Shippers Authority underscores the vital role of trade information

Lack of information on trade rules and procedures had been identified as one of the key disincentives of traders using the country’s borders.  The Chief Executive Officer, CEO of the Ghana Shippers Authority, (GSA) Dr Kofi Mbia, who made the observation further identified lack of critical information on ECOWAS Trade protocols in the form of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) as one area militating against the competitiveness and effectiveness of trade across the sub region. In a release signed and copied to the GBC in Bolgatanga, Dr Mbia underscored the vital role that trade information plays in facilitating trade and admonished importers and exporters to make judicious use of the available border information centres provided to address undue delays and bribery faced by traders. It moreover implored shippers to be trade complaint whilst calling on customs and other trade officials to endeavour to streamline their procedures so as to avoid the said delays and added cost to shippers. The statement explained that the objective of setting up the border information centres was to give trade advice through the promotion of trade procedure manuals on custom administration and road governance. In addition the border information centres offer ready assistance to shippers and transit shippers by way of information, which undoubtedly helps in trade facilitation across borders. The Ghana Shippers Authority is of the fervent hope that with the effective utilisation of the border information centres, particularly, in Paga and Dakola, trade flow between Ghana and its neighbouring countries would be greatly enhanced.  This will in turn enhance the competitiveness of Ghanaian importers and exporters as well as transit shippers.

GBC/REL                                                                  END                                                   IA/

Ghana is second to Togo in terms of Road Governance: USAID report reveals

A quarterly report published in October and December last year by the USAID West Africa Trade Hub placed Togo ahead of Ghana in terms of road governance in the sub region.  A Transport Specialist at the USAID West African Trade Hub, Noel Kossonou who made the revelation in Paga, said though Ghana’s performance has been one of the best in the sub region, there is more room for improvement.  Mr Kossonou presented the fact to Radio Ghana at a day’s training programme organised for importers, exporters, transport operators and clearing agents at the Paga-Dakola Border in Paga.  The training session was to enlighten participants on border procedures, create a platform for stakeholders to communicate with border officials and also review the current activities of Border Information Centres. It was subsequently aimed at providing recommendations to improve the services the centre provides to better assist stakeholders at the border.  According to Mr kossonou, Ghana use to be the best but with the removal of excess barriers and road check points, Togo was able to outwit Ghana as custom officials and the police succeeded in eliminating most of its fake check points.  The move, he noted, was worthy of emulation and appealed to the police and other security agencies to assist in removing some of the illegal check points for easy facilitation of goods and people.  He lamented that corridor studies conducted by his outfit identified Police harassment at the country’s borders and check points as the major challenge and complaint received mostly at their end. These complaints, he indicated were against the police since they were culpable to practices of extortion and bribes. Mr Kossonou however reminded the police to desist from such practices as it undermines the integrity of the country’s effort on road governance. He seized the opportunity to commend the Paga border for its sterling performance in terms of bribery, revealing that, the Paga border collects less than 2 dollars on average per truck as compared to countries like Mali and Burkina Faso.  He noted that in terms of delays,   Paga ought to do better since transporters spend close to four hours based on the quarter data analysis by the USAID–West African Trade Hub. Mr Kossonou was hopeful that with prudent mechanisms put in place, Paga was poised to become one of the best in the country. He was additionally hopeful that with the training program, participants would be abreast of the best practices for imports and exports and make use of the border information centre to help avoid delays and bribery on the country’s road corridors.

Group commends Prez Mahama for his resounding victory in the 2012 election

31-01-2013    

A group calling itself the Youth of Kassena-Nankana East has called for God’s wisdom and protection for President John Mahama as he takes the mantle to lead the country after emerging victorious in the 2012 elections. The group mainly from Manyoro, Natugnia, Nabango, Kandiga ,Yua, Sirigu and Mirigu among other communities in the eastern corridor of the Kassena-Nankana area says the elevation of John Dramani Mahama to the high office of the president has come a better time since he possess the necessary leadership qualities and charisma to lead the country to the promise land. The victory of President Mahama they said was a victory for all, adding that the group will do any anything humanly possible to support his tenure in order for him to pursue the better Ghana Agenda promised Ghanaians. In a statement signed by Timothy Atoa a representative of the Mirigu traditional Area, the group implored all Ghanaians irrespective of party affiliation to give the president the needed support to enable him perform creditably in the discharge of his duties. It also took the opportunity to congratulate all presidential candidates in the 2012 election for their role in enriching the country’s democratic credentials. To the other political parties that are in one way or the other aggrieved as a result of the election, the statement is appealing to such parties to place the plight of Ghanaians above all things and ensure that their actions and inactions do not undermine the current  peace enjoyed in the country. It further commended Ghanaians for the show of maturity and the peaceful manner at which the election was conducted and called on all to put aside tribal and political differences, but rather forge ahead and unite for the purpose of peace and development in the country.

GBC/REL                                           END                                                 IA/

Rural Banks challenged to prioritize internal control mechanism

21-01-13   

Rural Banking Institutions across the country have been challenged to initiate internal control mechanisms to enable them add value and efficiency to their banking operations. This will in turn minimize the occurrence of irregularities such as fraud and other malpractices like embezzlement of funds by staff, which appears to have permeated the rural banking industry in recent times. In a speech read for him at the 22^nd Annual General Meeting of Naara Rural Bank Limited in Navrongo, the Managing Director of ARB APEX Bank Limited, Kodjo Aye Kusi, emphasized the urgent need for smaller banking institutions to prioritize and strengthen their internal controls to ensure adequate and effective measures to enhance standards. Adherence he further explained will help improve performance for the attainment of their set objectives. He stated that modern business of banking has become very competitive and risky, hence the urgency for banking institutions to adapt to modern trends. Mr. Aye Kusi however advised boards of smaller banking institutions to put in place risk management policies required to identify and mitigate the vulnerability to which the banks may be exposed.  He also challenged them to sharpen their skills in ICT to ensure that customer service and staff training are considered for the survival of rural banks. Presenting the Bank’s general performance for the period 2010/2011, the Board Chairman of Naara Rural Bank, Simple John Aniba announced that the bank since its inception in July 1981 had undergone tremendous transformation, since its performance indicators shows positive trends in the area of loan delivery and recovery as well as net profit before tax among others. The bank, he revealed chalked an increase of 145.18 percent on Net Profit before tax, whilst loans and advances recorded 63.55 per cent increase for the period under deliberation.  Apart from investment –short term that recorded a decrease of 25 .55 percent, all other areas in terms of net worth and deposit. Despite the gains made in some operational sectors, Mr. Aniba was worried about the rate of loan recovery which, he noted was below expectation as a result of delays in payment, especially contract loans. He said the challenge due to the use of legal procedures and monitoring by field officers, resulted in the recovery of some monies from defaulters. Moreover with prudent managerial skills and strategies coupled with collaboration from stakeholders, worrying concerns of the bank are given the needed attention. Mr. Aniba showed gratitude to stakeholders including ARB APEX Bank, the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) and the Rural and Community Bank-Inter Connectivity Project for the successful execution of the computerization of the bank’s operation and called for more support in other areas. He pledged that efforts would be intensified to put the bank on a high pedestal.

GBC                                                              END                                                       IA/

 

‘Let the guns go silent’ Woyongo decries

18-01-2013    

Factions involved in the protracted Bawku conflict had been cautioned to let the guns go silent so as not to allow unscrupulous and disgruntled persons to take advantage of the situation to perpetuate violence. Reacting to the recent shooting incident in Bawku resulting in the death of one person and injuring several others, the outgoing Regional Minister and the MP elect for Navrongo Central, Mark Woyongo said Monday’s incident was not in any way connected to the popular Bawku ethnic conflict but rather a criminal act dastardly committed to undermine the effort of peace building in the area. Mr Woyongo publicly condemned the attack and assured the public that the security is working around the clock to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime. Mr Woyongo who was speaking at an emergency meeting of stakeholders and REGSEC in Bawku, however warned that those found culpable of the act will find themselves at the wrong side of the law. The meeting involving representatives of the two factions including the minority group was conveyed to fashion out remedies to the incessant reprisal attacks in Bawku and subsequently chart the way forward in boosting security in the area. Mr Woyongo observed that majority of the people in Bawku are in possession of illegal arms, stressing that with the least provocation, such people take up these deadly weapons to commit crime. To this end, the Regional Security Council in connection with the Bawku Municipal Assembly has instituted a reward package of GHc3,000 for persons that relay reliable information leading to the seizure and recovery of any illegal and offensive weapons to the police. Relatively, persons that voluntarily hand over their arms and ammunitions to the security would also be entitled to the same amount. Mr Woyongo assured the public that any information given to the police would be confidentially handled to ensure the safety of the informant. During an open forum, issue of constant dialogue, accurate reportage, and justice were considered as some of the strategies necessary to put an end to the unnecessary retaliatory attacks in Bawku. The Bawku MCE, Musa Abdullai in his closing remark urged the people of Bawku to remain calm whilst the police take step to avert such unfortunate incident in the future. He entreated the people to help expose criminals from their hide outs since they pose a serious threat to security in Bawku. Mr Woyongo in the company of REGSEC members took turns to visit and sympathize with the family of Faisal Awudu, the 21 year old footballer who lost his life in the recent attack.

GBC                                                          END                                                           IA/

Woyongo debunk media speculations

Regional Director  GBC  URA Radio, Bolgatanga

Out-going Minister, Mark Owen Woyongo 

Staff members of the station

17-01-2013                               

The outgoing Regional Minister for the Upper East, Mark Owen Woyongo has described as false the widespread rumour peddling in some section of the media that the Mahama-led administration has tipped him as the favourite for the position of a Defence Minister. He said as far as he is concern, the authenticity of such media reports are mere fallacy and should be   taken with a pinch of salt. According to the newly MP–Elect for Navrongo Central, he was taken aback when the news first broke out. Nevertheless, should he be offered the opportunity to occupy a high position in government, he was going to exercise his duty with diligence and work to the best of his ability. He made these pronouncements during a get-together organized by Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC URA Radio) at Bolgatanga. The gathering which was marked amidst feast and merry making afforded staff of the corporation the platform to put to fore their concerns and challenges militating against their operations. It was also an opportunity for them to bid the Minister fair well as he embarks on his journey to parliament in Accra. Mr. Woyongo used the occasion to advice media practitioners to be factual in their reportage and not relent on pure speculations and rumours. He however expressed his profound gratitude to the management and staff of GBC for the cordial relationship and collaboration accorded him throughout his term of office. He further commended staff of the news department for their sense of professionalism exhibited in the discharge of their official duties and urged them to remain circumspect in their reportage for others to emulate. The Minister however assured management of URA Radio that GBC that, matters affecting the operations of the station would see the day of light since he will liaise with the appropriate bodies to help address those concerns. The Regional Director of GBC/URA      Radio, Mr. Tahiru Abdul Razak Mohammed, thanked the minister and the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) for their continuous support for the station.  He however reminded the minister to see to it that the station gets a stand by generator, which he noted, had been the major challenge over the years. Meanwhile,  staff of the station  took the opportunity to congratulate the minister for his new position as MP elect for Navrongo Central and encouraged him to work towards the development of the region and Ghana as a whole

GBC                                                     END                                                                IA/

GBC commended for credible and outstanding media coverage during 2012 Election

16-01-2013           

The new DCE for  Talensi District of the Upper East Region, Edward Awunnore has commended the state broadcaster, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) for its efficient, diligent and dedicated manner it conducted itself of handling the 2012 polls. Speaking to Radio Ghana at Bolgatanga, Mr Awunnore expressed deep appreciation to management and staff of the GBC for its impressive performance during last December’s elections. He said notwithstanding the hullabaloo’s that characterised the electoral process, GBC stood tall among all the media outlets in the country, stressing that their output contributed towards the success of the December 7 General Elections. He said what reservation any of the political parties may have had regarding some aspects of its performance, there is no denying fact that GBC made an excellent  contribution to making the election free, fair peaceful and transparent. He was of the fervent hope that with this laudable achievement, GBC was at the edge of becoming an excellent media enterprise capable of competing with some of the best media empires in the world. Mr Awunnnore, moreover entreated staff of the corporation to work towards improving upon its performance in the years ahead in order to keep the momentum. He also challenged other media institutions to follow the trails of GBC by exhibiting high sense of responsible media reportage devoid of negativities that frowns on the ethics of the   journalism professional . Touching on the alleged electoral fraud petitioned against the ruling NDC by the opposition NPP, Mr Awunnore advised sympathisers of the party to remain calm as the Supreme Court adjudicate on the matter. He said for Ghana  to avert any future electoral misfortune, the Electoral Commission among other recommendations should fashion out ways of providing the quality of human resource to ensure the proper handling of the biometric machine since most people were disenfranchised during the electoral exercise. The biometric system of voting he observed was a sign of innovation as afar as technology in election is concerned, therefore concerted efforts must be made to improve upon its usage.

GBC                                                             END                                                                  IA/

Pupils of Aniego assisted with decent classroom accommodation

Section of dignitaries present

Overview of the school

DCE assisting in the sod cutting ceremony

Section of participants 

15-01-13   

Pupils of Aniego in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region had been assisted with a decent classroom accommodation to facilitate effective teaching and learning. The 6-unit classroom block with ancillary facilities is being funded by the Bawku West Assembly under the GETFund at the cost of GHc192, 476. At a brief sod cutting ceremony held at the school premises, the District Chief Executive, Alhaji Anabah Moro said the provision of the new edifice demonstrates government’s resolve to enhance effective quality education through the elimination of school under trees in deprived communities of the country. This he said was a way of actualizing the Better Ghana Agenda promised by the ruling NDC. In partial fulfillment of the said promise, Alhaji Moro was happy to announce that 40 percent of the over 4,000  ‘under tree school’ had been replaced and assisted with  decent classroom blocks, citing Aniego Primary school as a beneficiary. The move by government, he indicated, has ensured massive school enrolment, thereby augmenting the academic performance of students in schools. According to the DCE, the assembly would this year facilitate the construction of 2 Unit Kindergartens for Lamboya Model and Azanga Primary schools whilst all Junior High schools would be connected to the national electricity grid. In addition, 500 dual desks would be supplied to schools district- wide. Alhaji Moro therefore used the platform to encourage teachers, pupils and community members to take proper care of the school to preserve its lifespan. The Presiding Member of the Assembly, Moses Aduk Pam implored the leadership of the community to take ownership of the school by contributing their bit to ensure its progress and sustenance. He was optimistic that with the establishment of the school, enrolment of pupils will increase tremendously and called on parents to see to the education of their wards since education is a constitutional right. The Headmaster of the school Malik Mathew and the Deputy Director of Education, Gilbert Abugri showed gratitude to the assembly and the government for the show of concern and called for additional support in the area of teacher accommodation and borehole to alleviate the plight of pupils at the school.  Aniego Primary school which was set up in 2007 now has a student population of 402.

GBC                                                                               END                                              IA

BONABOTO is not an appointing Authority: National President declares

03-01-2013       

The National President of BONABOTO, Lance Adoguba Adua has decribed the widespread speculation that BONABOTO was spearheading the appointment of heads of institutions and agencies in its catchment areas, namely Bongo, Nabdam, Tongo and Bolgatanga. Mr. Adoguba Adua described such allegations as null and void with no iota of truth, adding that BONABOTO contrary to the alleged assertions seeks the welfare and development of the region. BONABOTO as an advocacy and development oriented organisation, he indicated, collaborates with any viable institutions to resolve issues affecting the people. It also seeks to address the infrastructural deficit bedevilling the region. The organisation, he further said collaborates with all stakeholders within their reach for advancement of their socio-economic development. Mr. Adoguba Adua who was addressing participants at the 8^th National Congress and Homecoming of BONABOTO in Bolgatanga said, BONABOTO despite the widespread public condemnation, will continue to partner the appropriate institutions to propel the development of the Upper East and beyond. This year’s congress which was on the theme: ‘Ensuring Collaboration for the Development of the Upper East Region’ brought together members of BONABOTO both home and outside the region. Also in attendance were some key personalities including the Executive Director WANEP, Emmanuel Bombande, His Excellency, Donald Adabere, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Mali and the Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority, Mr Richard Anamoo, who represented as the chairman for the occasion. Whilst acknowledging the invaluable contribution of BONABOTO for the past years, Mr AdogubaAdua highlighted some achievements chalked and mentioned the continuous advocacy for peace in Bawku and  the proposed construction of an ultra-modern hospital for the region as some gains made. The proposed health facility, he said, would start in earnest. The approval of Gurune as an examinable language at the Senior High School level by the GES, he added was partly due to the continuous lobbying by BONABOTO and urged government through the Education Ministry  to expedite action by pushing the language through this academic year while awaiting budgetary allocation. The Regional Chairman for BONABOTO, Didacus Afegra, for his part, thanked the government for responding to the numerous developmental calls and appealed for more support in the area of health and education. Mr Afegra also appealed to government to consider tarring the access road networks in the region and also give the region a public university while upgrading the existing university campuses of the UDS in the three regions to full fledge universities. Mr. Afegra however entreated people in the region to help create the enabling environment for development to strive. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Mark Woyongo emphasized government’s resolve to ensuring that development reaches the nook and crannies of the country and urged members of BONABOTO to complement the effort of government in achieving its development agenda.

35 Medical Outreach Team Conducts 286 Surgeries in the U/E

Members of the Medical outreach team in action

02-01-13    

A well composed 35 medical outreach team has successfully conducted 286 surgeries in various health facilities of the Upper East Region. The team comprising ophthalmologists, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, anesthetics, bio-statisticians and one nutritionist also embarked on general and surgical consultative services including public health education on breast cancer screening and nutrition among other health issues. Briefing Radio Ghana in Bolgatanga, the leader of the team, Prof. Francis Abantanga, a consultant Pediatric surgeon at the Komfo Anokye teaching Hospital said the decision to embarked on the  outreach programme was to offer free humanitarian services to the poor and less privileged by bringing health care delivery to their doorstep. Their activity also forms part of efforts aimed at alleviating the deplorable medical situation in deprived communities of   the country, particularly northern Ghana where majority are entangled with diseases of all kinds. In summary, it is to reach out to the poor and the aged who are most often denied medical attention due to their plight and vulnerability. According to Prof.  Abantanga, who is also a lecturer at the School of Medical Sciences, he said the outreach programme which began in December, 21 2012, took care of cases such as hernia, hydrosol, lumps, among other complicated health problems. These, he hinted, were done with the assistance of some oncology nurses and selected medical students. In all, 542 breast cancer screening was conducted whilst 1,313 people were educated on good health, good diet and how one can manage cancer when affected. Prof Abantanga mentioned the Nangodi and Tongo health centres, Zebilla hospital,  Afrikids medical centre and the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital as some of the health facilities that benefited from the outreach programme in the region. Similar facilities in Nadowli and Jirapa in the Upper West Region had benefited from the package. Mr.  Abantanga on behalf of the team acknowledged the partnership of some institutions in the country for their support, though the team is faced with inadequate funding to assist them carry out more surgeries in other deprived health facilities in the country. He was optimistic that with the needed financial support, the team would be able to intensify its outreach programme to benefit more institutions and called on NGOs and other corporate bodies to lend their support. Mr. Martin Ananga whose 9 month old baby underwent a successful surgical operation at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital expressed deep gratitude to the team for their divine intervention. Mr Ananga described the team as God sent since all hope was lost leaving the life of the innocent child in jeopardy. 

GBC                                                                     END                          ISAAC ASARE