson, indicated that the gesture came at the right time and will go a long way to assist the beneficiary facilities.
He therefore encouraged the beneficiary facilities to make sure they use the motorbikes for the objective.
Pupils of Kpandem Basic School in the Kpandem community, a suburb of Wiaga in the Builsa North Municipality of the Upper East Region, have sat under trees for years to study.
According to some teachers who spoke off record, many pupils have dropped out of school due to the inconvenience the situation poses.
When information reached the Member of Parliament for the area, Lawyer James Agalga, he led the construction of a 3-unit classroom block. The building has been commissioned and is expected to be put to use.
According to him, the initiative aimed to eliminate the plight of the pupils.
He told our reporter, Moses Apiah, that he was compelled to act after seeing pictures of the students learning under trees.
“I was terrified to see daycare pupils sitting under trees to learn. Then, I told myself that something fast must be done. But you know we are in opposition and mobilising resources has been a challenge, but I told the community members that we can do something. So, communal labour I quickly thought of, and brought in the community members. I provided them with the building materials, and work started. And based on this strategy of communal labour two days ago, we completed the build and handed it over for use by the pupils.”
Due to community participation in the building of projects, many projects have been completed and put to use in the area, according to the MP.
“…based on this strategy, in every community you visit, you will see either a school, a health centre, or a water source completed or in the process of completing. For instance, I just commissioned four health centres and nurses’ quarters in four communities. Deborinsa CHIPS made of OPD and nurses’ quarters, and Sinyangsa Nurses’ quarters made up of four flats, Yemonsa Chips, Achanyiri/ Jaata chips, and Wobilinsa chips. All these give credit to my strategy. “
Mr. Agalga said he would continue to drive community participation in the construction of such social infrastructure.
The people in the Kayoro community in the Kassena-Nankana West District in the Upper East Region are sleeping in total darkness for the past week due to bushfires that destroyed electrical poles. Two high-tension poles in the forest reserve between Katio and Kayoro communities were ravaged, which, as a result, caused a total blackout in the entire Kayoro community for over a week now.
Paramount Chief of the Kayoro traditional area, Pe Oscar Tiyiamo Batabi II attributed the cause of the bushfires to the activities of hunters, farmers, and charcoal burners.
“The problem comes from the farmers and they bring their children to the farms. When they are going back home from the farms, they start burning the bush. I learned they are always searching for rats. And again, the charcoal burners don’t quench the fire entirely and that also causes the bushfires.”
Pe Batabi II said the interrupted power supply caused by the perennial bushfires has affected economic and social activities in the community. Call and internet connectivity in the Kayoro community was disrupted following the power cut to the community.
The paramount chief of the Kayoro traditional area said a report was put before the Volta River Authority/Northern Electricity Distribution Company (VRA/NEDCo) pending a positive outcome.
“It has been a week now, and I have been able to go to the VRA people and they even came down and have a look at it. According to them, the contractor in charge will soon come around and change the poles. I even told them that it will be better to use iron poles because of the bush fires,” he stated.
The chief said he has put in by-laws, and culprits who are caught will be made to face the full rigorous of the law. While pledging to continue sensitizing the community members, especially farmers on the need to construct fire belts to protect the forest reserve, Pe Batabi II called on the Forestry Commission to proactively curtail the bushfires in the area.
Andrew Atariwini, the Deputy Director of Communication for the NPP in the Upper East Region, is insistent that the government’s “Gold for Oil” policy would eventually make fuel relatively cheaper in Ghana.
When Mr. Atariwini spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show today, Thursday, January 19, 2023.
“[We said] let’s look for cheaper sources of fuel. The first consignment has just come. I am thinking that you cannot just expect an immediate change in the cycle of things that we used to see. Ask yourself, how many pumps have that oil today? The strategy to distribute the oil might be a factor and might delay,” he said.
The Deputy Regional Director of Communications has doubled down on his position and is confident that prices of fuel on the local market would fall despite the projected increase in the prices of fuel for the first pricing window of February.
The Institute for Energy Security (IES) is predicting between 7% and 13% jump in the prices of petrol, diesel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), from February 1, 2023, for the next two weeks.
This means petrol will sell at about ¢15 per litre, whilst diesel will go for over ¢17 per litre.
According to the IES, the rise in domestic fuel prices is due to the sharp depreciation of the cedi during the last two weeks and the rising international fuel prices as observed on the global S&P Platts platform.
The energy think tank pointed out that the increase in fuel prices would be occasioned in spite of the government’s receipt of approximately 41,000 metric tonnes of diesel under its “Gold for Oil” programme.
A little more patience is needed, according to Mr. Atariwini.
“Why is the NDC always in a hurry and not allowing programmes and policies to get to their lagging state. The BoG is a buyer of gold and not dollars. All we need to be is patient so that these things would reflect at the pumps. Before the end of 2022, the government did all it could to make prices very affordable for the ordinary Ghanaian. We should be thankful to the government. Your patience needs to continue. You need to tarry in your patience a bit while the government rolls out this policy. Every policy you roll out has a lag period. This policy hasn’t even taken 6 months yet, and everybody is crying foul,” he said.
Meanwhile, a member of the NDC’s Upper East Regional Communication Team, Francis Adingo is worried about the negative consequences of the government’s “Gold for Oil” policy.
“That is it. Those people who do the galamsey, who do they sell it to? Is it not these same gold businesses that end up with the companies for it to be refined? The boys at Yabzugu and Sherigu, when they dig the gold, where do they send it? Do they send it to their homes? They sell it, Who do they sell it to? The end issue is is that it ends with the company. So if the company is supposed to produce 100 ounces and the government said, give me 20 ounces and maybe the company’s international partner needs 100 ounces, where would I get those extra 20 ounces from? I would have to rely on the illegal miners to get it and yet we say we are fighting galamsey. The issue of gold would be more attractive, and people would go into it to do more,” he said.
A member of the NDC’s Upper East Regional Communication Team, Francis Adingo is worried about the negative consequences of the government’s “Gold for Oil” policy.
Ghana has taken delivery of the first consignment of the gold for oil deal reached with the United Arab Emirates.
The 40,000 metric tons of oil arrived at the Tema port on Sunday, January 15, 2023, according to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
The Energy Ministry, the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation and Oil Marketing Companies are to formulate plans for its distribution and sale.
This, according to the Lands Ministry, will help reduce fuel prices in the country.
Speaking on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show today, Mr. Adingo explained that the government had failed to meet the expectations of the ordinary Ghanaian, who, despite the policy, has to pay more for fuel.
“Ghanaians received the news and were a bit sceptical but also very happy thinking that if it is able to happen, that would be good news. After all, the increment or decrement in fuel does not have party identity. It would have triggered the cost of living to go down because the prices of goods and services would go down as well,” he said.
The narrative of acquiring cheap fuel for Ghanaians, by the government and government communicators, was problematic, to begin with, according to Mr. Adingo.
“In this modern day, we do not do barter trade any more. Anything that you give to a business man or government, you expect returns. The returns must be positive. Were they saying they’d take the bars of gold and go and give them to an oil country and say, take gold and give me oil? But is there cheap gold anywhere?” he asked.
The bigger problem, according to Mr. Adingo, is the possibility that illegal mining would increase under the current arrangement.
“That is it. Those people who do the galamsey, who do they sell it to? Is it not these same gold businesses that end up with the companies for it to be refined? The boys at Yabzugu and Sherigu, when they dig the gold, where do they send it? Do they send it to their homes? They sell it, Who do they sell it to? The end issue is is that it ends with the company. So if the company is supposed to produce 100 ounces and the government said, give me 20 ounces and maybe the company’s international partner needs 100 ounces, where would I get those extra 20 ounces from? I would have to rely on the illegal miners to get it and yet we say we are fighting galamsey. The issue of gold would be more attractive, and people would go into it to do more,” he said.
The Northern Development Authority (NDA) has handed over an early childhood centre and a three-unit classroom block for the people of Zuarungu-Moshie and Dubila communities, respectively, in the Bolgatanga East District.
The projects that cost the authority were the Early Childhood Center (GHC 287,000.00) and (3-unit classroom block (GHC 450,000.00).. The two projects are aimed at improving quality education among basic school children in the area.
Speaking to the media after the handing over ceremony, the District Chief Executive for the area, David Amoah indicated that projects were situated in critical areas of the aforementioned communities and would help in improving access to education.
The DCE further appealed to the authority to do well to complete some of its projects that are dotted around the district.
“I’m appealing to the NDA to come to the district aid to complete some of their projects that are dotted around. There are quite a number of them. And I think if they can complete them, the people, opinion leaders, and the Assembly will be happy for such work.”
The Deputy Director in Charge of Planning at the District Education Directorate, Thomas Adiyura assured the Authority and the Assembly of using the projects for its rightful purpose.
He also called on teachers and community members to see the projects as theirs and take good care of them.
The two projects were funded through the government’s One Million Dollar per Constituency programme implemented under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Program (IPEP).
The Director of Infrastructure, Land, and Environment, and Natural Resources from the Headquarters of the Northern Development Authority (NDA), Dr. Emmanuel Abeere-Inga, joined the staff of the Upper East Regional branch of the Authority to hand over the IPEP projects to beneficiary communities.
Ing Dr. Abeere-Inga, who is a native of the Gambibgo community in the Bolga East District, used the opportunity to encourage the beneficiary residents to make use of the projects, saying that “half a loaf is better than none.”
He used the opportunity to thank Navro Pio, who is a board member of IPEP, for his keen supervision.
A leading member of the New Patriotic Party in the Upper East Region, Alhaji Abdallah Otito Achuliwor, is of the opinion that the performance of the MP for Navrongo Central, Sampson Tangombu Chiragiaa, is so mediocre that even members of his own party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), cannot appreciate his role in Parliament.
Mr. Chiragia was elected Member of Parliament for the Navrongo Central constituency in the 2020 general election on the ticket of the NDC. STC, as he is affectionately called, polled 26,947 of the total valid votes cast, while Madam Tangoba Abayage of the New Patriotic Party also polled 15,821, and Madam Susana Agoriba Kubirizegah of the Progressive People’s Party also managed to get 503 votes out of 44,343 total valid votes cast in the Navrongo constituency.
But Alhaji Abdallah Otito, who declared his intention to contest the NPP Navrongo central constituency parliamentary primaries, accused the Navrongo MP of being non-performing. Speaking to the media in Navrongo after he joined party members on a unity health walk, Alhaji Otito Achuliwor said Mr. Chiragia is not visible in the constituency to the extent that his own party members are not enthused about his presence in parliament. Therefore, he will not lead the NDC in the 2024 general election.
“Since the NDC took power, we are very disappointed because our MP is not visible at all.” Even among NDC supporters they do not even appreciate his presence in parliament and I will tell you without doubt that their NDC primaries he will lose to somebody else, so I am going to me a new candidate coming 2024,” he said
Alhaji Otito, who is optimistic that he is the best man to lead the NPP into the 2024 general election, called on all party members in the constituency to be united for victory come December 2024.
The Bolgatanga East District Assembly, as part of efforts to improve maternal care and other health-related issues, has commissioned a Health Centre for the people of Zuarungu-Moshie.
The facility comes with a mechanised borehole and overhead tank and cost the Assembly a total of Ghc 418,024.00. It was funded through the district common fund.
Speaking to the media, the Bolgatanga East District Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Lawala Alhassan, noted that the facility came at the right time as residents of the area had for years struggled to access quality healthcare.
The facility, he continued, will serve a variety of purposes for the benefit of the general welfare of the populace despite being designed with maternal care in mind.
“… we can use some of the office spaces for laboratory service, consulting room, OPD, and other activities. And water too is available. I must say we are grateful for the initiative. You know, this community shares a border with two districts; the Bongo and the Nabdam districts. It will also be a great help to residents there.”
The District Chief Executive for the Bolgatanga East David Amoah called on the people, especially the health workers to make good use of the facility.
“This government will continue to do its part to ensure we all have quality healthcare. As and when the government does, the assembly will ensure it gets to the rightful people. We are all aware of the challenges people of this area passed through, but thanks to the listening government of NPP, today we are here to hand over this ultramodern facility with a mechanised borehole,” he added.
He indicated that the facility cost Ghc 355,832.00. The mechanised borehole cost Ghc 62,192.00.
