Time to act on environmental issues affecting mining communities- Exec. Dir. of CEIA appeals

10-05-2012       

A two day workshop involving representatives of the various political parties including traditional leaders has taken place at Tongo in the Talensi-Nabdam Constituency. The workshop equally attended by residents of mining communities, civil society organizations and assembly members was to discuss the way forward in addressing issues affecting the environment. It was jointly organized by the Centre for Environmental Impact Analysis (CEIA), Humanity Focus Foundation (HFF) and Gender and Environmental Monitoring Advocate (GEMA) with funding from Star Ghana. The Executive Director of CEIA, Samuel Obiri said the workshop among other objectives was aimed at educating participants on their role in preserving and protecting human life through environmental sustainability measures. Mr. Obiri said life is precious than gold, adding that its time to move away from the talk shop but instead walk on the talk and act on the negative effects of the environment, particularly its impact on residents of mining communities. He said as a country, efforts at reducing environmental destruction has not been the best, hence the need for concerted and collaborative effort in dealing with the situation. On the political front, Mr Obiri called on political parties, media commentators and the general public to refrain from the use of hate speeches to ensure that there is absolute peace in the country before, during and after the 2012 general elections. In a communiqué, residents of the mining communities demanded an action plan from political parties on how best they were going to assist in solving the looming environmental and human crisis. The communiqué further tasked the minerals commission to actively involve chiefs, assemblies, and land owners in the award of mining licenses to potential mining investors. It also called for the review of Act 703 of the constitution, which it stated requires serious scrutiny. Small scale mining companies it further pointed out should be encouraged to undertake social responsibilities in the communities they operate. One other critical issue raised by the communiqué was the involvement of school going children in mining operations. This, the communiqué warned was in violation of the child act and cautioned the various mining companies to desist from engaging the services of children in their mining activities.  The Chief of Kongo, Sapaat Naab David Dong on behalf of the chiefs of the Talensi and Nabdam area, thanked management of CEIA for their show of concern and encouraged them to continue with their good works. Education given to the people, he observed would ginger their effort in protecting human life through safe environmental practices.

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Youth Alive outdoors 43 trainees in various trade modules

09-05-2012        

Narration: In line with its vision to restore hope and alleviate the plight of vulnerable street children of Northern Ghana, Youth Alive Ghana, an NGO has graduated 45 youth drawn from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions. The youth who underwent years of intensive training in various vocational modules including dressmaking, masonry, carpentry and auto electrical among others received assorted working tools to help them establish businesses on their own. They were also presented with certificates of participation, quantity of roofing sheets and an unspecified amount of money whilst the female trainees were supported with bags of cement to start their respective businesses. The presentation of the items was made possible through Barclays Bank and Comic Relief of UK with assistance by Tool for Self Reliance, an NGO.

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Addressing graduants at Bolgatanga, the Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs Lucy Awuni in a speech read her commended Youth Alive and its collaborative agencies for their effort in helping to eliminate streetism. She said government as part of its policy interventions is committed to invest and place the youth at the core of its numerous policy initiatives and encouraged Youth alive not to rest on their oars but rather continue to support the effort of government in restoring hope in children.  Speaking to Radio Ghana after the function, the Consumer Banking Director of Barclays Bank, Nana Dwemoh Benneh said Barclays is keen to developing since they are the future leaders. According to him, the bank in line with its corporate social responsibilities is embarking on key sponsored projects in the county and mentioned the Community Sustainability programme as one of its key community initiatives. Furtherance to its set objectives, Barclays identifies groups and initiatives that are sustainable in nature, because they believe in activities that strive in long term achievements. He said Youth alive as a charity based NGO posses what it takes to drive their set objective, hence their partnership. To him activities of Barclays is in conformity with the core objective of Youth Alive,  adding that Youth Alive seeks to  provide  employable skills for the youth and also ensure that they set up driving businesses that would improve and enhance their socio-economic wellbeing. Comparatively, Barclays tries to make a difference in society by providing financial training skills which will make them better managers in the future, stating that their services are tailored to the needs of poor and vulnerable households, individuals and communities. Mr. Benneh was happy to announce that the various community initiatives embarked by Barclays cuts across the country and has impacted on the lives of vulnerable people particularly their valued customers and stakeholders. He said Barclays will continue to partner Youth alive in mentoring the youth through skill training so that they can make a difference in society. Mr Benneh was hopeful that Barclays through its various community initiatives will contribute in making life easier for the vulnerable groups in society particularly, street children. He further expressed the hope that in a year or two the graduants through the training they have acquired would be able to set up sustainable businesses so that in the future they can impart their skills to benefit other unemployed youth in their communities. The Country Director of youth Alive, Madam Agnes Talata Chiravira said her NGO secured GHc100, 000 from donor groups to support the graduants and emphasized that Youth Alive had adopted workable interventions to encourage and motivate the beneficiaries to live decent lives and work in their communities. Mrs Chiravira said monitoring mechanisms has also been put in place to ensure that they stay in their respective areas to work.

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Afrikids - Ghana pledge to deepen partnership with media

Mr Raymond Akolbire Ayinne

Mr Richard Amoah, Talensi-Nabdam Area Pgms Manager

The media has been implored to strengthen its bond of partnership with child right NGOs to help expose acts of abuses that infringes on the fundamental and social rights of children. Apathy on the part of the media in promoting the individual right of children might affect the wellbeing of children as they form part of the vulnerable group in society. The External Affairs Manager of Afrikids Ghana, Raymond Akolbire Ayinne who made the call at a brief media interaction in Bolgatanga, said the media has a leading role to play in ensuring that issues affecting the development of children are not relegated and deserted but rather be given the desired attention they deserve. He suggested that in as much as the media helps in exposing corrupt practices of politicians and duty bearers, it equally behoves them to assist the poor and socially disadvantaged children by bringing to the fore their plight for redress. Mr. Ayinne was however worried about the neglect of child development issues, which he observed has affected their continuous quest to improving and protecting the wellbeing of children. To him, the media in the region has over the years partnered Afrikids in its operation but was quick to add that there was more room for improvement since they can influence policy change in advancing the cause of the poor and vulnerable children particularly in Northern Ghana, where majority of the people lives in abject poverty. The contribution of the media, he moreover indicated, would enhance child security and also complement the effort of other child right organizations in the country. Mr. Ayinne therefore challenged the media to focus their attention on human and social development of vulnerable children and called for the support of other sister organizations to assist in reducing child rights violations. Afrikids-Ghana he said would continue to partner the media in breaking the institutional barriers militating against the growth on such deprived children in deprived communities of the country. In response to some of the concerns raised by Mr. Ayinne, Mr. Ebo Quansah, a Correspondent for the Daily Guide Newspapers highlighted some challenges confronting the media in exposing child right abuses and attributed the blame partly on the non-cooperative attitude of some public institutions working in tha area of child protection. According to him, the attitude of such public institutions tend to affect the work of the media, explaining that the media are sometimes denied the opportunity of getting the right information on issues of child abuse. The situation, he lamented gives a cause to worry and challenged the various child right NGOs to put such institutions to the task by providing the media with the right information they need. Other media personnel present confirmed Mr Quansah’s submission and further charged the NGOs to assist the media with working tools and also involve the media in their routines to help them get adequate information at the grassroot. The Talensi-Nabdam Area Programme Manager of Afrikids-Ghana, Mr Richard Amoah thanked the media for their support over the years and encouraged them to go about their duties with diligence and sacrifice. Mr Amoah on behalf of Afrikids promised to enhance and deepen their bond of friendship with the media to enable them achieve their set objectives. 

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Educationist Enstooled queenmother for Tempeliem Traditional Area in Bawku

The enstoolment of queenmothers particularly in parts of the Upper East Region has in way contributed in championing the cause of women as it has served as an antidote in quelling the which was unusual in parts of Northern Ghana has seen the light of day and had contributed largely in reducing the vulnerability of women since they have now been recognized as agents in the decision making process at the grassroot level. The practice, to many, requires the support of all and sundry in order to help surmount the plight of women as they have been relegated to the background for long. In recent times, the Bawku Traditional Area has taken upon itself the challenge of enstooling queenmothers to assist the various traditional rulers in propelling the development of their respective areas of jurisdiction. The latest to benefit from the initiative in the Kusaug area of Bawku is the Tempeliem Traditional Area where an educationist know in private life as Madam Ayamba Diana Akosua, has been enstooled as Queenmother for the Tempeliem Traditional Area with a stool name ‘Apugang’.  At a grand enstoolment ceremony attended by colleague queenmothers including chiefs and elders of the Kusaug Traditional Area, the queenmother showed her appreciation to the entire Kusaug kingdom for the confidence repose in her, emphasizing that with her new position, women in Kusaug are honoured as they have been given equal opportunity to effectively contribute towards the development of their homes and communities. She said having ascended the prestigious skin as queenmother, she was going to remain loyal and faithful to her subjects in the discharge of her duties and would ensure fairness in all her dealings. This, she noted, was a good  opportunity, adding that their involvement in decision making would not be an exception because the most progressive development of today the world over, be it politics ,governance, chieftaincy and leadership roles requires the involvement of women. Women, she further, observed have now moved away from the old Ghanaian adage that “the place for women is  the kitchen”. According to Apugang, women empowerment alongside health and education of the girl-child is her major priority. She assured the people that she was going to partner the government, NGOs and other relevant bodies to equip women with capacity building skills to stand up to the task of self empowerment. She also promised an open door policy for progressive ideas and concerns and additionally pledged her commitment to the total development of the area. The Chief of Tempeliem, Naba, Yoor-me-kuguv Atepu-Tiing appealed to the people to support the queenmother to enable her deliver up to expectation. Naba Atepu-Tiing moreover appealed to the newly enstooled queenmother to use her noble position to advance the cause of women and involve them in times of difficulties. The Bawku Municipal Chief Executive, Musa Abdullai for his part renewed government’s commitment to the development of deprived communities in terms of roads, electricity, education and health and called on the people to give government the needed support to realize its set objectives.

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Emmanuel Kaabu, Senior Transport Officer of GBC URA Radio Passes away

       

The late Kaabu of blessed memory

The death is reported of Emmanuel Kwesi Kaabu, a staff of GBC URA Radio, Bolgatanga. The late Kaabu, a Senior Transport Officer died April, 28 shortly after he was discharged from the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital after a short illness. After entering into active service with GBC in June, 19, 1989 as Driver Grade II, the late Kaabu through dint of hard work was promoted to the rank of Senior Driver Supervisor in November 2006. Until his demise, the late Kaabo in 2008 was further promoted to the rank and function of a Traffic Officer.  The late Kaabu who hails from Ocansey Kope in the Greater Accra died at the age of 52 and left behind a wife and 6 children.   Final arrangements of his funeral rites would be announced later.

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