Samsung Ghana fetes inmates of God’s Love Ministry

Mr Akampoi, Care Taker of God's Love Ministry

Salomey Amanor, Samsung Rep

Boxes of Cow and Gate Baby Food on display

25-12-12             

As part of its Community care programme, Samsung Ghana has demonstrated true commitment to impacting on the lives of the poor and hopeless in society. After bringing smiles on the faces of vulnerable children in most orphanages of Northern Ghana, Samsung Ghana has once again extended its hand of friendship to God’s Love Ministry, an orphanage based at Soe in the Upper East Region. The orphanage took delivery of 30 boxes of Cow and Gate baby food meant to support the mental and physical growth of the inmates. Other orphanages that has benefited from the package include Mama Laadi Foster Home and Mother of Mercy Baby Home both located in the region. Other orphanages in Tamale have also benefited from Samsung Ghana,  whilst others in Accra and Kumasi are yet to receive their share of the offer. Speaking to Radio Ghana after the presentation, a representative from Samsung Ghana , Salome Amanor said the company is bent on reaching out to persons that need help especially those that are without family to take care of them, hence the intervention of Samsung Ghana to forestall hope in them. She hinted that it was the wish and passion of the company to touch many more lives through such packages and would ensure that frantic efforts are made to ensure the sustainability of their community care programme to benefit other institutions. One of the care takers of God’s love Ministry, Felix Akampoi showed gratitude to Samsung Ghana for the gesture and encourage them to bring smile on the faces of the poor and vulnerable in society. Mr.  Akampoi revealed that the organization since its inception has been able to resettle more children with their families. Most of these children, he added were picked from deprived homes in the region. The orphanage which currently harbors 9 children takes care of children between the ages 3 months up to 17 years.  They are adequately fed, offered accommodation and subsequently taken through the basic level of education before made to join the mainstream. He said with the support of a UK based NGO, the orphanage is putting up a classroom accommodation to assist the inmates in their education. Mr.  Akampoi on behalf of her wife who happens to be the pillar of the orphanage appealed to other individuals and institutions to assist vulnerable children, particularly orphans since it is no fault of theirs that they are in that condition. The welfare of such children, he said should be the concern of all particularly, this yuletide season where they are sometimes neglected.

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Government challenged to appoint more women in cabinet

Participants at a stakeholders meeting in Bolgatanga had challenged government to consider the appointment of more women to occupy key positions into cabinet. They were of the view that if women were given leadership positions and are made to be actively part of the decision making process, matters affecting their livelihood would be critically resolved. Representation and appointment of more women in government, they noted, would mean that Ghana was at the cross-road of achieving remarkable gains in the country’s democratic dispensation. Women they further observed are ripped to assume enviable positions in society as evident in the election of women in parliament and other influential positions of government including the seat of the Speaker of Parliament which is being occupied by Her Lordship, Joyce Adeline Bamford Addo. According them since Mrs Bamford Addo has performed creditably in her appointment as speaker of parliament, government should ensure that her exit is replaced by a woman instead of a man. Moreover, more women should be appointed as Municipal and District Chief Executives for the region. These recommendations were made during a focal group discussion attended by some women drawn from various departments and agencies in the region including past and present assembly women, queen-mothers as well as representatives of women right NGOs among others. The meeting under theme: “The Status of Women in Ghana: A Case Study of their Socio-Economic and Political Participation in Development” was jointly organized by the NCCE and the Department of Women. A communiqué at the end of the meeting was issued with several recommendations made to government. The communiqué signed by Head of Programs at the Regional NCCE Office, Peter Ayamga charged government to create rooms for more women to occupy key positions in government. It said women involvement in the decision making process would contribute immensely to addressing the numerous challenges affecting their wellbeing. A well carried out research, the communiqué stated suggest that women elevation to assuming leadership positions in cabinet would ensure balance and equity in the country’s decision making process considering their vast potential in managing the affairs of their families at the household level. The communiqué implored government to consider appointing a woman as Regional Minister for the Upper East Region since the position has become vacant following the election of Mr.  Woyongo as MP for Navrongo Central.  More women, it further suggested, should be appointed as board members in corporate institutions and agencies. The communiqué was hopeful that with more women in key governmental positions, the decision making process of the country would be improved for the better.

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Upper East Records 165 cases of domestic abuse

The Upper East Programmes Officer of Action Aid Ghana, Gregory Dery, has described as worrisome, the increasing rate of abuse meted out to women in the region.  He said though the region witnessed few cases of rape and defilement, records from the regional office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) reveal that 165 cases of abuse were recorded between January and November, this year with 86 being cases of assault. The Regional office of CHRAJ for the same period under review recorded 214 cases, though information gathered from their end suggested that 50 percent of violent abuses were not reported due to several factors best known to the victims involved. Mr.  Dery was not happy that with the intense public education on domestic violence, people still perpetuate violence against their victims, particularly women notwithstanding the harmful implications of their actions. Mr. Dery was addressing participants at a meeting jointly organized by the Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM) with support from other key stakeholders in Bolgatanga. The meeting attended by representatives of various NGOs and pressure groups sought to address human right concerns with focus on actions that are considered injurious and dehumanizing to many, especially women and children. It also sought to review the prospects, challenges and achievements of the Community Based Anti-Violence Teams (COMBAT) established in some selected districts of the region and to chart the way forward. Mr. Dery in his presentation challenged the traditional authorities to complement the effort of government and other civil society organizations in combating gender based violence, which he noted, has been on the increase in spite of the numerous community sensitizations geared at halting the practice. He said Ghana has come a long way and it is high time we walk the talk and show genuine concerns in addressing the plight of the poor and vulnerable in society. He further pointed out that Action Aid Ghana as an anti-poverty NGO has for years played its mandated role of improving the conditions of the excluded in society and charged other stakeholders to contribute their bit in ensuring the rights of the vulnerable. For her part, the National President, Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM), Betty Ayageba recognized the tireless effort of the various COMBAT teams for their watch dog role in resolving cases within and outside their jurisdiction. Their effort he observed had contributed in reducing domestic violence and other socio-cultural practices in their localities and urged them to forward cases beyond their reach to the appropriate quatres for redress. She told Radio Ghana that the meeting was expected to deepen the morale of the COMBAT members in addressing issues affecting the livelihood of the people. The existing COMBAT teams, she assured, would be sustained and replicated in other districts to help in combating crimes in the region. There were messages from CHRAJ and other human right NGOs on the protection of rights of individuals in society.

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MP elect calls on constituents to assist in the development process of his constituency

       

The Member of Parliament elect for the newly created Bolgatanga East Constituency, Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has called on his constituents both home and abroad to assist in the development programmes of the constituency. For him, his quest to accelerate the pace of development in the area would only come to fruition if he is given the needed support and corporation. Dr Ayine who also lecturers at the University of Ghana (UG) hinted that a number of developmental projects including the construction of access roads, dams, bridges , boreholes and extension of electricity among other social amenities have been earmarked for execution and appealed to his constituents to go beyond tribal and partisan lines and support his development agenda. This, he said would enable him execute such projects within a shorter period of time. Dr Ayine announced this when he took turns to go round his constituency to thank the people for the confidence repose in him. He was accompanied by some NDC constituency executives and party stalwarts that supported his bid to become the MP elect for the new constituency. Dr Ayine pledged an open door policy and assured the people that he was going to use his position to impact positively on their lives, particularly the poor and the disadvantaged.  He further promised to work in tandem with the youth, traditional authorities as well as other key stakeholders in the constituency to enable him perform his duties with diligence. According to him, an office block would be constructed for the party to help facilitate their core mandate of ensuring speedy development in the area. He urged the rank and file of the party to support President John Dramani Mahama in his bid to pursue the Better Ghana agenda. Whilst commending party members for voting massively for the MP elect and President John Mahama to victory, the Constituency Secretary, James Nsoyuure encouraged supporters of NDC to remain calm as the NPP battles with the EC over alleged electoral fraud at the just ended general election.

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Woyongo renews government’s commitment to bringing total development to the north through SADA

Government in line with its effort to bridging the widening developmental gap between the north and the south introduced the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority as a way of tackling the socio-economic problems facing the three regions of the north.  Speaking at the 25^thAnnual Samanpiid Festival at Bawku, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo, said  the NDC government will not relent its efforts in massing up developmental projects through SADA which is an agricultural-based programme. According to him, government, through SADA, has established numerous factories and mentioned one mills plant and a cement factory. Others include a sheanut factory constructed at Buipe, two rice mills and a groundnut processing factory which is still on the drawing board to be constructed in the next couple of years. Mr. Woyongo, who is also the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for Navrongo Central pleaded with the electorate to retain the NDC into power to enable it advance the Better Ghana Agenda. Responding to some request made by the Bawku Naba, Mr.  Woyongo assured the people of Bawku to construct dams to embark on large scale farming during dry season. He thanked Bawku Naba for recognizing the development effort of the NDC-led administration in the area which he indicated has brought tremendous improvement in the livelihood of the people. Naba Abugrago Azoka in a speech read for him, commended government for creating new districts and constituencies in the area. He also commended the government for subsidizing the price of fertilizers for farmers, as well as efforts made to reconstruct the Bawku-Bolgatanga high way among other interventions. Mr. Woyongo cautioned residents of Bawku not to capitalize on this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections to foment violent conflict, bearing in mind that conflicts only help to retard a society from developing. He also extended his advice to the media and the security not to compromise their professionalism for political expediency since any misdemeanor from them could cause mayhem in this year’s general elections.

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NPP to provide more jobs for the teeming youth

           

One major factor facing the youth in Ghana is lack of job creation which makes them idle around aimlessly thereby jeopardizing the development process of Ghana. This unfortunate situation undermines their self-confidence; elude their dignity, thereby making them a threat to social peace and development. Job creation must necessary be the priority for any government and leader that aspire to govern the country. In this direction, the New Patriotic Party, NPP, has pledged to provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youth to better their living conditions. Addressing enthusiastic party supporters and students of the University of Development Studies (UDS) Navrongo Campus, the Presidential candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo said his party was poised to advancing the cause of the youth through jobs. Nana Addo stressed that if given the nod, the NPP will focus on solving the unemployed canker by equipping the youth with requisite skills at the senior high and tertiary levels to enable them fit the job market. Nana Addo’s visit to the campus, formed part of his one day visit to the Upper East Region to attend a Regional Rally at Bolgatanga. He was accompanied by his running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Parliamentary candidate for Navrongo Central, Kofi Adda and some NPP National and Regional Executives.  He said the economy size and structure of Ghana’s economy was not big enough to provide jobs for the people and as a result, the Nana Addo led -government will modernize the economy to improve upon the educated workforce.   On the free senior high school policy, he stated that, there will be a rapid educational infrastructure in the first eighteen months in office. He also disclosed that about 350 new senior high schools will be established from the scratch as well as rehabilitate and expand the existing ones. With all these, he added, will ensure that there is value for money in all that they do.  Nana Addo Dankwa said, building more schools and expanding existing ones means that there will be high demand for teachers to fill the vacant classrooms. In this regard, they will empower and expand the colleges of education to operate in full capacity to train more teachers’ for distribution to the numerous senior high schools through out the country as envisaged. Nana Addo Dankwa said the universities of Cape Coast and Winneba will be given incentives to stick to the core mandate of training more teachers, adding that the next NPP led-government will put high premium on science and technology to train more scientists and technologist to innovate the economy through research. Such innovation, he stressed, will give Small and medium scale entrepreneurs, a boast in terms of high and quality production to increase revenue.

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Four Parliamentary candidates in the Bongo Constituency battle it out

05-12-2012       

A keenly contested debate involving parliamentary candidates in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region recorded high turnout as contestants battle for ideas to win the support of their constituents. They are the Mr. Albert Abongo, incumbent NDC MP for Bongo, Madam Diana Aburiya Asuure on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Jacob Kofi Nsoh of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and Peter Ayamga Akugre of the Convention People’s Party (CPP). All candidates during the course of the debate demonstrated high spirit and willingness to see to the total development of the area when given the nod to represent the people in parliament. Representatives of the three opposition parties, the NPP, PNC and CPP said the incumbent over the past decade has not live up to expectation and explained that the incumbent MP has failed in his duty to bring meaningful development to the area. According to them the people are fed up and need a change to help change the fortunes of people. Mr.  Abongo in reaction to the allegation said much has been done in the four years of the NDC rule and outlined some developmental projects including the much awaited Bolgatanga-Bongo road network which is currently under construction as ample evidence to battress his claim. Mr Abongo who has been an MP for Bongo since 2001 till date declared that the Better Ghana agenda being pursued by the ruling NDC was on course and that Ghanaians were  about to experience much development in the area of infrastructure. This, he noted, requires the collective effort of all by renewing his mandate and that of President John Dramani Mahama to enable him continue with his developmental agenda. The NPP represented by Madam Asuure said with the introduction of the free SHS and other good policies of the NPP, Ghanaians will be better off as the incumbent has derailed from their core mandate. Mr Nsoh of the PNC and Akugre of the CPP said they were fed up with the NPP and NDC and therefore there was room for change. They said when given the nod they were going to excel beyond the expectation of Ghanaians and appealed to electorates to give them the mandate. The four candidates were subjected to questions in the area of sports, health, employment, agriculture and education among other sectors of the economy. The Bongo District Director of the NCCE, Anthony Atia said he was impressed with the performance of the candidates adding that the debate was organized to enable the people make informed decision as to who to vote for in the forthcoming polls. It was organized by the NCCE in collaboration with the Inter Party Dialogue Committee (IPDC).

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