- Advertisement -
Home Blog Page 392

BONABOTO, Kusuag People’s Congress collaborate for development of Upper East Region

0

The President of the Kusuag People’s Congress (KPC), Rev. Professor John Azumah, and the President of BONABOTO, Professor Samuel Atintono, have resolved to work together for the development of their respective communities in particular and the Upper East Region as a whole. 

This came to light when the leadership of the two associations held a meeting in Accra on Thursday, January 19, 2023, to discuss ways the two associations with identical objectives could collaborate to effectively promote the development of their respective communities and the Upper East Region. 

The Kusaug People’s Congress covers the six administrative districts: Bawku Municipal, Bawku West, Garu, Pusiga, Tempani, and Binduri districts. BoNaBoTo on the other side covers the Bolgatanga Municipal, Bolgatanga East, Nabdam, Bongo, and Talensi districts. 

KPC, like BoNaBoTo is a non-political and non-profit organisation formed by the people of Kusaug to serve as a common platform to spearhead the development of the Kusaug traditional area. The BoNaBoTo President expressed his appreciation for the initiative and for the meeting. 

He used the opportunity to congratulate Prof. Azumah and his team for their foresight in forming KPC as a focal point for the unity and development of their people. He further noted that without a united front and a common voice, development would be difficult to achieve. 

The BoNaBoTo President assured Prof. Azumah of Bonaboto’s readiness to collaborate with KPC to explore opportunities to deal with the many problems confronting their respective communities and the region such as poverty, lack of critical health infrastructure, declining educational standards, general under-development, no airport, peace, and security. 

He observed that as a new association, the new KPC leadership is bound to receive criticisms for taking some decisions and actions for the collective interest of their people but they should remain focused and pursue the common welfare of the people who have been waiting for this unique opportunity. 

The KPC President, Rev. Prof. Azumah on his part, expressed his appreciation to Prof. Atintono for the meeting and assured him of working together to deal with the many problems confronting them in the interest of development. He called for a close working relationship between the two organisations.

Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Ghana

 

Timing of reshuffle of NDC’s Parliamentary leadership worrying – John Paul Danka

0

The has NDC replaced the current Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, with the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam.

Per a letter dated January 23, 2023, signed by the General Secretary of the NDC, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, and addressed to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the MP for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, is now the Deputy Minority Leader, replacing the current Deputy Minority Leader, Dr James Klutse Avedzi.

The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, explained that the changes made in the leadership of the Minority Caucus in Parliament form part of the reorganisation of the party ahead of the 2024 elections.

“We are making the changes as part of the reorganisation of the party ahead of the 2024 general election, which started from the branches then came to the national and now in Parliament and will be concluded with the party’s presidential and parliamentary primaries,” he said.

Mr Nketiah was speaking to the Daily Graphic Tuesday (Jan 24, 2023) to flesh out changes the party has effected in the leadership of its Parliamentary caucus ahead of the commencement of the Third Session of the Eighth Parliament on February 7, 2023.

Reacting to the news on the Day Break Upper East Show today, Thursday, Janaury 26, 2023, a member of the NDC’s Upper East Regional Communications Team, Jon Paul Danka expressed some disquiet about the timing of the reshuffle. 

“Change in leadership is usual. I think in 2005 or thereabouts, we changed Moses Asaga, and then we brought in Benjamin Kuubuor. It is not new in the NDC, when it comes to the issue of reshuffling. As a communicator, I wouldn’t lie, the timing is something I don’t ascribe to. I would have preferred that at the time that we had this government pinned to the wall, to answer for what we have been fighting for, through that same Parliament [COVID-19 expenditure], we should have focused on it,” he said. 

Additionally, Mr. Danka suggested that the media’s attention had been drawn to the reshuffle rather than focusing on the many economic challenges the country is facing; a situation that doesn’t bode well for the country. 

“Look at what you are asking me now. You are asking me what is happening in my party. By now, we should have been looking at what is happening in the NDA scandal, which is affecting us directly,” he said.

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

 

Bolga-Soe 1V1D runs dry, dry season farmer begins growing crops in dam – Assemblyman

0

A small-scale irrigation dam, constructed under the then Ministry of Special Development Initiative as part of the government’s One Village One Dam (1V1D) policy in the Bolgatanga Soe Central area in the Upper East Region, is no longer functional, according to the Assemblyman for the area, Lambert Akunzebe. 

It will be recalled that as part of the government’s effort to increase food production in the northern half of the country, 570 small earth dams were to be constructed. The dams would have sustained farming even through the dry season. 

The promise notwithstanding, the Assemblyman for the Bolga-Soe Electoral Area, Lambert Akunzebe, described the project as a failed government policy, making direct reference to the dam constructed in his area. 

Mr. Akunzebe explained that the dam had almost run out of water, and as a result, one farmer had taken to farming directly in the dam during the dry season in order to be closer to the rapidly diminishing patch of water.

He spoke to Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show today, Thursday, January 26, 2023. 

“When they first constructed the dam, in about 2 or 3 months, we lost 4 young gentlemen to the dam; aged between 5 and 6. When I was coming to the studio today, I passed by the dam. Within the premises of the dam, someone has gone to fence a garden, and is doing some domestic farming, Yes, in the dam. You know, once the water is drying up, it goes to the deepest part, so he [the farmer] thinks it is also good to move closer to the water. When you get closer to the water, you can easily fetch the water. The way the water is, you cannot even pump with the pumping machine,” he said. 

According to Mr. Akunzebe, he’s yet to be informed by the farmer, his reasons for citing his garden in the dam. 

He continued to say that the community members are meeting on the matter and would and would make a final decision on the fate of the dam soon. 

Left to the Assemblyman alone, the land should be reclaimed by the original land owners and repurposed because the dam has failed to serve its purpose. 

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

 

 

 

Ongoing DDE: Finance Minister, Prez want their age mates go home and die – Prof. Millar

0

The founder of the Millar Open University and individual bond holder, Professor David Millar, is worried that the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, and his Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, are not grasping the actual consequence of their insistence on individual bond holders in the ongoing Domestic Debt Exchange (DDE). 

As part of the government’s effort to secure board level agreement for an IMF programme, it launched the Domestic Debt Exchange programme in December last year. The programme was to help the government restructure its debt and prove debt sustainability. The government included individual bond holders in its attempts to satisfy the pre-conditions for an IMF deal. 

The decision was met with stiff opposition by the individual bond holders. 

When Professor Millar spoke at a round table discussion on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East Show, he expressed worry about losing the value of his investments. 

“I am a bond holder; quite a substantial amount. We were made to understand that it was the most secure way of keeping your money. The government bonds served as a very secure place to put your money. [I want to start] with the borrowing spree we went on. For me, borrowing is not the problem. The problem is what you use the borrowed funds to do. You can borrow excessively and invest in such a way that you pay plus profits. This is what we missed. That is where the government failed.”

The founder of the Millar Open University added that people around the age of the President and the Finance Minister could have their lives shortened due to the impact of the DDE on individual bond holders. 

“Finance Minister is about 64. The President is about 74. They are not sympathetic to their age group. That age category is on life support machines. Literally, what they are doing, and they know is, we are going to unplug the life support machines and let them all go to hell.”

“I know the Finance Minister is on life support medication, and so is the President. Ask them: if you are not able to get that, what happens? They are now passing that one on to people. Here is a country that has LEAP, to support people who are disadvantaged socially. The same country turns around and says, these disadvantaged groups, the money you have earned over a lifetime, we are going to take it away from you and you can go to hell and beyond. That is the human part that is missing in all this discourse. The government doesn’t appreciate that,” he said. 

As an individual bond holder, Professor Millar insisted that he had no interest in signing onto the current arrangement. 

“Some of us have said, we won’t sign anything. In any case, if I sign onto it, in 15 years, I would be 80 getting to 90. For God sake, I won’t be sitting here. I would either be dead by then or have no use for that money. It would have depreciated seriously to mean nothing. You give an oldman, a 90 year old man Ghc100,000, what is he going to do with it?,” he asked. 

Professor Millar insisted that if the government had engaged the bond holders before the announcement of the programme, the result would have been different. 

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

 

Teenage pregnancies, galamsey affecting girl-child education in Bolga East

0

Teenage pregnancy, galamsey, and its related activities continue to hamper quality education among basic school pupils in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region. 

According to the District Chief Executive for the area, David Amoah, children below the age of 16 continue to drop out of schools.

The situation, he said, needs urgent attention as numerous efforts have been made and continue to be made by the assembly, but the canker continues to persist each day. 

The DCE made this known to A1 Radio when the Assembly on 24th January 2023 donated 400 dual desks to some basic schools. 

He said, “It pains my heart anytime I’m speaking about these cankers hampering quality education in the district. These two difficult evils; the galamsey, and teenage pregnancy are causing a lot of havoc among pupils, especially girl-child. So, I’m appealing to parents, and relevant authorities to come to our aid. It is sad to see our children turning into teenage mothers and dropping out of school. This is a call that I’m making to all and sundry, especially the NGOs to let us all fine tune these challenges.”

Buttressing the DCE’s point, the District Director of Education, George Asira also revealed that for the past two years, the rate of school absenteeism at the basic schools has increased, especially among the boy-child. 

He added also that the directorate has also exhausted all the mechanisms to curtail the canker.

Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Ghana

 

Inusah Fuseni  justifies NDC’s decision to reshuffle its parliamentary leadership

0

Former minister for roads and highways under John Mahama’s administration, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini, has justified the  decision of the National Democratic Congress  (NDC) to reshuffle its leadership in parliament; saying the move is to prepare the party for the 2024 elections.

The biggest opposition party in the country,  on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 announced a change in the party’s parliamentary leadership.

In a letter signed by the General Secretary of the party, Fiifi Qwetey, “ the new leadership would be charged to recommending consequential changes in the ranking membership to the Headquarters of the party for approval.”

According to the party, former deputy minister for finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, takes over from Haruna Iddrisu as the minority leader, Kofi Armah Buah, member of parliament for Ellembelle takes over from James Klutse Avedzi as deputy minority leader, Kwame Agboza succeeds member of parliament for Asawase, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak as the minority chief whip, while Ahmed Ibrahim and  Comfort Doyoe- Ghansah retain their positions as first and second deputy minority chief whips respectively.

The move has since been met with a myriad of mixed  reactions from the party as well as the general public.

But according to Mr. Inusah Fuseni,  who is a  former  member of parliament for Tamale Central, the economy will feature prominently  in the run-up to the 2024 elections, hence the need to appoint  people  well endowed with the requisite knowledge in  the area to lead the party in  parliament.

The new group of leaders appointed to steer the affairs of the party in parliament has what it takes   to engineer victory for the party in the upcoming elections, since the election would be won in parliament.

“The ultimate aim of the reorganisation efforts is to prepare the party for the impending elections and make sure that we put our best bet forward  to win election 2024. It is in our collective interest that we galvanise and mobilise our energies for the battle ahead. Parliament will be a key battleground for the hearts and minds of the people of Ghana. NPP will be introducing policies, NPP will be dissipating our resources, the economy will be central to the debate on whether or not the NPP government can be trusted  to rule this country,” he told  Mark Smith on A1 Radio’s  Daybreak Upper East show on Wednesday.

He continued,  “and so who is a better  person suited for that charge, for that responsibility than Cassiel Ato Forson who was deputy minister for finance and helped in the management of the economy and who is a ranking member of finance, or Armah Kofi Buah or Agboza Govvins ? And so it is just the reorganisation, strategizing and repositioning of the party for the battle ahead”.

The ousting of Haruna Iddrisu as minority leader in particular was met with stiff opposition from the constituents of Tamale South as well as the incumbent member of parliament for Tamale Central Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, who asserted that there was no due consultation prior to the appointment of the new leadership.

When quizzed whether there was a consultation before the appointment, Mr. Inusah Fuseni said all the structures of the party were duly consulted, and thus urged persons who are displeased with the move to accept the newly appointed leaders since the decision cannot be reversed.

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

 

Two Schools in Bolgatanga receive desks from MCE’s Special Initiative Project

0

A special initiative by the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive, Rex Asanga, has started yielding results, as two schools in the municipality both received furniture from the project. 

It could be recalled that early last year, the MCE instituted a committee of prominent people dubbed the MCE Special Initiative Committee, chaired by Professor David Millar, President of the Millar Institute of Transdisciplinary and Development Studies.

Mr. Asanga said the committee was tasked to identify the critical needs of the municipality, formulate and package the same for the donor projects. The first initiative of the project saw the committee together with the Bolgatanga MCE handed over about 27 pieces of dual desks to the Sumbrungu Primary and Junior High school and St Charles Special School all in Bolgatanga. 

At a short ceremony to hand over the furniture, Chairman of the committee, Professor David Millar said the gesture formed part of the committee’s efforts to help address furniture deficit in the municipality.

“The first thing he tasked us to do was to find some support for alleviating the problem of children lying on the floor or sitting on the floor and writing or reading, so this is the first effort of what we called collectively as Municipal Chief Executive special initiative. This one is not from an assemblyman. We have to make it very clear because your colleagues in other schools when they hear this they will say assembly took their money and only came and supported you. This is from his pocket, from my pocket and from the pocket of two or three other people so today I am really happy we are able to do this,” he said.

Prof. Millar also disclosed that  the 27 pieces of dual desks which were funded by individuals cost around Ghc4,000.00. The Bolgatanga MCE used the opportunity to appeal to the public to support the initiative. Mr. Asanga described it as unfortunate for students in the 21st century to be lying on the floor to study.

“I want to use this opportunity once again to appeal to the public to support us through this committee. It is so disheartening that I went to school in 1964 and I sat down trees and sat on tables and chairs even at that time and today I am the MCE and my children are sitting on the floor to write very dishearteningly. So we are appealing to all those who have children and education at heart in this municipality. We are saying that just give us one of these dual desks,” he said.

Human Resource Manager, Francis Atinga on behalf of the Municipal Director of Education expressed gratitude to the MCE and his team for the gesture.

Source:A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHZ|David Azure| Bolgatanga|

 

 

 

 

Bawku West DCE promises to make agriculture lucrative

0

 Tahiru Issahaku Ahmed, the District Chief Executive for the Bawku West, is prepared to make agriculture viable in the district. According to Mr. Ahmed, the district has a large population of young people who grow a variety of vegetables. As a result, he is willing to give the local farmers the assistance they need to expand their agricultural operations.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with A1 Radio’s Mark Smith, Mr. Ahmed said considering the agricultural potentials in the area, with a little push from authorities it will go a long way to boost the local economy in the district. 

“I want to see that every single person who is not lazy, who wants to produce something can have the facility to go there and produce any vegetables, so that he can send something to the market and take back home money. But not to pick money from the house and send it to the market and ‘kill’  it there and come back home. That is not what we need to do. We need to produce and get the benefits of our produce, that is what I just want to establish and I believe that will straighten our economy or our local economy better than just sitting down and  thinking that things will be done by somebody else,” he said.

Touching on the issue of over 1,700 Burkina Faso citizens who are currently seeking refuge in his district due to attacks in that country, Mr. Ahmed called on the residents of Bawku West district to be very vigilant and report suspected behaviours to the security services.

Source:A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHZ|David Azure| Bolgatanga|

 

Allow us to win Bongo seat at least once – Stephen Yakubu begs Bongo residents

0

It seems the only alternative for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to win the Bongo constituency seat is for the party to resort to begging the residents, and that is exactly what Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, has done. 

The people of Bongo who appears to have seen nothing good about the NPP despite its touted pro-poor policies purported to have spread across the country, have been loyal and voting massively for the NDC since 1992.

But Stephen Yakubu could not fathom why the people of Bongo keep rejecting the NPP in every election year, despite the development successive governments under the party have brought to the people of Bongo.

“As a development party, we have brought this huge investment to Bongo, so please, Bongo people, in 2024, you have to reward us. Allow us to win this seat at least once so that you will see what we can do for you. Test us and see. Try us and see”, Mr. Yakubu passionately appealed.

The Upper East Regional Minister made this passionately appealing when the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, inaugurated the Bongo-Soe Community Mining Scheme in the Bongo district.

The Upper East Regional Minister said some political opponents will do all that they can to deny the NPP credit for the inauguration of the Bongo-Soe Community Mining Scheme.

“They are going to say it is a government project. Ok, yes, it is a government project, but other governments came and didn’t do it and we have done it. We could have even taken it to our one single MP that we have in Binduri. Or, we could have even decided not to do it at all, but here we are as a development party. So, Bongo people, 2024 you have to reward us”, Mr. Yakubu stated. 

The Bongo-Soe Community Mining scheme is the first of its kind in the Upper East Region and the second in Northern Ghana. According to Mr. Yakubu, the inauguration of the community mining scheme confirms that “the NPP is a party that thinks about the people and delivers”.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bongo-Soe|Ghana

 

 

Bolga-East District Assembly hands over 400 dual desks to basic schools 

0

The Bolgatanga East District Assembly has handed over 400 dual desks to selected basic schools in the area. 

It is a part of the assembly’s attempts to improve education quality by addressing the lack of furniture in elementary schools.

Speaking to A1 Radio after the brief handing over ceremony, the District Chief Executive, David Amoah explained that the aim was to end the canker of pupils lying on the floor to learn. 

He said, “The goal is to end the furniture deficit as soon as possible in the various schools. Yes, the Assembly last year did a similar donation to some nurseries and KG schools and we thought that this batch would go to the primaries and Junior High Schools. Through Get-Fund, we have been able to get 200 dual desks and the Assembly, too, was able to procure an additional 200 making it 400 dual desks. I know it is not enough, but half a loaf is better than none. But we will not rest here, the Assembly will continue to fight to improve and end this canker.”

He encouraged the school heads and teachers to make good use of the furniture.

“…you all know that this government is committed when it comes to the educational sector. So, let us have faith in the government for quality education. But, I want to call on the heads and teachers that they should handle the furniture very well. Please do not say because it is for the government then you don’t care. Let us exhibit our maintenance culture. As we teach the children.”

The district, according to the education directorate, has close to 57 basic schools. But the challenge of the furniture deficit continues to linger on in all the schools. 

Appreciating the gesture, the District Director of the Ghana Education Service, George Asira also used the opportunity to call on parents to ensure their wards commit their lives to education.

“Education is gold, so I will stand here to entreat parents to allow their wards to go to school. Encourage and let them understand that it is only education that can give them a successful future. So, they should value their books.”

Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Ghana

 

 

1...391392393...1,810Page 392 of 1,810

Editor Picks

Site map

Useful Links

- Advertisement -