N/R Police Commander appeals to Melcom to get parking space for clients

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The Northern Regional Police Commander has appealed to management of Melcom Groups of Companies to as a matter of urgency get a bigger place to create an avenue for enough parking place for vehicles and motor bikes to ease congestion and for security wise.

DCOP Ken Yeboah said because of the insufficient parking space at the premises, Clients Park their vehicles and motor bikes on the shoulders of that stretch of road resulting to congestion.

The Northern Regional Police Commander made the plea during a courtesy call on him by the Director of Communication of Melcom Groups of Companies, Godwin Avenorgbo yesterday in Tamale.

DCOP Ken Yeboah admitted that the company since its inception in the region has been cooperative with the security agencies especially the police in the discharge of their duties.

He acknowledged the fact that the security at the premises of the mall is excellent.

The Communication Director, Godwin Avenorgbo revealed that the company is marshalling plans to acquire a site to build a bigger mall in the region which can serve the needs of all calibers of clients that are ready to do business with them.

He indicated that the Ghana Police Service for sometime have been doing extremely well in combating crimes and exercising their duties professionally despite the challenges involved.

He said the service had off late made policing very visible at all corners across the country which has made the crime rate of the country to reduce significantly paving way for smooth environment for corporate entities to operate successfully.

He however commended the Northern Police Command for the tidy nature of its office premises both internal and external. 

Meanwhile the Director of Communication, Godwin Avenorgbo on behalf of the group Chairman earlier paid similar call on the Gulkpegu Chief, where he donated a table top refrigerator and a hamper to the chief upon request made in his earlier visit to the palace.

The company also donated sugar, praying mats and rice to the Tamale central mosque worth hundreds of Ghana cedis.

SARI Soil Health Project to get ready market for farmer

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Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) Soil Health Project has organized an interface meeting between maize farmers and aggregators to negotiate on the marketing strategies of their produce.

This came as a result of Improvement in the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa Soil Health Project (AGRA-SHP) by the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) which provides farmers with fertilizers to enhance the fertility of the soil to increase farmers yields.

The Project manager of Agriculture Soil Health Project, Dr. Mathias Fosu, in an address said the project which has been extended to the three regions of the north is currently operating in 33 districts where a lot of improvements in farm yields have been recorded as a result of the technology and training given to farmers.

According to Dr. mathias Fosu, farmers who use to harvest 3 bags of maize per an acre of land are now harvesting over 12 bags per an acre of land.

This he said are manifestations of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa Soil Health Project (AGRA-SHP)  which has been introduce to over thousands of farmers in the savanna areas of the country.

Dr. Mathias therefore advised the farmers to always communicate with the aggregators regularly to avoid challenges in selling their farm produce.

He however commended the northern farmers for providing the national with substantial amount of food for decades now, and urged them not to relent on their efforts because government and Agriculturalist are coming out with more innovative ways in the agricultural sector to boost the livelihoods of farmers.

Issah Mahama, a farmer from Diku community in the Savelugu district of the northern region attested that they usually face difficulties in the sale of their produce creating room for middle men to cheat them.

But with the initiative by SARI to bridge the gap between farmers and aggregators, Mr. Issah hopes their long standing tears and suffering in the hands of middle men would soon come to an end.

He therefore advised his colleagues farmers to do their best to produce quality farm produce to enhance their relationship with the aggregators.

N/R records 51 maternal deaths in first half of 2013

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The latest statistics released by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has indicated that the Northern Region continuous to record higher maternal mortality rates, a development that perhaps is confirming that the entire nation is still far away from achieving the Millennium Development Goals four and five by 2015.

Adopted by world leaders in the year 2000 and set to be achieved by 2015, the MDGs 4 and 5 actually aims at reducing by two-thirds the ratio of under-five mortality rate and reducing by three-quarters the maternal mortality ratio by 2015. 

Speaking in an interview after a workshop with the media to discuss maternal health issue in the region and the way forward, the northern regional Director of Health, Dr. Akwasi Twumasi revealed that  that between January and July, this year, the northern region recorded 51 deaths. In 2012, 119 deaths were record and 131 deaths in 2011, this he said the figures are alarming.

Maternal mortality rates in the northern region over the years have been at the increasing rate which stakeholders have called for measures to address it.

The Northern Regional Director of Health indicated that the nagging problems that results to high figures of maternal deaths are distances and accessibility of some communities, delays in referrals, late arrivals to hospitals, ignorance of relatives, delays in facilities among others.

According to him, series of measures had been put in place to avert maternal and infant mortality rates in the region, citing for instance community durbars, training of Traditional Birth Attendance (TBAs) and encouraging men to always accompany their women to the hospital for antenatal care are given positive response in the combat to reduce maternal mortality in the region. 

He admitted that with the pursuit to achieve the MDG 4and 5 is a bit tough due to the large nature of the region which sometimes results to late referrals complicating issues they get to the rightful destination for help.

He called for a collaborative of the media and community leaders to join hands with the GHS to be able to achieve the MDGs in the region.

The Northern Regional Health Director commended Savanna Signatures for their unflinching support in the area of maternal health in the region.

Chiefs fingered in illegal lumbering in Buipe

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Traditional rulers have been fingered in central Gonja district in the recent brouhaha over illegal lumbering in the area where the police commander was accused of abetting individuals to engage in such activities.

Some chiefs in the area according to reliable source extort monies from unauthorized people giving them the “moral” standing to engage in illegal lumbering.

The outgoing District Chief Exercutive for the Central Gonja District, Sualisu Be-Awuribi made these revelations to Fiila News in a telephone interview at the weekend.

Mr. Be-Awuribi said the various traditional rulers in the area were aware of such activities and are even leading illegal lumbering activities in the District.

According him, on several occasion his outfit and the Member of Parliament for Yape-Kusawgu constituency have advised the traditional rulers to stop receiving monies from such nefarious people to enable stakeholders put a stop to such activities in the area.

The DCE described as unfortunate and baseless allegations leveled against the district police commander, DSP Kinsley Owusu Antwi.

He said as a chairman of DISEC, he has worked with the commander in diverse way to nib such activities in the bud.

Mr. Sualisu Be-Awuribi added that the Police Commander in his own way uses his car to embark on patrols, all parts of efforts to curtail activities of illegal lumbering in Buipe.

The heavy load on the security in the Central Gonja district due to its vast land mass makes it porous for the security to operate effectively.

The outgoing DCE said the police in the area have been leading Patrols into interior areas to ensure that the safety of citizens in the area is rest assured.

He asked the youth in the area to calm down and give the security the chance to execute the professional duties effectively.

Mr. Be-Awuribi told the youth in their own way to conduct citizen arrest to complement the efforts of the security to nib such activities to the bud.

He urged the youth in the area not to allow themselves to be influence by people who are invariably have some interest in one way or the other to cause mayhem in the area.