3 DIE IN WALEWALE FLOODS

3 DIE IN WALEWALE FLOODS

Three persons have been confirmed dead as a result of flooding in the West Mamprusi District of the Northern Region.
Two of the victims were reported to have drowned in Kpasenkpe in the overseas area of the district while the other died at Janga, all farming communities along the White Volta.
Settlers along the White Volta have been asked to take precautionary measures to avert further deaths, especially at a time authorities are preparing to open the Bagri Dam in neigbouring Burkina Faso.
Northern Regional Minister and acting District Chief Executive (DCE) for the West Mamprusi District, Moses Bukari Mabengba, who disclosed this in his address during the first session of the 6th assembly, warned of further destructions by the floods.
He told assembly persons that the National Disaster Management (NADMO) would embark on a sensitization drive to appeal to residents along the flood-prone areas to move uphill.
According to him, funds would be allocated to the repairs of school buildings that had been affected by the storms before schools resumed in September.
On security, he noted that the situation was stable but urged residents not to be complacent but endeavour to peacefully coexist with their neighbours to avoid needless skirmishes in the district.
Mr. Mabengba enumerated a number of projects undertaken in the district ranging from health, education, income generation and infrastructural development, calling for concerted efforts in realizing the developmental agenda of the district.
Seth Panwum, Presiding Member (PM) of the assembly, expressed worry over the activities of Fulani herdsmen in the district, appealing to the security agencies to put them in check.
According to him, most of these alien herdsmen were alleged to be involved in various nefarious activities in the district including armed robbery and destruction of farms belonging to indigenes.
The PM was particularly worried that some of traditional authorities, despite the numerous security threats these Fulanis posed, shielded them just because they were offered part of the robbery booty.
He hinted of the assembly’s resolve to expose such crime-endorsing chiefs, warning that the law would not spare them if their cover was blown.
Residents, he indicated, were gradually getting fed up with the activities of these herdsmen who were expected to enjoy the ECOWAS protocol and live in accordance with the laws of the country.
“Ghanaians are beginning to reconsider their hospitality to Fulanis,” he emphasized.
He therefore appealed to the security agencies to partner assembly members of the various electoral areas in the district to address the teething problems of Fulanis who had now assumed the position as owners of the districts.
Mr. Panwum commended government for acquiring a number of motorbikes for assembly members in the district but appealed to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) to fast-track their release to beneficiaries.
He also appealed for measures to be instituted to cater for their running cost in order not to defeat the purpose for which they were acquired.

94 PERCENT OF PARENTS ENDORSE CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

A survey conducted in four districts of the country by the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), an NGO indicates that 94 percent of parents endorse corporal punishment (thus using of cane to whip a child) as a means of correcting misbehavior by students. The survey which sampled the views of 2,314 parents, students and graduates also indicates that 92 percent of students support corporal punishment while 89 percent of female graduates endorse it and similar increasing number of 64 percent of teachers says corporal punishment must be tolerated. Mr. David Nkrumah-Boateng, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager of CAMFED presented the findings of the survey in Tamale on Wednesday during a stakeholder’s forum on child protection organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and supported by CAMFED. The survey conducted in October 2010 in Bongo in the Upper East, Chereponi and Nanumba South in the Northern and Mfantseman districts in the Western Regions aimed at exploring strategies with partners of how to deal with abuse facing children in school. The report said the respondents noted that it was legal for teachers to cane students when they misbehave in class while 25 percent of stakeholders overall thought having an affair with the teacher will improve academic records. It said a larger proportion of the respondents were away of the legal regimes that protected children but felt that most of the abuse cases were not reported to the law enforcing agencies. Mr. Haruna Husheini Sulemana, Northern Regional Director of NCCE called for harmonization and networking among stakeholders working for the protection of the rights of children to liquidate the challenges facing children adding that adults must be held responsible for the abuses on children. He said Government’s efforts at fighting the challenges confronting children were not yielding the desired results because of duplication of duties and functions by institutions mandated resulting in waste of state resources since targets are not met. Mr. Sulemana called on the Northern Regional Child Protection Network, a child rights advocate group to step up measures as individuals and groups to pull resources and expertise in dealing with issues affecting children. Sheikh Dr. Al-Husein Zakaria, a resource person who presented a paper on ‘working with community stakeholders to address child protection issues’ said networking among organizations with similar objectives was the best way in tackling problems confronting children. He however observed that competition for resources within members of the organization could create friction and defeat the purpose of networking and urged members of the Northern Region Child Protection Network to desist from competing against itself. Mrs. Delores Dickson, Country Director of CAMFED noted that child related problems were multi-faceted and needed a multi-dimensional and comprehensive approach in dealing with them adding that stakeholders must find local solutions in tackling such social problems.

NORTHERN YOUTH FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT SLAMS GOVERNMENT

NORTHERN YOUTH FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT SLAMS GOVERNMENT
Checks by the Northern Youth for Peace and Development have discovered that government has deposited only 8 million cedis into the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority’s kitty instead of the 25 million cedis that was captured on the 2011 supplementary budget presented to Parliament by the Minister for Finance, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor. The Northern Youth for Peace and Development that holds government on check concerning the implementation of projects earmarked under the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority says the people of northern Ghana demands an unqualified apology from President John Mills for deceiving Ghanaians to believe that that an amount of 25 million cedis had been deposited in the SADA kitty. Prince Hardi Adam, Executive Director of the Northern Youth for Peace and Development brought this to the public domain at a news conference in Tamale where he lost confidence in the Mills-Mahama led NDC administration’s promise to bridge the yawning gap between the north and the south in terms of development. He claimed that President John Mills quickly directed his Minister for Finance to smartly capture on the supplementary budget for 2011 that an amount of 25 million cedis had been allocated for SADA. According to Prince Hardi Adam, the decision was borne out of the Northern Youth for Peace and Development’s threat to embark on series of demonstrations in northern Ghana over delays in allocating funds for the SADA projects to take off seriously. He maintained that Vice president John Dramani Mahama and all Ministers of northern extraction have been disingenuous to their kinsmen; hence NYUPED’s call for their resignation is still relevant. Prince Hardi Adam used the occasion and donated an appreciable quantity of assorted items to some selected Muslim Journalists to support them as they observe the month of Ramadan.
He appealed to particularly the youth of Tamale to shun politicians who use them to cause unnecessary tension in their communities and rather concentrate on productive ventures that will improve their wellbeing.

2ND CAREER AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP FAIR UNDERWAY

2ND CAREER AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP FAIR UNDERWAY
Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), an NGO, has organized a two-day career and entrepreneurship fair for over 300 young ladies from 14 districts of the Northern Region aimed at giving them enlightenment and guidance about their life careers and how to achieve them. The fair which is the second of it kind by the organization is under the theme "Possibilities and opportunities", is organized against the backdrop that most young ladies, particularly those from the three Northern Regions, found it difficult to meet their life choices and dreams due to inappropriate choices and poverty. Mrs. Delores Dickson, Executive Director of CAMFED Ghana, in an opening address in Tamale, said there are numerous opportunities in the northern sector for young ladies to turn them into opportunities and successes saying that the fair would broaden their scope to enable them to set long term goals for themselves. She said opportunities abounded for them in the post Senior High School Education and entrepreneurial environments, which they needed to take advantage of to improve their personalities and status. Mrs. Dickson said CAMFED believed that educating girls and providing them with economic opportunities was a sure way of lifting poverty out of families in Africa. Mrs. Elizabeth Desouza Northern Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service, who served as a role model for the young ladies, said it is not easy for her to overcome numerous challenges to attain her status due to the background she came from, but due to hard work and determination, she was able to achieve her dream. She said the current generation of mankind was knowledge-based and nothing stopped the youth from achieving their dreams, adding that the skies cannot even be the limit for them. Mrs. Elizabeth Desouza said the road to success is never smooth and that she faced many difficulties and obstacles but kept moving on. She said failure at first attempt was not the end for anybody but rather an opportunity to improve oneself. Sam Naasamu Asabigi, deputy northern Regional Minister on his part said education of the feminine and their role in development ca no longer be taken for granted saying that there are countless examples of women who have lived to prove that educating the wan is of immense benefit for the nation. He said despite progressed made by women globally, the northern region is still plagued with cultural and social attitudes and institutions that define and shape women’s career choices, skewing them towards occupations with low economic returns. He was worried about how most young women in the north have resigned themselves to their faith with little or no information about the diverse education and career opportunities available in the global village. He therefore urged the young ladies to listen with rap attention what ever they are going to learn from the resource person in order to create a brighter future for themselves and their generations to come.

GHANA MUST AVOID ELECTION-RELATED VIOLENCE

The West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP-Ghana) has cautioned the country to take immediate measures to pick up early warning signals of election-related violence to ensure that the country is not plunged into violent conflicts. It has therefore called on stakeholders particularly the security agencies and the government to be proactive towards security issues to nib conflicts in the bud. Mr. Justin Bayor, the National Coordinator of WANEP-Ghana, said this in Tamale during a forum on its activities over the years and the way forward. The forum was under the theme; Strengthening relations between civil society institutions for conflict prevention through “GhanaWarn.” Mr. Bayor said the state must take its early warning system seriously and act upon it with the seriousness it deserved. It was of this initiative that the network on 4th August launched the youth in Election Project (YiEL) aimed at working with the youth in some potential election-related conflict communities in order to reduce election violence in 2012. Mr. Albert Yelyang, an official of WANEP-Ghana, said its early warning system had picked heightened warfare in the media by politicians and that this threatened the peace and security of the state.

RESIDENTS OF ZININDO VOW NOT TO VOTE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY

The people of Zinindo in the Gushegu districts of the Northern Region are threatening to boycott the 2012 general elections if the community is not connected to the national grid before the month of December next year. The people contend that their community has never had any form of electricity supply since independence a situation that has left the entire community and its surrounding villages in the trails of other towns in the area of development. Pouring out the frustrations of the town, the spokes person of the chief Zaki Ali Haruna intimated that the current state of affairs at Zinindo has force the youth who are the bedrock of development to migrate to cities and towns to either learn a trade or engage in all forms of menial jobs. He lamented that something that could have been done in the community if there was light explaining that various governments have come to campaign with juicy promises before elections, but nothing is heard of them if they assume power until the next electoral season draws near. He furthered that, the town can boost of many artisans who only exist in name since there is no power for them to start their businesses. The artisans, for all their knowledge and skills have to rely on fuel to power their machines. This he added has not been sustainable because of frequent fuel shortages particularly in the northern parts of the country and its accompanying high cost to access. To make their anger and frustration visible, a huge banner has been hoisted at the entrance of the community with the inscription “No Power No Vote” to further drum home their intent. Zaki Ali Haruna appealed to the government and other development partners to save the community from her developmental woes so as to bring it close to a respectable developmental level.

MTN FOUNDATION CALL ON GULKPEGU PALACE

The Patron of the MTN foundation has paid a courtesy call on the regent of Gulkpegu at his palace to acquaint the basis of the foundation to the chief as custom demand. The call was also to thank the chiefs and people of Tamale for the support and cooperation accorded to the mobile telecommunication network to operate in their jurisdiction. The Patron of the foundation and a member of the British House of Lords Rt. Hon. Paul Boateng, in a brief speech, explained that the foundation is centered in education and health issues which are aimed at ensuring better living standards in the society. In the area of education he recounted the foundation putting up a 6-unit class room block at Zujun, support to Tamale Senior High School worth over 59 thousand Ghana cedis. Rt. Hon. Boateng also announced that a comprehensive plan has been taken by the Foundation in their quest to increase Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the country due to the low literacy rate in ICT. The foundation he said is putting up ultramodern ICT centers across the ten the regions in the country to boost information technology which Tolon is a beneficiary. The member of the British House of Lords disclosed his passion for wellbeing of children and nursing mothers which result the foundation to move into the area of health. He said a lot of package has been put aside for the Tamale Teaching Hospital to help enhance the access to quality health in the region. The Regent of Gulkpegu, Ziblim Alhassan was full of grace to the foundation and its Patrons but however expressed disgust about some challenges people faced in terms of breakups and failure in networks by the Telecommunication giant. The Regent however made a passionate appeal to the foundation to consider renovating palaces of chiefs in the region to befitting status as chiefs serves as the mouth piece of the people. He however commended the foundation for their bold initiative and intervention in the region.

IMPORTERS FORUM HELD IN TAMALE

IMPORTERS FORUM HELD IN TAMALE
In the quest to ensure free flow of goods and service in and outside the country importers forum under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and in collaboration with Ghana Standard Board (GSB) and other relevant agencies in the sector has organized in the northern regional capital, Tamale. The forum was aimed at educating importers and exporters as well as the general public on the Destination Inspection Scheme (DIS) with particular reference to the inspection of high risk goods. In a speech read on his behalf, the Acting Director of GSB, Dr. George Ben Crentsil said the role of the Board is to ensure at the ports compliance of imported goods with established Technical Regulation in order to prevent the importation and distribution of sub-standard product into the Ghanaian market. In the area of the DIS is to carry out Destination Inspection on high risk goods at the point of entry explaining that high risk goods are goods that have serious health and safety implications on the consuming public among others. He added that the GSB has recommended to the sector ministry that standards for Cements, Iron rods, electrical cables, sockets, plugs, Circuit breakers and voltage regulations among others standards should be elevated to the level of technical. The deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Joseph Samuel Annan said international trade provides and important engine for the private sector development and reduction in global poverty. The Minister said initiative to accelerate trade through the removal of non-tariff barriers and lowered trade cost are now increasingly recognized as key factors that affect private performance. He said governments strategy for export expansion and enhancement of domestic trade depends to a considerable extent, on the smooth passage of goods and services in and out of the country’s port as well as on low transaction. He also announced that government has therefore put trade facilitating at the center of trade reforms in the country saying this initiative has made trade procedures and custom processes at borders has been transformed with more ease.

SCHOOL OF MARKETING FOR TAMALE

SCHOOL OF MARKETING FOR TAMALE
Very soon, residents in northern Ghana especially students who ought to pursue professional courses like the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) will no longer travel down south with the hassle to pursue or upgrade themselves because work on the School of Marketing Campus in Tamale is set. The program is expected to complement government and development partners’ efforts at reducing the high rate of youth unemployment due to the competitive nature of the job market. This came to light when the Coordinator of the School of Marketing Sulemana Anass in an orientation ceremony took prospective candidates who desire to register with the institution through the formalities and advantages involved in taking the CIM exam. According to Suleman Anass, stakeholders and professional markers took the quest to bridge the educational gap between North and South to set up the institution to serve the three regions of the north. The coordinator of the school who is also a Marketing lecturer at Tamale Polytechnic assured students and workers of the efficacy of the program enumerating that the school is affiliated with competent, recognized university world wide. He therefore disclosed the Tamale Polytechnic has been given accreditation to run the CIM course. What is special about the school he said are organizers taking the mantle upon theirselves to organize candidates for exams, organize tuition and register them for the examination. Adding that there will be intensive special weekend tuition for workers and snack breaks to rejuvenate candidates to sit for the tuitions as expected. Making the school standing tall among other professional institutions is that it has no grade-cut point prospective candidates are fix to where they deserve. He announced that there is no cause for alarm once you apply or register you got the chance of rolling into membership position for tuition to begin. He therefore advised workers and student to take advantage of the opportunity at hand.

ARCHBISHOP ASKED CHRISTIANS MOTHERS TO EMULATE VIRGIN MARY

ARCHBISHOP ASKED CHRISTIANS MOTHERS TO EMULATE VIRGIN MARY
The archbishop of Tamale Rt. Rev. Philip Namey has asked Christian mothers to as a matter of fact emulate the shining paradigm of the mother of God Virgin Mary in other to see success and wonders in their pursuit to strengthen women in the society. The archbishop said as Christian mothers they are the makers of the society and should emulate the silent, obedient, patient and resilient nature of the holy mother of Jesus Christ in a way to keep a better and peaceful society. According to Rt. Rev. Philip Namey, women are seen as the gateway to a successful family and should live beyond this expectation in this current global village. This statement was made by the Rev. Fr. Carolus M. Gambogi, Priest at the holy cross parish on behalf of the Archbishop of Tamale at the 1st ever ecclesiastical provincial Christians Mothers Association conference held in the northern regional capital, Tamale. The conference which brought together 5 dioceses from the three northern regions was aimed at deliberating on issue bordering women in the north and how they can come together to the better advancement of women challenges in the north. The man of God said the Virgin Mary never spoke much and anytime she spoke was backed with meaning saying that if women can emulate her then there will not be any family misunderstanding in the society. He however related his emphasis to most women having marital problems explaining that if women are able to deal seriously into the ideals of mother Mary and taking the word of God serious, there will always smiling faces in their marriage homes. He also called for unity among the association urging them to be ready to forgive each other whenever one goes astray adding that mother Mary was able to forgive those who crucified his only begotten son. The National President of the ecclesiastical Provincial Christian Mothers Association, Mother Clare Cynthia Derry, said as an association and the largest women group in Ghana as far as the Catholic Church is concern is geared towards tackling penitent issues bordering women and intervening into government policies for the betterment of women in the country. She enumerated that through the effort of the association in advocacy has made women who were sideline to participate in decision making process in the country. The President called for support from development agencies, civil society organizations and Non-Governmental organization to join hands to empower the Ghanaian women in decision making process in the country.