INFORMATION OFFICERS TRAINED IN LOCAL CONTENT GENERATION (PAGE 22, DEC 31, 2010)

TWENTY District Information Officers and managers of Community Information Centres (CICs) in the Northern and Upper East Regions have completed a training programme in local content generation and dissemination through Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
The four-day training in Tamale, took the participants through the concept and processes involved in local content creation, adaptation and dissemination.
Local content generation describes a process where ordinary citizens have the ability to put relevant indigenous information on the Internet which will be accessible to all users.
The International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD), a non-profit foundation that specialises in the use of ICT as a tool for development, organised the training as part of measures to bridge the digital divide between the developed and underdeveloped countries.
The participants were drawn from Bimbilla, Yendi, Salaga, Damongo and Walewale in the Northern Region and Bolgatanga, Bongo, Sandema, Zebilla and Navrongo in the Upper East Region.
The workshop also enabled the information officers and the CIC managers to strengthen the ties between them and share relevant experiences towards developing an effective local-content generation and dissemination process.
The facilitators, Mr John Stephen Agbenyo and Mr Norbert Apentibadek, explained that the IICD was envisaging a world in which developing countries would have unrestricted access to information and communication.
They stressed the need for developing countries to migrate from being passive participants to active participants in the ICT world by creating local content which is relevant and accessible to the community for the purpose of development.
Mr Agbenyo stated that the IICD had signed an MOU with the Ghana government to support the Community Information Centre (CIC) initiative, adding that the IICD was currently supporting 10 CICs in 10 districts in the Northern and Upper East Regions.
“IICD’s support comes in the form of capacity building, technical training and strategic advice to the CICs, all geared towards making the CIC initiative a sustainable one,” he explained.
Mr Agbenyo said through the IICD and the CTA, the various CICs were provided some new equipment to enable them to undertake local content generation and dissemination.
The equipment, he stated, included photocopiers, scanners, digital cameras, projectors, laminators and comb binding machines.
Mr Agbenyo said people engaged in ICT-based local content generation and dissemination must be innovative in making use of both traditional means of communication and information sharing, stressing that they should take advantage of the latest advances in computer application development.

CHEREPONI HONOURS HARUNA IDDRISU (SPREAD, DEC 30, 2010)

THE Minister of Communications and Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has been installed as the development chief for Chereponi.
The position was conferred on him by the Chereponi Traditional Council in recognition of what the chiefs described as his immense support for the development of the area, in spite of the fact that he does not hail from there.
Mr Iddrisu would now be addressed by the people as the Anufor Bukasu Feme of Chereponi.
The installation ceremony took place in Chereponi on Monday to coincide with a durbar organised by the MP for Chereponi, Mr Samuel Abdulai Jabanyite, to render an account of his stewardship since his election to Parliament in November, 2009.
The MPs for Yendi and Saboba, Mr Baba Iddrisu and Mr Bukari Nikpe Joseph respectively, and the DCE for Chereponi, Alhaji Mohammed Issah Seidu Abah, were among the dignitaries who witnessed the ceremony.
In his speech, the chief of Chereponi, Feme Jaminja Malba Gomna, described Mr Iddrisu as an adopted son of Chereponi who had dedicated some of his limited time to help leaders from the area to bring development projects to the place.
He mentioned that the improvements in the health, education, energy and roads sectors in the area could not have been that smooth without the support from the Communications Minister.
Mr Iddrisu expressed gratitude to the chiefs for the honour bestowed on him, noting that it was an elevation that reinforced his desire to help bring change to people in all parts of the country.
“Indeed, I went from office to office with your MP seeking the needed assistance to improve the welfare of the people of Chereponi and it gladdens my heart that these efforts have been recognised,” he stated.
The MP, however, declined to accept all the praises accorded him in relation to his support to the area and rather credited the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, led by Prof John Evans Atta Mills, with making it possible for all the development projects to be undertaken.
He said the area would see more development in 2011, which has been described as an action year by the President, and mentioned that by June 30, 2011, the community would have been given a certificate to operate a community radio.
Mr Iddrisu noted that the election of the NDC and their MP was an endorsement of the people’s confidence in the capability of the NDC to deliver, adding that already they were reaping the fruits of their choice since the MP had brought a lot of development to the area in his 13-month tenure.

LECTURE THEATRES FOR TAMALE TEACHING HOSPITAL (BACK PAGE, LEAD, DEC 21, 2010)

MEDICAL students of the University for Development Studies (UDS) can now undertake clinical training at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) following the completion of theatres for lectures and medical conferencing at the hospital.
The three blocks of lecture and conference halls on the premises of the hospital were funded by the UDS at a cost of GH¢319,000.
After touring the facility, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. David Miller, expressed delight at the early completion of the project and the quality of work done.
“This project began on 3rd August, this year and already it has been completed and is ready for use,” he stated.
He expressed the hope that the facility would be used and maintained appropriately.
The Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) at the UDS, Dr Edward Gyader, who received the keys to the facility, said it would be of tremendous help to both the UDS and the TTH in the training of medical students and in the delivery of health services.
“Initially, all our students could not have medical conferences at the same time because the hospital’s conference room was too small to contain them,” he noted.
Dr Gyader said now the clinicians and the students could have medical conferences and other important lectures alongside the clinical activities.
He revealed that currently the UDS had 180 students undertaking clinical training, adding that 30 of them were in their senior clerkship, which is the final clinical rotation before the students sit for their part two medical examinations.
The dean again pointed out that in spite of the limited resources, the UDS and the TTH had managed to provide the requisite training for the students and expressed confidence in the quality of doctors who would be produced.
“Very soon our first batch of students who had all their training in the UDS and the TTH will be graduating and we believe they will make their mark in medical practice,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the construction of a 48-bed student hostel for the medical school has also been completed on the premises of the hospital and some of the students have moved in.
Majority of the students are, however, living in private rented houses and an additional hostel is needed to help address the accommodation challenges facing the students.

RTU BEAT HEARTS 2-1 (BACK PAGE, DEC 20, 2010)

THE Tamale Sports Stadium came alive yesterday as the pride of the north, Real Tamale United (RTU), rediscovered their form to defeat Hearts of Oak by two goals to one.
It was Hearts who opened the scoring in the 37th minute when Douglas Nkrumah outwitted the RTU defensive pair of Hanan Giwah and Hassan Mohammed, dribbled the goal keeper and slotted the ball into the net.
Hearts nearly doubled their lead in the 42nd minute in a one-on-one exchange between Wilson Andoh and Douglas Nkrumah, but the final touch was ruled offside.
RTU started the second half with much vigour and intent and their efforts were rewarded with a penalty, which was slotted in coolly by Tawfiq Alolo, after he displaced Sammy Agyei to the right and shot a low one to the left.
In less than two minutes, RTU snatched all three points as workaholic Hassan Mohammed rose to the occasion to head home a shot fired by Ibrahim Moro.
Both teams played a sweet fluid passing game and created goal-begging chances, but it was RTU’s determination that made the difference in a game that was not spared its controversies.
At a point, fourth official Yaw Amefepe called for the sacking of Coach Bashiru Hayford, but Kumasi-based FIFA referee Reginald Labrigde declined after resolving the impasse between the two.
In spite of the sweet victory, RTU is still struggling to leave the relegation zone, after amassing only 11 points at the end of the first round of this season’s Glo premier league.

BREAK SILENCE ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE ON CAMPUS (PAGE 11, DEC 18, 2010)

GENDER activists in the Northern Region have urged female students of tertiary institutions to break the silence on sexual abuse and other forms of gender-based violence they might encounter on their campuses.
At a forum at Tamale Polytechnic (T-Poly) to mark the end of 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence, various gender activists took turns to challenge the students to report abuses and ensure that their abusers were duly punished.
According to them, remaining silent over such abuses would further embolden their abusers, be they colleagues, lecturers or administrators, and this would not help the cause of women.
The forum was organised by the Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC), a gender-based advocacy organisation, in collaboration with the Women’s Commission of T-Poly and with funding from the African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF).
It was held on the theme: “Managing gender-based violence in tertiary institutions: role of the women’s commission.”
The Programme Co-ordinator of FIDA-Ghana, Mrs Saratu Mahama, argued that the effects of violence against women were so grave that women must not allow such abuses to be swept under the carpet.
She mentioned the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, the injury to one’s self- esteem, the exposure to high risk pregnancies and childbirth complications as some of the consequences of violence against women.
Mrs Mahama said there were so many forms of violence, but physical and sexual violence were the commonest, citing media reports of wife beating, murder, rape and defilement to back her case.
The Programme Co-ordinator of the Northern Sector Action on Awareness Centre (NORSAAC), Ms Hafsatu Sey Sumani mates female students to be bold to report violent abuses to the appropriate institutions for redress.
She said the female students could use their associations on campus, such as the Women’s Commission, to influence their mates to resist all forms of violence, adding that there was strength in numbers.
“Condoning violence is as criminal as committing it and you should be bold to speak out irrespective of threats surrounding it,” she further stated.
With regard to the campaign, Ms Hafsatu explained that the 16 Days of Activism against gender violence was an international campaign used by women’s groups globally to call for the elimination of violence against women.
She said the campaign involved raising awareness about violence against women, strengthening efforts to halt such violence, formulating and sharing effective strategies to safeguard women’s rights and strengthening the solidarity among women groups all over the world.
The co-ordinator mentioned that NORSAAC had been working closely with other organisations in the Northern Region to champion this campaign, as well as promote women’s participation in decision-making.
“Each year, we join the government and civil society organisations to run this campaign to make people aware of the negative impact of violence on women and children and to act against such abuses,” she further noted.
The T-Poly Women’s Commissioner, Ms Fauzia Dauda said the commission had planned to foster more dialogue among its members regarding violence against women on the campus.
“We want to use this body to create the platform for such serious matters to be discussed and to support each member who happens to suffer from such abuse to seek redress,” she stated.
Meanwhile, the campaign, which was started on the 25th of November, came to a close on December 10th.

GIVE MORE ATTENTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (PAGE 11, DEC 15, 2010)

THE Country Director of the Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (CCFC), Madam Sanatu Nantogma has entreated the government to give more attention to early childhood development.
According to her, learning begins from infancy and that the kind of training provided to children determines their intellectual, emotional and social development in later life.
She said ignoring the early education of children was the surest way to deny them of a brighter future, irrespective of how much resource was pumped into their adult education.
Madam Sanatu made these comments when she commissioned a fully-furnished Early Childhood Development (ECD) centre for Gnani, a community in the Yendi municipality of the Northern Region.
The centre, which comprises a three-unit classroom block with an office, a playground and urinal, was constructed by Tuma Kavi Development Association at a cost of GH¢42,000 provided by the CCFC.
Also attached to the centre is a 30,000-litre rainwater harvesting tank, which will provide potable water to the children and also facilitate the practice of hygiene.
Madam Sanatu noted that the provision of the ECD centre had opened a door of opportunity for many children in the area, adding that an initial 148 children had been admitted and this comprised 65 boys and 83 girls.
“The beauty of the project is that, indirectly, it will benefit some 636 children in various ways. The fully-furnished classroom and playground attached will make teaching and learning exciting for them,” she explained.
The CCFC director commended the Ghana Education Service for its partnership in ensuring the operation of the centre through the provision of teachers and other learning materials for the school.
She said the CCFC would also provide additional support for the recruitment of three volunteer teachers to augment the five teachers provided by the GES.
Madam Sanatu said her organisation had decided to construct the centre when it realised that the population of Gnani was increasing and yet the educational facilities were limited.
“The CCFC believes that there should not just be access, but this could be neatly tied to quality. Learning in an overcrowded classroom takes away a lot from the children particularly those who are easily distracted,” she stated.
The CCFC director cautioned the parents against leaving their children at home since the ECD centre had enough space for them to enrol their wards.

2,033 STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM UDS (PAGE 11, DEC 17, 2010)

OVER 2,000 students have graduated from the University for Development Studies (UDS) after they successfully completed various master’s, degree and diploma courses.
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-two students graduated with bachelor’s degrees; 19 received master’s degrees and the rest were awarded diplomas at the 11th congregation ceremony of the UDS, held at its Tamale campus at the weekend.
Twenty-eight (28) of the students who graduated with the bachelor’s degrees were awarded First Class, while 618 others had Second Class upper division. The rest were awarded Second Class (lower) degrees, Third Class and passes.
Delivering the keynote address, the Chairman of the Council of State, Professor Kofi Awoonor, said the government would remain committed to its pledge to address the infrastructural challenges facing the UDS.
He restated the pledge by President John Evans Atta Mills to provide GH¢20m to the UDS over a 10-year period under the President’s Endowment Fund.
“This fund is meant to support the provision of infrastructure and academic facilities on the university’s four campuses,” he explained.
Prof. Awoonor mentioned that beside the support coming from the presidency, the government would continue to utilise the GETFund to provide the requisite infrastructure for the UDS, and added that the GETFund had already funded the construction of some lecture halls and hostels on the Wa and Tamale campuses.
“This year, the UDS was offered GH¢122,645.69 by the GETFund to support staff development and research,” he further mentioned.
Prof. Awoonor commended the authorities of the UDS for adopting community-based and problem-solving approaches to teaching and learning, in spite of its meagre resources and facilities.
He said the products of the UDS were not only impacting communities in northern Ghana, but also all rural communities throughout the country.
The Vice-Chancellor of the UDS, Prof. Haruna Yakubu, expressed satisfaction with the quality of university’s graduates and added that those who had been awarded First Class degrees had demonstrated “unceasing commitment and excellent performance throughout their studies.”
He said over the years the university’s student population had grown from 40 to 19,904 and they were pursuing various courses in nine faculties located on its four campuses in Nyankpala, Tamale, Wa and Navrongo.
The VC acknowledged the support received from the GETFund, the government and other organisations and institutions, but entreated the government to increase its annual budgetary allocations to the UDS, since the university had some peculiar challenges.
He also mentioned that the university was yet to access its share of the President’s Endowment Fund as promised and, therefore, appealed to the Finance Ministry to release the two tranches of the money for the period 2009 and 2010, which amounted to GH¢4m.
Mr Ngmenterebo David, who delivered the valedictory speech, noted that despite the challenges, “the knowledge, skills and experience we have obtained in this institution has fully baked us into the right human resource and manpower-base needed by the nation.”

TAMA SPENDS OVER GH¢600,000 ON SANITATION (PAGE 18, DEC 14, 2010)

THE Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA) has, between 2009 and 2010, spent over GH¢600,000 on the maintenance of sanitation in the metropolis.
This amount, though colossal, has been justified by the Mayor of Tamale, Alhaji Abdulai Haruna Friday, who told journalists that the assembly had spent the money on the provision of toilet facilities, dredging of drains, purchase of cleaning tools and evacuation of refuse from heaped points.
He said sanitation was among the topmost priorities of the assembly, adding that one of the assembly’s core responsibilities was to ensure that the city was clean and that people had access to sanitation facilities.
The mayor was speaking to journalists after he toured various places in the metropolis where the TaMA’s quarterly clean-up campaign was underway.
Together with other officials of the assembly, Alhaji Friday joined the residents to sweep, empty choked gutters and evacuate rubbish from unauthorised dumpsites.
He appealed to the residents to help the assembly maintain sanitation in the city by taking part in the quarterly clean-up exercises in their respective neighbourhoods.
Giving more details on how the assembly’s expenditure on sanitation amounted to GH¢600,000, the Head of the Waste Management Department of the assembly, Mr Sampson Akwettey, mentioned that part of the money had been used to construct a 20-seater aqua privy toilet facility at the Ghana Senior High School.
He also mentioned the construction of other toilet facilities at Koblimahagu and Kalpohin and the rehabilitation of the toilet at Lamashiegu south.
Mr Akwettey again pointed out that the GH¢600,000 also included the cost of the construction of a kraal at the Tamale abattoir and the renovation of the butcher’s shop at the Aboabo Market.
He said as part of the clean up, the assembly had resolved to maintain its quarterly refuse evacuation exercise.
“We are evacuating refuse from dumpsites for disposal at the landfill site,” he explained, adding that unauthorised dumpsites were also being cleared.
Mr Akwettey mentioned some of the sites that had been earmarked for evacuation as Jakarayili Sakafat, Lamashiegu North, Gumbihini and Jisonayili.
Meanwhile, Stanbic Bank has donated GH¢1,000 to support the assembly’s clean- up exercise.
The bank’s Business Manager, Mr Yussif Abdul-Mumin, who presented the cheque to the mayor during the clean-up exercise at Aboabo, said Stanbic was committed to helping the assembly keep the city clean.
“As a bank, it is our desire to have healthy customers and this can only be achieved if the people live in a clean environment,” he stated.
The mayor commended the bank for the gesture, and said it would enhance the assembly’s clean-up activities and strengthen the relationship between the two institutions.

GOVT TO TRAIN MORE DOCTORS AT UDS (PAGE 18, DEC 14, 2010)

THE government will commit more resources to the training of doctors and other health personnel at the University for Development Studies (UDS) as a strategic measure to address the shortage of doctors and allied health professionals in the three northern regions.
This year, the government made available a total of GH¢209,000 to the UDS and the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) to cater for the cost of providing clinical training to students of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The chairman of the Council of State, Professor Kofi Awoonor, made this known when he addressed the 11th Congregation of the UDS in Tamale last weekend.
He said in addition to the funding provided to the UDS, the government would also equip a number of district hospitals to serve as satellite clinical centres for medical students from the UDS.
He pointed out that already the TTH was undergoing a major rehabilitation and when completed, it would play a pivotal role in the training of doctors in the northern sector.
Prof. Awoonor noted that the growth of the UDS Medical School had been a “tortuous and trouble-ridden one” and that at a point in time, its future was uncertain.
“Today, the medical school has its roots fully entrenched in Tamale and the first batch of doctors trained completely by the UDS will graduate by the end of this academic year,” he stated.
The chairman commended the UDS for drifting from the traditional pedagogic training of its medical students and adopting the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) methodology.
This method of training, he noted, “will make the UDS medical students better equipped to handle the health problems of the people.”
In the estimation of the Vice Chancellor, Prof Haruna Yakubu, “the UDS Medical School has emerged from its troubled past. The school is on its feet now and strong and kicking.”
According to him, this would not have been possible without the support of the government and other partners, including the governments of Cuba and The Netherlands.
He said whiles The Netherlands Government supported the UDS to implement the PBL technique, Cuba was providing lecturers to the medical school under a special arrangement with the Ghana Government.
“Every two years, we receive doctors from Cuba, who are in various specialised areas, to teach our students in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences,” the VC explained, adding that this year the Cuban doctors would stay an extra year after the initial two years.
Prof. Yakubu mentioned that the medical school was still facing some problems, notably inadequate lecture halls and accommodation for students.
He said the construction of a 48-bed student hostel for the medical school had just been completed at the premises of the TTH and that some of the students had already moved into the facility.
“However, a majority of the students are still living in private rented houses and therefore, we are appealing to the GETFund to assist the school to construct lecture rooms and an additional student’s hostel,” he stated.
The VC expressed the UDS’ appreciation to the medical schools of the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) for providing training to its medical students at the clinical level in the last 10 years.

NPP ADVISED TO RETAIN BAWUMIA (PAGE 12, DEC 13, 2010)

SOME supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions have warned the NPP of more breakaways in the party if Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is not retained as the party’s vice-presidential candidate for the 2012 elections.
According to them, Dr Bawumia controlled a significant constituent in the party which cut across the ethnic divide in the three regions of the north and, therefore, failure to retain him could bring about disenchantment among those supporters.
Addressing a press conference in Tamale, the supporters, led by a businessman and prominent member of the NPP in the north, Mr Edward Kodo Gumah, stated that there were some underhand dealings to discredit Dr Bawumia and blame him for the party’s woes in the previous elections.
He said Dr Bawumia was not the cause of the party’s failure to retain power in the 2008 elections and that, contrary to such views, Dr Bawumia was a key contributor to the party’s campaign.
“Dr Bawumi was very instrumental in securing funds for our campaign activities nationwide and this helped us reach our people in various remote areas,” the supporters stated.
They also mentioned that Dr Bawumia was partly responsible for the NPP’s victory in some of the constituencies in the north, such as Lawra, Paga and Jirapa-Lambuisi, adding that several more constituencies would be won by the NPP if he was retained.
Mr Gumah and his people argued that Dr Bawumia was the right person to partner Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2012 elections because he stood tall among the names that had been proposed for running mate.
“Having partnered Nana in the previous election, Dr Bawumia has nurtured some political maturity and savvy to enable him to canvass for more votes for the party in the next elections,” he noted.
They further observed that Dr Bawumia, as a personality, was more marketable than any of the other individuals who were being touted as better running mates for Nana.
They said the NPP was poised for victory if it retained Dr Bawumia who, together with Nana, secured over 49 per cent of the votes in the 2008 presidential run-off, even though they succumbed to Prof John Evans Atta Mills.
On the factors that accounted for the party’s loss in 2008, the NPP activists mentioned disunity as one of them, adding that the disagreements among some key members of the party resulted in some of the party’s parliamentary candidates opting to stand as independent candidates.
They said the disunity was so pervasive that some persons in the party campaigned against the party’s presidential candidate and other parliamentary candidates, thereby reducing the party’s vote margin.
They also disclosed that money that was meant for campaign was sometimes diverted by some bigwigs in the party, thereby starving the grass-roots campaigners of adequate funds for their activities.

THREE YENDI SCHOOLS GET RAINWATER TANKS (PAGE 42, DEC 8, 2010)

THREE primary schools in the Yendi municipality of the Northern Region have been provided with 30,000-litre capacity rainwater harvesting tanks.
The gesture is to enhance the capacity of the schools and communities to store rainwater for use during the dry season to avoid the dependence on unhygienic sources of water, which usually causes water-borne diseases.
The schools are located at Gnani, Zakoli and Kpalba, which are rural communities where access to potable water is greatly hindered.
The tanks were provided by the Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (CCFC) under the Tuma Kavi Development Programme, with funding from Eaglecom Foundation, a Canadian-based communications company.
Inaugurating the tank at the Gnani Municipal Assembly Primary School, the Country Director of CCFC, Madam Sanatu Nantogma estimated the cost of construction of the three tanks at 11, 945 Canadian dollars.
She stated that the CCFC focused much on the provision of rainwater tanks because people in rural communities did not have access to potable pipe-borne water.
Madam Nantogma explained that the provision of rainwater tanks to schools was aimed at promoting hygiene among schoolchildren, adding that lack of water made it difficult for children to practise regular hand washing.
She further stated that when clean water was available to children, it decreased their vulnerability to sanitation-related diseases.
Madam Nantogma said the CCFC was very much involved in enhancing the welfare of rural communities, particularly women and children.
“Our priority areas of intervention are health, education, water and sanitation. And as we do these, we also try to empower the women through micro-finance,” she added.
The Programme Officer for Tuma Kavi, Mr Joshua Salifu Mogri, commended Eaglecom Foundation and the CCFC for partnering to provide such facilities for rural communities, adding that it would help uplift the people from abject poverty.
He said Tuma Kavi would continue to work with the CCFC to better the lives of rural folks in the areas of education, health and water and sanitation.

INTRODUCE CREDIT SCHEME FOR TEACHERS...To acquire computers (PAGE 11, DEC 6, 2010)

THE government has been called upon to introduce a credit scheme to enable teachers to acquire personal computers to help promote Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) in schools.
The call was made by participants in a forum in Tamale, the Northern Region, as part of efforts aimed at achieving the goals of Ghana’s ICT for Accelerated Development (ICT4AD) programme.
According to the participants, the implementation of the ICT4AD programme could greatly be boosted in schools, if teachers were at the forefront and that it was not prudent for the government to focus on students, when the teachers themselves were not conversant with ICT.
The participants, who were made up of teachers, heads of schools and representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), argued that learning ICT should be a priority for all players in the educational sector and not the students only.
They noted that when teachers were conversant with ICT, they could employ the technology in making their lessons more effective and this would expose the children to the use of ICT.
They also observed that having the understanding and skills in the use of ICT would enable teachers to utilise it performing their administrative and academic duties, including research.
The participants further pointed out that providing computers or laptops to teachers would be less difficult because teachers were workers who receive salaries and could pay for such facilities over a reasonable period of time.
The forum, organised by the Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing (GINKS), in collaboration with its local partner, Savana Signatures, sought to educate workers in the education sector on the Ghana ICT4AD policy and its objectives in relation to education.
It also created the platform for the participants to brainstorm and share ideas on how ICTs could be effectively deployed and used in educational establishments.
The ICT4AD policy is built with a vision to transform Ghana into an information-rich and a knowledge-based society through the development, deployment and effective utilisation of ICTs in all spheres of national endeavour.
With respect to the education sector, the policy’s objective was to use ICT to facilitate teaching and learning and also promote e-learning.
Making a presentation on the policy, Mr Kubuga Ken, of BoldSteps Foundation at the Tamale Polytechnic said the country’s polytechnics had failed to respond to the objectives of the policy.
“They have not aggressively pursued the course of training people with middle-level skills in ICT,” he stated, adding that these institutions should take the lead in training the country’s next generation of ICT professionals.
The Team Leader of Savana Signatures, Mr Agbenyo John Stephen, reiterated the need for the government to fashion out very effective ways of realising the goals of the ICT4AD policy, particularly with respect to education.
He noted that ICT was very critical to teaching and learning in the modern day world as it opened up avenues for greater student-teacher interaction through multimedia devices and also enhances learning through software programmes and online research.

STUDENTS IN TAMALE EDUCATED ON OIL AND GAS (PAGE 18, DEC 4, 2010)

AN educational campaign has commenced in Tamale, the Northern Regional Capital, to raise awareness among students on Ghana’s discovery of oil and exploration activities.
The campaign also seeks to enlighten the students on the oil and gas bills that are before parliament and seek their views on how to make these bills effective.
It is spearheaded by the Accountability and Good Governance Network (AGNet) in collaboration with the Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA) and Dalun Simli Centre, and sponsored by the Ghana Research and Advocacy Programme (G-RAP).
The schools earmarked for the campaign include the Tamale Polytechnic, Tamale Training College, Nurses Training College and Business Senior High School.
The Tamale Girls Senior High School had its turn at the weekend, during which presentations were made on the Local Content and Local Participation Bill and the Oil and Gas Revenue Management Bill.
The Secretary of AGNet, Mr Mohammed Mumuni, said the two bills were aimed at streamlining activities in the oil and gas sectors to ensure that the country’s interest was safeguarded at all times.
He said while the Revenue Management Bill sought to spell out how revenue accrued to the sector must be applied, that of the Local Participation Bill was designed to ensure the maximum use of Ghanaian expertise, labour, goods and services.
Mr Mumuni expressed worry over the country’s lack of capacity to operate in the midstream and downstream sectors which involve the refining and distribution and of oil and gas products.
He said this lack of capacity had arisen because Ghana was constrained in the area of finance, human resource training and technology.
He, therefore, entreated the students to study hard and take up positions in the oil and gas sector in the near future to enable the country meet its objectives as spelt out in the Local Content Bill.
The students expressed enthusiasm about the oil discovery and urged the government to guard against corruption and misuse of oil revenue.
They also called for some of the revenue to be committed to the educational sector by providing accommodation for teachers, increase boarding facilities, provide pipe-borne water to schools and provide facilities for the study of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Aside from the educational campaigns, the AGNet and its partners are organising community durbars in Tamale, Tolon/Kumbungu and Savelugu/Nanton to sensitise the people on the oil and gas bills.
They will also hold a regional forum to brief the youth on activities in the oil and gas sector and also enlighten them on how they could take advantage of the programmes of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA).

TAMALE HEALTH WORKERS DONATE TO CHILDREN (PAGE 18, DEC 4, 2010)

THE Health Workers Union at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) have presented gifts to children on admission at the hospital.
A total of 94 gift-wrapped were presented to the children, with 35 going to the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), 50 to the Children's Emergency Ward and nine to the Paediatric ward.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the presentation, an Executive Officer of the Public Affairs Unit at the TTH, Ms Esther Samira Awudu, noted that the workers wanted to make a difference in the lives of the children, since they missed the opportunity to celebrate the recent Eid festivities with their families at home.
“The workers wanted to bring joy to these children by showering them with gifts that would gladden their hearts and keep them playing,” she explained.
Ms Awudu mentioned that keeping children happy at the hospital could facilitate their recuperation and take away the gloom that is usually associated with sickness.
She expressed regret that some health workers handled patients in an unfriendly manner, but noted that it was just a handful of workers whose behaviour had tarnished the image of all health workers.
Ms Awudu noted that workers at the TTH were sensitive and responsive to the needs of patients at the hospital because they had been duly sensitised to the hospital's core values.
She also said soon children on admission at the TTH would not face any difficulties when the rehabilitation of the hospital is completed.
“When the project is completed, there would be much space for patients, including children, and there would also be enough facilities to help provide medical care,” she added.
Ms Awudu also noted that the rehabilitation of the hospital would further attract more qualified and specialised personnel, such as paediatricians to the hospital.
“Therefore, we expect a significant improvement in healthcare provision at the hospital, which would translate into creating a lively environment for patients,” she added.

ROADS IN 3 REGIONS AWARDED FOR UPGRADING (PAGE 19, DEC 4, 2010)

ONE hundred and fifty three kilometres of feeder roads in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions have been awarded on contract for upgrading to open up food production areas in those regions to market centres.
An additional 447 kilometres are expected to be upgraded in the three northern regions to facilitate the transportation of goods and services in farming communities.
The project is being undertaken by the Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP) and jointly funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Ghana at a cost of $104 million.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Co-ordinator of the NRGP, Mr Roy Ayariga, noted that the 153-kilometre feeder road projects were awarded on contract last month.
He said the roads were the first batch of roads to be rehabilitated by the NRGP, noting that a further 447 kilometres of feeder roads were to be upgraded.
“We have already recruited consultants to do the designing of the rest of the roads, after which they will also be awarded on contract,” he indicated.
To avoid the duplication of projects, Mr Ayariga said the NRGP was working with the Feeder Roads Department and the district assemblies to earmark roads for upgrading.
“We do not want a situation where we earmark a road for upgrading when that same road has already been awarded on contract by a different entity,” he stated.
The co-ordinator said aside from upgrading those roads, the NRGP was engaging consultants to design trunk roads, bridges, warehouses and small dams for irrigation.
“We have adopted a multi-faceted approach towards transforming agriculture in the three regions. While increasing production, we also facilitate trading and value-addition,” he stated.
Roads in the three northern regions have been in very poor condition for a long time and this has hindered the movement of people and goods, particularly agricultural produce.
In the Northern Region, for instance, as of the end of 2009 only 31 per cent of roads were considered good. Forty-seven per cent were considered fair and the rest rated poor.

FEMALE CANDIDATES TO GET SUPPORT TO MOUNT PLATFROMS (PAGE 11, DEC 4, 2010)

WOMEN who are contesting the December 28 district level elections in the Northern Region have been given a rare opportunity to mount campaign platforms to canvass for votes.
This is part of a project being implemented by the Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), a non-governmental organisation, with support from GV/DANIDA.
The ‘democracy platform’ project seeks to support women aspiring to participate in local governance by organising community durbars to create the platform for them to announce their candidature to the chiefs and people to seek their support.
Although the project is specifically designed to empower females to participate in local governance, male competitors are also given the opportunity to campaign on these platforms. This is to ensure that both male and females have equal opportunities to campaign and also create a harmonious relationship among the candidates.
The GDCA organised one of such forums in the Tali electoral area in the Tolon/Kumbungu district, during which three aspirants read their messages to the people.
The candidates, a female and two males, were Abiba Sulemana, Abdallah Ibrahim and Ibrahim Abdul-Rahim, respectively.
All three candidates indicated their resolve to put pressure on the assembly to address the challenges affecting the community, notably in the areas of water and sanitation, agriculture, rural enterprise and roads, if elected into office.
They also pledged to support whoever was elected to the assembly to enable the person to fight for the interest of all persons in the community. The Gender Field Officer for the GDCA, Madam Mariam Adam Kadiri, appealed to the people to stop discriminating against women who wanted to be leaders.
According to her, women were very resourceful and hardworking and that, when elected into any governance position, they were able to push hard and bring the needed development to their communities.
The administrator of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Tolon/Kumbungu district, Mr Alhassan Abukari, educated the people on the changes made to the laws backing district level elections.
He said, initially, candidates for assembly elections were not allowed to hold campaign platforms, but that was not the case under the revised law. Mr Abukari urged the people not to demand money from aspirants since that would discourage them from contesting.

SECOND NORTHERN BUSINESS FAIR ENDS (PAGE 18, DEC 3, 2010)

THE 2nd Northern Business and Investment Fair came to a close over the weekend in Tamale after four days of exhibitions, interactions and networking among the participants.
The fair, which took place at the Tamale Sports Stadium, was organised by Business and Financial Times (B&FT) newspaper, with sponsorship from StarLife Assurance Company, Zenith Bank and Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB).
It was held under the theme: “Attracting investments for the accelerated development of Northern Ghana.”
About 70 exhibitors made up of manufacturing companies, handicraft dealers, food and beverage providers, heavy machinery companies, dealers in clothing, construction companies and service providers such as banks and insurance companies took part in the fair.
Some state institutions, notably the Ghana Shippers Authority, Minerals Commission of Ghana, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority and Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) also took advantage of the fair to educate patrons about their activities.
While for some, the fair opened new doors to business partnerships and investments, for others it was an opportunity to reach prospective clients in the three northern regions.
However, some of the exhibitors who spoke to the Daily Graphic stressed the need for the organisers to intensify the awareness drive to get more people to patronise subsequent fairs.
“This event is very significant and so the organisers need to explore more effective ways of increasing participation both on the part of exhibitors and the general public,” the General Manager of Duraqua Company Limited, a construction and landscaping firm, Mr Bako Patrick stated.
The Events and Communications Manager of the B&FT, Mr Frederick Augustt, told the Daily Graphic that the event was “generally successful.”
He said even though B&FT was satisfied with the run of events, there was still more room for improvement and mentioned that more exhibitors would be brought on board in subsequent events.
To attract more people to the exhibition grounds, Mr Augustt said B&FT was considering holding a mega launching event next year, which would witness performances from top artistes.
He also said religious and traditional leaders would be brought on board to help spread information to the grassroots about the event.
The annual northern business fair, which commenced last year, creates a platform for players in the industry to showcase their services and products to potential customers and clients from the northern sector which covers the Upper West, Upper East and Northern regions.
It is, particularly, of immense benefit to companies operating in the north or those who have plans to do so as it enables them to reach their target audience and explore other opportunities.
This year's fair was an expanded and improved version over that of the first edition as district assemblies were given the opportunity to showcase the numerous investment opportunities available in their respective areas.
There were also training workshops for operators of SMEs in financial management, product designing and customer prospecting.

GHANASCO MARKS GOLDEN JUBILEE IN STYLE (PAGE 18, DEC 3, 2010)

THE Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in Tamale, one of the premier second-cycle schools in the north, came alive last Saturday when the school climaxed its 50th anniversary celebrations with a speech and prize giving day.
It was a colourful event characterised by stupendous cultural performances by the students and an equally impressive turn-out by past students, who were clad in the school’s blue anniversary cloth.
Over 30 students received awards for excelling in various subjects and some staff, corporate bodies and individuals were also honoured for various contributions towards the progress of the school.
The event generated an atmosphere of nostalgia as old students of the school, including the Vice President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, had the opportunity to meet again and share memories of their days in GHANASCO.
Mr Mahama, whose batch were pioneers of the sixth form under the old educational structure, reminisced his school days, but lamented over his inability to relive those memorable moments due to his current position as Veep.
“We spent some of our best days on this campus and it was here (the celebration grounds) that many schools came and met their waterloo in the area of sports,” he stated.
Mr Mahama remembered with fond memory the actions of some tutors, one of whom he christened as “Mona” due to his obsession with the paintings of Mona Lisa.
He also credited the school for giving him his wife, Mrs Lordina Mahama, adding that “this has been a great school and we would forever be proud of being students of this school.”
On the state of the school, the Veep said he was unhappy about the level of deterioration of some dormitories and staff bungalows in the school and gave the assurance that the government would utilise the GETFund to support GHANASCO and all other second-cycle schools in the country.
“Work would soon start on a new dormitory block for the girls and it would be undertaken by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund),” he mentioned.
GHANASCO was established in 1960 by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah as part of his government’s accelerated development plan, which sought to provide the needed human resource for the technological and industrial take-off of the country.
At inception, the school was called the Ghana College, until June 1970 when it was renamed the Ghana Secondary School.
That same year, a Mathematics teacher of the school, remembered only as Mr Lalaji, and his science students invented a rocket, which was subsequently launched by the then Education Minister, Mr William Ofori-Attah.
Since then, the school has evolved to become one of the best-performing schools in the country and particularly in the Northern Sector and its population has grown from 70 to over 2300. Its annual external examination results range between 85 and 98 per cent.
The school is, however, faced with some challenges that have threatened to rob it of its reputation as one of the leading second-cycle schools in the north.
Although built in 1960, the school has no assembly hall and thus, students stand under trees for assembly. Also, the construction of a spacious modern dining hall complex, which commenced in the 1970’s, has still not been completed due to the lack of funds.
The same can be said of some classroom blocks and staff bungalows, which were started, but have been abandoned.
The current state of some of the student’s dormitories, staff bungalows and even the head’s residence leaves much to be desired and needs attention.
It was therefore a welcoming-news when the Veep announced a proposed construction of a new spacious dormitory for the girls by the GETFund.
Another worrying situation is the citing of a cemetery on the school campus, located very close to some classroom blocks.
In fact, several portions of the school land are being encroached upon day in and day out to the extent that one cannot separate the school from the community.
The commencement of the construction of a fence wall for the school is therefore better late than never.
In the face of these challenges, the Headmistress of GHANASCO, Madam Mary Asobayire Dan-Braimah appealed to the government, alumni and corporate institutions to support the school overcome these setbacks.
Hopefully, the anniversary celebrations would set the pace for some extensive rehabilitation of GHANASCO to enable it to sustain its image and continue to contribute its share to the human resource development of the country.

ANTI-BUSH FIRE SQUADS INSTITUTED TO PROTECT FARMLANDS (PAGE 29, DEC 2, 2010)

ANTI-BUSH fire volunteer squads have been trained to police farmlands and other vegetated areas in the Saboba district of the Northern Region.
This follows the emergence of the dry season, which is usually characterised by wild fires started mostly by game hunters and farmers, who have remained stuck to outmoded farming practices.
The volunteers, numbering 75, would operate in Wayu Chakpong, Kpanjoli, Nachawuni, Nabuak and Gbadagban to ensure that no fires wet set to the bushes in those communities during the entire period of ‘harmattan’.
Uncontrolled bush fires have in past years led to the destruction of large tracts of farmlands and forested areas, thereby destroying crops and important valuable trees, such as shea nut, mango and dawadawa.
The Evangelical Presbyterian Development and Relief Agency (EPDRA) in Saboba organised the training for the volunteers in line with efforts towards safeguarding agriculture in the area.
Speaking at a ceremony to pass out the volunteers, the programme manager of EPDRA in Saboba, Mr Godson Gbate noted that EPDRA was concerned about the negative impact of bushfires on the environment and food security.
He said aside the destruction caused to forest resources and crops, bush fires reduce soil fertility, degrade the land and expose the area to desertification.
Mr Gbate mentioned that EPDRA had intensified its programme to train fire volunteer squads in various communities due to the approach of the dry season.
“We want to protect farmlands so as to preserve the soil and the crops that were being cultivated during the dry season,” he explained.
The programme manager again mentioned that the organisation had been working towards helping farmers to access markets and get fair prices for their produce.
“We collaborated with the Association of Church Development Projects (ACDEP) to initiate a supply chain project referred to as Markets Access Project,” he explained.
“Farmer groups were formed under the project and were supported to produce and sell a variety of crops, with soya being the most cultivated,” he further mentioned.
The Yendi Municipal Fire Officer, Mr Alfred Sulemana Braimah noted that environmental problems such as drought, desertification, global warming, floods and soil infertility were all the result of human activity.
He therefore pleaded with the chiefs and people of the Northern Region to avoid practices that increased the occurrence of these problems, such as illegal logging, bush burning, use of unapproved agro-chemicals and excessive cutting of trees for charcoal production.
Mr Braimah also entreated metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies to enact and implement by-laws that would outlaw bush burning and other harmful environmental practices.

YAM GLUT, BUMPER HARVEST, POOR ROADS (1B, NOV 30, 2010)

LARGE quantities of yams have been locked up in communities located in the Eastern corridor of the Northern Region because the farmers are unable to transport them to Accra, Kumasi, Hohoe and Tamale due to the poor nature of the Yendi-Bimbilla-Hohoe road.
According to the farmers, the truck drivers have refused to ply the route, which is the shortest to the south, because on countless occasions, they had been compelled to offload the goods on the way and abandon the journey when their vehicles got stuck on the way.
The road, which was already in a state of disrepair, was worsened by the recent rains that led to the flooding of most portions of the road and, consequently, cutting off some of the communities located along the highway.
Vehicular movement on this route has since then been gravely hindered as gaping potholes and rocks have covered a large part of the road.
“We would not be able to sell our yams if the government does not do something about this road,” a farmer, Alhaji Abdul-Razak told the Daily Graphic in Bimbilla.
He said failure to sell the yams would lead to heavy losses and further aggravate their poverty situation.
Over the weekend, the farmers, together with other inhabitants of communities located along the Yendi-Bimbilla portion of the highway, staged a public protest to state their displeasure over the bad shape of the road, which is an important economic route for the nation.
With some of the placards reading “No roads, no vote” and “We too deserve good roads,” the residents threatened to boycott the 2012 general elections if the current government failed to rehabilitate the road.
In their petition to the president, which was signed by the Secretary of the Nanumba North district Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) Network, Mr Seidu Shani Mohammed, the residents said the poor nature of the road impacted negatively on their livelihoods, particularly in the transport of agricultural goods to market centres in the south.
“It is through this road that our hardworking farmers get their farm products transported to Accra through Hohoe, to Kumasi through Yeji and to Tamale and Bolgatanga through Yendi,” the petition read.
The inhabitants lamented over the failure of past governments to rehabilitate this road although they had promised to do so and urged the current administration to fulfil its pledge to repair the road.
In September this year, the President, Prof John Evans Atta Mills, on his return from Japan, announced that the Japanese government had pledged support for the construction of the Eastern corridor highway to link Hohoe in the Volta Region to Kulungugu in the Upper East region.
By this announcement, the farmers said their hopes had been raised and therefore used the protest to remind the government not to dash these renewed hopes as had been done in the past.
The Deputy Co-ordinating Director for the Nanumba North district assembly, Mr Seidu Abdul-Aziz, who received the petition, however assured the people of the government’s commitment to rehabilitate the road because it had been given a high priority.
He said information available indicated that efforts were underway to commence work on the project any time soon and therefore appealed to the inhabitants to exercise more patience.

TIME FOR INTROSPECTION - VETERAN LAWYER URGES POLITICIANS (PAGE 12, NOV 29, 2010)

A FORMER presidential campaigner in the late 1970s and a veteran lawyer, Mr Ibrahim Mahama has called on the country’s politicians to sit back and go through an introspection to determine if their contribution to national discourse was making any impact on the nation’s development.
According to him, due to the urge to win political points, most politicians have tended to give much attention to minor issues that were acrimonious, whiles relegating broader issues that were of immense importance to the welfare of the nation.
He also described the adversary posture adopted by some members of the various political parties when debating national issues as needless and unproductive, adding that such postures rob them of the serenity to make prudent and sound arguments.
Mr Mahama, who is also the author of the book – “Murder of an African King: Ya-Na Yakubu II” – and other publications, made these remarks in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Tamale.
He noted, for instance, that the debate generated by politicians of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) regarding the ‘Amina saga’ was totally unnecessary and a diversion.
“If somebody tells an alarming story, there are institutional and legal procedures to crosscheck such a story and take appropriate actions depending on the veracity or otherwise of the story,” he stated.
Mr Mahama noted that there were certain issues that should not take the chunk of our time when discussing national issues and yet most of our politicians felt enthused to focus on these matters due to the acrimony they were likely to generate.
“It is time they took a second look at the type of discourse they engage in so as to realign themselves to important national issues that would advance the welfare of the majority of the people,” he recommended.
The veteran lawyer also condemned the antagonistic approach exhibited by politicians during discussions on issues of national concern.
“When many of our politicians are debating national issues, you would notice on most occasions that they are virtually at each other’s throats as if they were in a boxing ring,” he observed.
The veteran politician said all sides to a debate could make their point without heckling each other, adding that heckling and being rancorous would not compel the listening public to agree with the discussants.
“We need to have sober discussions so as to enable the listening public appreciate our points and develop their own positions on such matters,” he explained.
Mr Mahama mentioned that there were several important national issues that needed to be discussed thoroughly and a national consensus regarding the way forward reached on such matters.
He mentioned agricultural production, oil exploration and its revenue utilisation, desertification, development of science and technology and a decent pay policy for workers as some of the crucial matters that needed much attention.
Lawyer Mahama further expressed his objection to the over reliance on newspaper headlines as the determinants of national discourse.
According to him, a lot of the newspapers were replete with sensational headlines and reports that tended to deviate from the important issues due to their desire to make profits.
He said “limiting national discussions to these sensational reports would therefore deprive the very important issues of adequate attention.”

FLOOD VICTIMS ADVISED TO RELOCATE TO SAFER GROUNDS (BACK PAGE, NOV 27, 2010)

THE Vice President, Mr John Dramani Mahama has implored persons who were displaced by floods in parts of the three northern regions to take advantage of the provision of building materials to rebuild their homes on higher grounds.
According to him, the predicament that befell the people this year could repeat itself in worse forms in subsequent years if they continued to live closer to the banks of the Volta Rivers and their tributaries.
Mr Mahama made these remarks in Kikale, a community in the Central Gonja district of the Northern Region, when he led a delegation of government officials and officers from the United Nations allied bodies to set in motion the distribution of food items to victims of the recent floods in the north.
The food items, which comprised maize, beans, vegetable oil and salt, have been provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) as part of a short-term response to mitigate the suffering of the people.
The relief operation is targeting about 25,000 people in various parts of the country who are in urgent need of assistance and it is valued at US$300,000.
Each household is expected to receive a daily ration that consists of 63kg of maize, 9kg of beans, 3.7kg of vegetable oil and 0.75kg of iodised salt for a period of 30 days.
The Vice President, who flew to Kikale in a helicopter after kick-starting a similar distribution exercise in Janga in the West Mamprusi district, commended the WFP for its swift response to the flood disaster.
He cautioned the people not to repeat the same mistakes that they had made in the past, which had increased their vulnerability to floods.
“It is time you resettled on safer grounds so as to protect yourselves from any future disasters that may destabilise your lives once more,” he stated.
Mr Mahama said the provision of the relief items followed an earlier assessment conducted by the government and its donor partners on the magnitude of the destruction caused by the floods and the nature of emergency response needed.
“After meeting with our partners, we pulled our resources together and it amounted to a total of US$5m, which we would use for both emergency response and reconstruction purposes,” he explained.
The Country Director of the WFP, Mr Ismail Omer said the relief operation was meant to address the short-term needs of those affected by floods and that the WFP will double its efforts to support the government’s long-term rehabilitation programmes.
“These programmes will focus on rebuilding the livers of those who have lost all of their property, including farms and food stocks,” he mentioned.
Mr Omer also revealed that the WFP will continue to work towards its longer-term goals of mitigating the effects of climate change and perennial flooding in the country.
“This will include collaboration with the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and other partners on food-for-work activities, which provide food rations in exchange for work done with the aim of slowing soil erosion and land degradation in flood-affected areas,” he stated.

UNICEF CHAMPIONS CHILD PROTECTION IN THREE NRs (PAGE 11, NOV 27, 2010)

THE United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is facilitating the establishment of child protection networks in the three northern regions to champion the affairs of children in those areas during emergency situations.
This is to ensure that the needs of children during emergencies, such as access to healthcare, food, shelter and security, are adequately addressed so as to promote their wellbeing.
Already, the UNICEF has supported the formation of ten child protection networks in the northern region, as well as regional networks in the three regions.
To further realise this goal, the UNICEF organised a three-day training programme to equip the members of these networks with the requisite knowledge, skills and best practices that are applied to address the needs of children in emergency situations.
The workshop, which took place in Tamale, also sought to build the capacity of the participants to design mechanisms that would prevent, respond and minimize the risks that children face during and after emergencies in their respective communities.
Topics treated included: an overview of what an emergency is, the impact of emergencies on children, resource mobilization for child protection during emergencies and the approaches and issues involved in child protection.
Addressing the opening ceremony, the Chief of Child Protection Programme at UNICEF in Ghana, Ms Sheema Sen Gupta explained that protecting children during emergency situations was very relevant to the welfare of the children, since it shielded them from violence, exploitation and other forms of abuse.
She said during emergencies, such as in disaster situations or conflicts, children were more vulnerable because they lacked the capacity to take care of themselves.
Ms Gupta noted that child protection cuts across various sectors and these include social welfare, justice delivery and community development.
She therefore stressed the need for increased co-ordination among various institutions so as to enable each body play its part in the addressing children’s needs during emergencies.
Ms Gupta also mentioned that the UNICEF considered the establishment and effective functioning of child protection networks as a priority and was therefore willing to organise more training programmes for child protectors.
She entreated the various networks to design effective action plans to guide their activities so as to attain high results.
The Chief of UNICEF’s field office in Tamale, Ms Shaya Ibrahim Asindua said her office was working with the various networks in the three regions, particularly in addressing child trafficking and migration in the north.
She said UNICEF was hopeful that child protection in Ghana would be achievable because the country had shown promise in securing the welfare of its children, which is evidenced in the fact that Ghana was the first to ratify the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Ms Asindua noted that, aside child protection, the UNICEF office in Ghana was also working towards promoting gender parity in education and supporting immunization exercises and guinea worm eradication, water and sanitation provision.

DAGBON PROBLEMS CAN BE SOLVED BY DAGOMBAS - ALIU (PAGE 12, NOV 26, 2010)

THE former Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama has observed that efforts being made by the government and other bodies to resolve the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis would not yield any positive results, except the people of Dagbon were willing to put behind them their disagreements and embrace reconciliation.
According to him, no “outsider” can bring peace to Dagbon if the people themselves are not prepared to share the olive branch, adding that “nobody can solve the Dagbon crisis except Dagombas themselves.”
Alhaji Mahama made these statements when he addressed a press conference at his Kalpohin residence in Tamale, after he made what a return back home to fraternize with his people.
He said he was devastated by the level of rivalry between the two feuding sides, the Abudu and Andani gates, and asked “how can we be so annoyed with ourselves such that we do not even see the need to unite,” he stated.
“We would be lying to ourselves if we think that somebody is coming to solve our problem for us. Dagombas have to sit up because Ghana cannot wait for us,” he further stated.
Alhaji Mahama noted that there were traditional dispute resolution mechanisms in Dagbon that could be implored to solve the dispute instead of “allowing outsiders to continue to use us for their political gains.”
He however refused any comment on the current court case, except to entreat the people of Dagbon to wait for the outcome of the case, adding that “perhaps, after the ruling, we will learn our lessons.”
The former Veep said during his visit to the various Muslim prayer sites, he challenged the clerics to use the pulpit to sober the hearts of Dagombas to enable them reconcile.
He said he was shocked that there were religious leaders in Tamale and yet people who worshipped with them had so many misgivings about each other.
He also entreated Dagombas to come together and shun people who sought to divide, instead of unite, them.
“When people come to you to talk of prosperity, receive them with open hands, but if they talk of Abudu and Andani, hoot at them,” he suggested.
Alhaji Mahama debunked reports that the Kufour government was behind the bloody events that happened in Yendi in 2002, which led to the unfortunate murder of the late Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II and many others.
He said the government was “shaken” by the incident and that it did everything possible to resolve the matter, such as the formation of the Wuako Commission and the Committee of Eminent Chiefs.
Aside the Dagbon crisis, the former number two statesman spoke on a number of issues including attempts being made to accelerate the development of the Savannah.
He said due to the agrarian nature of the northern economy, much efforts needed to be made in increasing farmer’s access to loans to enable them acquire inputs to increase production.
Alhaji Mahama also stressed the need for more roads to be upgraded to facilitate the movement of both agricultural produce to market centres.
“Government needs to create an enabling environment for the private sector to set up factories in the north, so as to provide employment to our people,” he further recommended.

A NAFAC EVENING OF MUSIC, DANCE, THEATRE (SHOWBIZ, PAGE 15, NOV 25, 2010)

By Nurudeen Salifu

A very engaging atmosphere took charge of the Tamale Jubilee Park last Monday night when performers from the National Theatre resident groups thrilled fans to a heart-throbbing performance in dance, drama and music.
It was a night that Tamale had never witnessed and owed its gratitude to the organisers of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC), 2010, who put together the show as part of activities for the week-long event that got off to a smooth start last Saturday.
The National Symphony Orchestra opened the show with some insightful songs that sought to throw light on the current societal trends and the adulteration of Ghanaian culture.
The National Drama Company, with its assemblage of experienced actors, was the next to perform as it set the stage for an evening of humorous and educative drama appropriate for an occasion like NAFAC.
The actors performed a play entitled “Short arms and the Baobab,” written and directed by Dzifa Glikpoe, who is currently the Acting Artistic Director of the National Theatre.
The Baobab in the play, as explained by Madam Glikpoe, stood for motherhood and that the play talks about the responsibilities that come along with being a teenage mother.
“In fact, the message that this play seeks to convey to young people is that it is not easy being a parent and that they should take their time and take up such responsibilities when they are matured and well prepared,” she stated.
As expected, the actors gave off their best in communicating this message as a young man and woman got caught up in a teenage relationship that ended them in a quagmire of troubles.
With a baby, who finally passed away due to lack of care and the teenage father who shirked his responsibilities and escaped to the city, only to meet his death, the message was succinctly delivered for the youth to appreciate.
At about 9:30pm, the Ghana Dance Ensemble then took the stage with a highly energetic rhythmic performance, which depicted life at Bukom. It was this performance that revived the apparently tired and sleepy crowd as they watched the performers mime and dance, while the backing drummers and singers produced sounds to match the actions.
The main thrust of their performance was to educate the youth on the effects of juvenile delinquency and how single parenting could impact negatively on children’s growth.
After such an exhilarating artistic display, it was now the turn of the cultural group at the Centre for National Culture (CNC) in Tamale, called ‘Tiyumba’, which performed a drama piece titled: “When the king is dead.”
The import of the play, written and directed by Antoinette Kotoko and delivered in the Dagbani language, was to throw more light on the chieftaincy institution of the Dagombas, with particular focus on the funeral and succession activities that take place when the chief dies.
It also sought to show avenues for peace-building in times of crisis during the search for a new king. With the appropriate traditional regalia, movements, dance and speech, the actors beautifully rendered the play to bring an exciting evening to a close.
For some people, who witnessed the show, it was such a wonderful performance that needed to be sustained and given more support to thrive.
“For me, these performances were not just about music and dance, but the role that theatre arts could play in national development, such as communicating for positive social change,” the Director of the Centre for National Culture in the Upper East region, Mr Kombat Fuzzy told Graphic Showbiz.
He described the programme as fantastic and well-co-ordinated, adding that “we have been able to entertain, educate, inform and transform at the same time.”

NORTHERN GHANA FARMERS TO FEED BIG INDUSTRIES (PAGE 54, NOV 22, 2010)

FARMERS in northern Ghana are producing sorghum and soya beans in large quantities to feed big processing industries such as Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited, Ghana Nuts Company and Golden Web.
The grains are being produced through the auspices of the Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP) which is building the capacity of the farmers to grow standard exportable crop varieties that meet the standards demanded by the big industries.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Tamale, the National Co-ordinator of the NRGP, Mr Roy Ayariga, stated that one of the key components of the programme was to link all the players in the value chain, that is, from production to consumption.
He said in that regard, farmers in its beneficiary areas had been linked to major produce buyers, such as the Savannah Farmers Marketing Company and the National Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO).
Mr Ayariga explained that the buyers resold the produce to the major processing and other companies in the value chain which utilised farmers’ produce.
He said, for instance, that while sorghum was to be sold to Guinness Ghana, soya beans were in demand by companies such as Ghana Nuts, 3 K&A and Golden Web.
He said the NRGP had some form of assistance for the marketing companies which purchased the produce, such as providing them with haulage trucks to transport the produce.
“We have also identified higher production areas such as Tumu, Damongo and Garu where we are planning to construct warehouses to store the produce after harvest,” he further stated.
Mr Ayariga said to enable the farmers along the value chain to produce enough to feed the industries, the NRGP was helping them obtain loans from financial institutions to invest in commercial farming.
He said the loans would help the farmers to undertake production activities, including land preparation and planting, and the purchase of inputs, which included certified seeds, agro-chemicals and fertiliser.
He observed that aside the problems regarding hoe and cutlass farming, the bane of northern farmers was their inability to make profits from their produce.
He said the NRGP was, therefore, working to ensure that the farmers had fair prices for their produce by facilitating a negotiation process between the farmers and the buyers during harvest.
The NRGP is an agricultural initiative that seeks to contribute to poverty reduction in northern Ghana through commodity chain development, rural infrastructure development and improved access to financial services by all stakeholders in the commodity value chain.
It is co-funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the African Development Bank (ADB) and the government.

GOVT TO PROTECT LANDS FROM ENCROACHERS (PAGE 3, NOV 22, 2010)

VICE-President John Dramani Mahama has expressed the government’s displeasure at the level of encroachment on school lands which has dire consequences for discipline among students.
He said people living near various second-cycle schools in the country had gradually moved closer to settle on portions of the school lands, thereby making it difficult to separate the schools from neighbouring communities.
The Vice-President made these remarks last Saturday when he addressed the speech and prize-giving ceremony at the Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in Tamale which was held as part of activities to climax the school’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
Over 30 students received awards for excelling in various subjects, while some staff members, individuals and corporate bodies were also honoured for their various contributions towards the progress of the school.
The event, held on the theme: “Secondary Education in Northern Ghana: The role of GHANASCO at 50”, was graced by a number of important personalities, including ministers of state, educationists and heads of institutions, some of whom are past students.
The event, characterised by intermittent cultural performances by the students, generated an atmosphere of nostalgia as old students of the school, including the Vice-President, had the opportunity to meet again and share memories of their days in GHANASCO.
Mr Mahama said the government would provide the resources to construct fence walls round all second-cycle schools as a measure to prevent further encroachment.
He cited works on fence walls for GHANASCO and other senior high schools in the region as a demonstration of the government’s commitment to that goal.
He said the government had an elaborate plan to accelerate the construction of more dormitory and classroom blocks in all second-cycle schools to ease the suffering among students but called on parents and the private sector to offer some assistance in that regard.
Mr Mahama praised Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, for playing a pivotal role in bridging the gap between the north and the south in the area of education, a gap that resulted from the late start of formal education in the north.
Speaking on the theme for the occasion, the Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Prof Haruna Yakubu, said the achievements of GHANASCO served as a catalyst for the establishment of other schools in the north.
He said GHANASCO was one of the schools established under the Ghana Education Trust programme introduced by the Nkrumah administration and that till date, GHANASCO remained the second largest secondary school in the Northern Region.
Prof Yakubu noted that the Nkrumah administration supported education in the north as a strategy to bridge the human resource gap between the south and the north.
He commended the government for sustaining the payment of subsidies to northern schools but stressed the need for those grants to be released on time so that the purpose for which they were being provided would not be defeated.
The Headmistress of GHANASCO, Madam Mary Asobayire Dan-Braimah, appealed to the government, alumni of the school and corporate bodies to support the school to overcome its numerous challenges, such as the poor state of accommodation facilities for both staff and students and the lack of a spacious assembly hall.

SECOND NORTHERN BUSINESS FAIR OPENS IN TAMALE (BACK PAGE, NOV 20, 2010)

THE second edition of the Northern Business and Investment Fair has opened in Tamale with a call on investors to take advantage of the investment opportunities in the north.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Hannah Tetteh, who made the call in a speech read on her behalf, said the north abounded in various investment opportunities yet to be fully tapped.
She noted that the government was seeking strategic investors to exploit those areas as part of measures to ensure the accelerated development of the north.
She mentioned some of the areas earmarked for investments as the cotton industry, sugar production, quarry and mining, Boankra Inland Port Project, mechanised farming and the revamping of neglected industries.
Ms Tetteh also hinted of the establishment of a leather industry and a modern technology and innovation centre for the manufacture of capital goods.
The four-day fair, which is taking place at the Tamale Sports Stadium, is being organised by the Business and Financial Times (B&FT) newspaper, with sponsorship from StarLife Assurance Company, Zenith Bank and Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB).
Over 65 exhibitors are participating in the fair. They include food and beverage providers, manufacturing companies, handicraft dealers, heavy machinery companies, dealers in clothing, construction companies and service providers such as banks, insurance companies and management training consultants.
She described the fair as an important event in the socio-economic life of the people of the north as it opened up the area to new investments.
Ms Tetteh said in order to promote investments in every part of the country, the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) was expanding its operations to all parts of the country, adding that an office had been established in Tamale to cater for the three northern regions.
The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Bukari Moses Mabengba, noted that even though trade and investment activities were low in the north, the area could compete favourably if given enough support.
He identified opportunities in the hospitality, tourism, transport, agriculture, education, mining and construction areas in the three northern regions.
The General Manager of the B&FT, Mr Abdulai Salifu, lauded the level of collaboration between the B&FT and other institutions, including the Trade Ministry, GIPC, Association of Ghana Industries and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
He also commended the government for its drive to accelerate the development of the north and called for more efforts towards job creation so as to curb the rural-urban drift.

Declining fortunes of RTU...OLD PLAYERS CALL FOR SHAKE UP (GRAPHIC SPORTS, NOV 19, 2010, PAGE 11)

THE woes of the pride of the north, Real Tamale United (RTU), are likely to deepen if efforts are not made to revamp its management, the club’s Old Players Association (ROPA) has warned.
According to the association, the club has been struggling to escape relegation for the past few years and this season has seen the worst of its performances in the league.
“So far, the team has won one match, drawn two and lost seven. It has scored four goals and conceded 10. It is currently glued at the bottom of the league table,” the Chairman of ROPA, Mr Abdallah Kassim stated at a press conference in Tamale.
He expressed the association’s disappointment with the dismal performance of the club and warned of darker days ahead if calls for the restructuring of the club’s management were ignored.
“ROPA has had cause to complain about the way the club is being run in the last three years. We had, hitherto, diagnosed the club’s problems and offered solutions, but our intervention either fell on deaf ears or was treated with contempt,” Mr Kassim stated.
“The association had suggested that the club be overhauled because the board, as it is presently constituted, was not suitable for the governance of the club”, he added.
“If you have a board whose membership has been reduced to three who take decisions based on their personal interests, you cannot have a winning team.
“The club has no visible operational organisational structure and the board has no clearly spelt out roles and responsibilities. Financial prudence and accountability are zero,” the chairman lamented.
He said in addition to all these, the technical team was divided and recruitment of players was based on individual interests and not on comprehensive analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the team.
 “We think it has come to a point where decisive action has to be taken to salvage the club from slipping further into the doldrums,” Mr Kassim noted, adding that there was an urgent need for the board and management committee to be reconstituted.
He also recommended the need to reconsider the appointment offered head coach Tellat Uzum and give him a period to deliver good results or face dismissal.

MOBILE LIBRARY SERVICE STARTS IN NR (PAGE 35, NOV 17, 2010)

THE Ghana Library Board has commenced the piloting of a mobile library service, which involves taking library facilities that include books and computers to children in deprived communities to access within stipulated periods.
The concept is being championed as a temporal measure to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots in relation to children’s access to reading materials and tools for Information, Communication and Technology (ICT).
The library board is implementing the programme with support from the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), particularly, in the supply of computers and internet connectivity.
The Northern Region kick-started the programme last week in seven Junior High Schools (JHSs) in the Savelugu/Nanton district, where over 300 students had the opportunity to utilise the facilities in the mobile library van for two days.
The student’s focused much of their attention on accessing the computers, thereby putting much pressure on the five computers that were contained in the van.
They told the Daily Graphic that the absence of computers was hindering the study of ICT and therefore appealed to the government to provide them with computers and other interactive learning tools.
The Northern Regional Librarian, Mr Aaron Kuwornu said the programme was being tested to see how effective it would be in helping children in deprived communities to have an opportunity to read story books and learn ICT as well.
“We know that this system is not the ultimate solution, but a stopgap measure that would operate, whiles efforts are made to provide libraries in all communities in the country,” he explained.
The librarian said the system could also help students in deprived communities to familiarise with the computer, as most of them had not had the opportunity to use any computer, even though they write examinations in ICT.
He expressed satisfaction about the first test run of the mobile library in Savelugu and noted that the system would also be tested in Chereponi and Gushegu when adequate funds are available.
Mr Kuwornu revealed that GIFEC had also stocked the Tamale library with a number of computers for patrons to utilise, adding that the computers had been connected to the internet so as to allow library users to undertake online research and other forms of online study.
“For now, the internet centre is offering free services, but with time, we would institute an affordable payment regime and its proceeds would be used to sustain the centre,” he further explained.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Savelugu-Nanton, Mr Askia Mohammed hailed the system and pledged to see to the rehabilitation of the Savelugu library.

UDS MEDICAL SCHOOL BREAKS NEW GROUNDS (PAGE 23, NOV 18, 2010)

SINCE its establishment in 1992, the University for Development Studies (UDS) has resolved to make a difference in the training of graduates in various fields of endeavour.
The main vision of the university is to train professionals who have both academic and practical community skills.
In line with this, the UDS introduced very unique learning techniques, one of which is the Third Trimester Field Programme (TTFP), which is an intensive engagement and interactive process between students and communities during a period in each semester.
It enables the students to identify the developmental problems facing those communities and work together with the indigenes to formulate specific interventions to address them.
Twelve years after its establishment, the university has attained yet another milestone by introducing a medical training programme. The School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) is currently situated on the Tamale campus.
Initially, the university took its medical students through the basics of Medical Science, which entitled them to a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology. Upon completion of the basics, the university then negotiated and transferred the students to the University of Ghana (UG) or the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) for them to undertake clinical training at either the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital or the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
Three years ago, the UDS went into collaboration with the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), which was in the process of being transformed into a fully-fledged tertiary facility, to offer clinical training to its medical students.
However, the university’s goal was not just to train doctors but also train doctors with a difference.
To realise that dream, the medical school introduced the problem-based learning (PBL) technique which ensured that health solutions were tailored in accordance with prevailing socio-economic challenges.
With the support of the Dutch government and other partners, the UDS successfully implemented that technique.
The first batch of 82 medical students using the PBL method of training was inducted to commence clinical training at the TTH some few weeks ago.
The induction ceremony was graced by a wide array of important personalities, including Naa Prof John Nabila, the President of the National House of Chiefs, who is also Chair of the SMHS Governing Board, and Dr Abdulai Salifu, the Chairman for both the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the UDS Governing Council.
The Dean of the SMHS, Sir Dr Edward Gyader, described the induction as significant, since “it marked the process to produce a new crop of doctors who will stand tall in the international community of medical practitioners.”
He said the first batch of medical students who commenced their clinicals at the TTH were in their senior clerkship and expressed hope that soon the university would produce its locally trained doctors.
“We had to learn, painfully, how to train students in the clinical setting with meagre human and material resources. This group of medical students enter into clinical training with a better prepared faculty and hospital,” he added.
Dr Gyader acknowledged the support of the Ghana Medical and Dental Council since it commenced and noted that the school was still faced with some teething problems, notably inadequate human resource.
He mentioned, for instance, that the medical school needed some paediatricians and appealed to tutors in senior medical schools to accept to teach at the UDS, promising them great careers ahead.
The Vice-Chancellor of the UDS, Prof Yakubu Haruna, described the PBL methodology as “a student-centred, interdisciplinary and community-oriented approach to learning”.
He commended the governments of Ghana and The Netherlands for their support in kickstarting the PBL methodology at the UDS, noting in particular the NUFFIC project, which contributed to the requisite human resource and equipment for the programme to set off.
Prof Haruna said the medical programme was very dear to the university and mentioned that efforts were being made to tackle the challenges facing it.
He mentioned, for instance, the construction of three lecture halls on the premises of the TTH to facilitate the training process.
The VC also commended the government for initiating the refurbishment of the TTH, noting that the speedy completion of the project would facilitate clinical training and provide efficient health care for the country, particularly the people of the north.
With the enthusiasm being shown by the UDS towards promoting excellence in medical training, one can only hope that the university’s management sustains its efforts to enable it to break new grounds in medical practice.

OLD STUDENT DONATES TO GHANASCO (PAGE 29 NOV 17, 2010)

A NIGERIAN, who is a member of the 1970 class of students of the Ghana Senior High School (GHANASCO) in Tamale, Mr Owolabi Ganiyu, an engineer, has presented a set of computer accessories to his alma mater.
The accessories, which included a monitor, a CPU, a printer, a UPS and other components, will support both academic and administrative work in the school.
Mr Ganiyu noted that the donation was his contribution towards the successful celebration of the Golden Jubilee of the school.
The anniversary, which was launched earlier in the year, will be climaxed with a speech and prize-giving ceremony on November 20, this year.
The engineer expressed some unhappiness about the current state of the school which, he noted, had trained many professionals who were currently serving not only in Ghana but also other countries, including Nigeria.
He entreated the old students to forge a greater partnership towards seeking solutions to the challenges facing the school, such as the lack of a spacious assembly hall and the poor state of some staff bungalows and dormitories.
The Assistant Headmistress in charge of academics, Ms Evelyn Akulmasa, who received the items on behalf of the school, commended Mr Ganiyu for endeavouring to support the school that contributed partly to his success in life.
She said other old students had also made similar presentations and expressed the hope that many others would follow suit.

HELP BRING CHANGE TO TAMALE — MABENGBA (PAGE 29, NOV 17, 2010)

The Northern Regional Minister, Mr Bukari Moses Mabengba, has stated that it is the responsibility of all leaders and influential people, including community leaders in Tamale to lead in bringing positive change to the metropolis.
According to him, any influential person who interfered with law enforcement in Tamale was doing harm to the city because he or she was nurturing a society where law and order would eventually succumb to chaos and impunity.
Mr Mabengba was reacting to an article published on page 18 in the November 5, 2010 issue of the Daily Graphic which sought to blame influential people for promoting impunity in Tamale by aiding law breakers to go unpunished.
The article made mention of indiscipline on the roads of Tamale, noting specifically the impunity with which some motorists disobeyed road traffic and safety regulations with the hope of being freed by some ‘big men’ when accosted by the police.
The minister expressed regret over that development, describing it as an impediment to development, since no meaningful development could take place in an atmosphere of lawlessness.
He said on many occasions, people had come to him to help them avoid punishment when those people had been arrested by the police “but I vehemently refuse to do so”.
Mr Mabengba disclosed that to show leadership, the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) had taken some measures to aid the police to enforce road safety regulations in Tamale.
He said, for instance, that motorbike riders without helmets were not allowed to ride into and within the premises of the RCC and the Residency.
“We want to ensure that people do not extend their indiscipline to the RCC. We also want to make life uncomfortable for people who fail to adhere to safety regulations,” he explained.
The minister noted that Tamale, which is considered the third largest city in the country, was fast growing into a vibrant city and that its residents needed to be law-abiding citizens to facilitate city life.
He, therefore, entreated leaders and people with power to lead in bringing positive change to Tamale by living exemplary lives and chastising their followers who acted unlawfully.
Mr Mabengba commended the Daily Graphic for bringing to light the growing indiscipline in Tamale and urged the media to expose politicians and so-called ‘big men’ who are aiding law breakers to escape punishment to bring them to shame.
“When we fail to identify the culprits, all leaders in the region become suspects and this is not fair to those who work towards promoting discipline,” he noted.

NORTHERN CHIEFS COMMEND AWUNI, WELCOME AMUNI (PAGE 13, NOV 17, 20100

PROMINENT chiefs in the Northern Region have praised the outgoing Regional Police Commander, ACP Angwubutoge Awuni for what they described as a high level of professionalism exhibited during his term.
They also welcomed the new Commander, DCOP Roy Ayinibisa Amuni and expressed optimism about his ability to sustain the quality of policing in the region.
The chiefs made these remarks when Mr Awuni and Mr Amuni paid courtesy calls on them to enable the former bid farewell and formally introduce the new commander to them.
They include the Yagbonwura, Tuntumba Sulemana Jakpa I, of the Gonja Traditional Area Nayiri Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai, of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, Kampakuya-Naa Abdulai Yakubu Andani regent of Dagbon, and Damongowura Tutumba II chief of Damongo.
The rest are the regent of Gulkpegu, Naa Abdulai Ziblim and the Dakpema, Naa Mohammed Alhassan Dawuni.
ACP Awuni was praised for his style of policing, which the chiefs believe had contributed significantly to the peace and stability that prevailed in the region during his 13-month tenure.
According to the chiefs, he had implemented a dialogue-based approach towards combating crime, which brought on board various important stakeholders, including chiefs.
They said Mr Awuni gave them due recognition and made them a critical component of law enforcement and peace-building in the region and this enabled them to feel part of the system.
The chiefs also acknowledged the firmness that Mr Awuni exhibited towards ensuring that law breakers were duly punished and also commended him for being proactive in dealing with the several unrests that threatened to mar his administration.
They mentioned particularly Mr Awuni’s role in the Chereponi by-election which was nearly marred by people who intended to disrupt the peace.
Some of the chiefs revealed their intentions to honour Mr Awuni in due time to show their appreciation for his contribution towards law enforcement in their respective communities.
For his part, ACP Awuni expressed gratitude to the chiefs for the overwhelming support they gave him during his term, stressing that “I would not have been able to steer the boat without the firm support you gave me”.
Mr Awuni again lauded the chiefs for not interfering, unduly, in the work of the police, such as giving protection to criminal elements.
The new commander, Mr Ayinibisa Amuni, pledged to continue at where his predecessor left off, adding that he was committed towards deepening the cordial relationship that existed between the chiefs and the police.
Meanwhile, a send-off party was held at the weekend for Mr Awuni, during which he expressed his appreciation to all police personnel, media and political leaders in the region for the support they gave him during his period of service.
It was an emotional occasion that saw various police personnel giving testimonies of Mr Awuni’s leadership, as well as wish him luck in his new role at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Accra.

PBC GIVES TO CENTRAL GONJA FLOOD VICTIMS (BACK PAGE, NOV 11, 2010)

THE Produce Buying Company (PBC) has presented relief items worth GH¢25,000 to the Central Gonja district of the Northern Region to support persons affected by floods due to the overflow of the White and Black Voltas.
The items comprised 100 bags of rice, 100 bags of maize, 50 bags of sugar, 60 cartons of cooking oil, 50 mosquito nets and 25 bails of clothing.
The items were presented by the Deputy Managing Director of Operations at the PBC, Mr George Kwadwo Boateng to the Deputy Northern Regional Minister, Mr San Nasamu Asabigi and the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Central Gonja, Mr Salisu Be-Awuribe in Tamale.
Mr Boateng noted that the PBC got alarmed when it heard reports of the damaged caused by flooding in Buipe and other communities in the district and that the company began to strategise on how to support the displaced persons to enable them cope.
“We therefore thought it wise to put together this package to help alleviate their suffering and also show the company’s concern for their welfare,” he stated.
Mr Boateng noted that the PBC was in the process of setting up the shea nut processing factory in Buipe, adding that the processing plant would be completed by end of the year.
“The plant would be processing 40,000 tonnes of shea nut into 15,000 tonnes of shea butter,” he mentioned.
Mr Asabigi commended the PBC for endeavouring to support flood victims in the Central Gonja district and noted that the gesture demonstrated how prepared the company was to undertake responsible business in the region.
“You have not started operations yet, but you have demonstrated your willingness to honour your corporate social responsibilities to the communities,” he said.
The Central Gonja DCE gave the assurance that the items would be distributed to the affected persons in a fair manner, adding that the assembly had set up two committees to see to various issues regarding the flood disaster.
He explained that whiles one of the committees was responsible for overseeing relief operations and reconstruction, the other committee was taking a look at health, education and environment in relation to the disaster.
The DCE said the district would support the operations of the PBC, when the shea nut processing plant kick-starts in Buipe, adding that all bottlenecks would be addressed with urgency.
The Central Gonja district is one of the areas in the country worst affected by the floods. Two persons died due to the floods and over 25, 000 people were displaced. The number of houses that were submerged was also estimated to be around 3000.