Internet use identified as bane to reading culture of students

20-02-14  

A cross section of students at the launch

The Administrator, Ghana Association of writers, GAW, Ebo Assan Donkoh, has described as worrisome, the manner at which students applies themselves to modern technology at the expense of their books. He observed that student’s lackadaisical attitude to reading gives cause for concern and attributed the major cause to regular internet use by students. The advent of information technology the world over, he explained, has revolutionized the reading habits of young people especially in second cycle schools. The turn of event, he noted, have reduced interest in reading of printed materials, vocabulary development, general knowledge and broadmindedness. Mr. Donkoh, expressed the worry at the regional launch of the Association’s school outreach programme in Bolgatanga.  The launch, attended by selected Senior High Schools, SHSs, in the region was on the theme: ‘Nurturing Reading and Writing in schools”. Mr  Donkoh stated that though internet use has to a larger extent enhanced students’ learning experiences and paved way for information sharing and research, reading online screens tends to be significantly different from reading printed text.  For him, parents and teachers have a greater responsibility of instilling regular reading habit in children. The Regional Chief Inspector of Schools, Madison Amokase, told Radio Ghana that reading as an activity and reading proficiency have for the past decade declined significantly, resulting in  fallen academic standards, particularly, at the basic level. In view of the situation, his outfit has put in measures to whip the interest of reading among students and mentioned effective monitoring and supervision as some of the interventions. He said for the country to restore the culture of reading, students at the basic level should be encouraged to read to enable them unearth their literary skills. The Vice President of GAW, Dr. Gheysika Agambilla, was hopeful that reading and writing can be restored to their former glory, if schools find it necessary to form literary clubs. According to him, GAW and the Ghana Education have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that gives GAW access to more than 500 SHSs across the country to form and run literary clubs. He urged the beneficiary schools to ensure the sustainability of the clubs by monitoring their activities.

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Two health facilities benefit from Neo-natal Intensive care services in the U/E

21-02-14  

Dep Dir Health Services, Mr Lucio Dery

The Upper East Region under a Korean funded project has benefited from the establishment of Neo-natal Intensive Care Services at two major health facilities in the region. They are the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital and the War Memorial hospital at Navrongo. The facilities have been stocked with the necessary tools and equipment, whilst staff had received training to sharpen their skills. The Director of Administration and support services at the Regional Health Directorate, Lucio Dery made the disclosure at a  stakeholder’s workshop on essential new born care in Bolgatanga. The initiative which has two components and covers districts in the Northern and Upper East Regions has the Korean International Co-operation and UNICEF as its funding agencies. Mr Dery announced that the health sector in the region was keen to ensuring the survival of new born babies especially in their first 28 years of life. In the light of this, the region has engineered numerous interventions such as the Kangaroo mother care to reduce high infant mortality. He said performance results achieved under neo-natal care services had shown that babies born with low birth rate  that were suppose to die had survived and this has been a continuous trend for the past three years. Mr Dery commended the invaluable role of the various health service providers particularly midwives and community health officers and charged them to intensify their activities and enhance their follow up visit on new born babies. He said new born care services still leaves much to be desired considering the increasing rate of neo-natal and child mortality. He however challenged major stakeholders to step up their effort and support the available new born base interventions to help accelerate the pace towards achieving Millennium Development Goal four, MDG4. The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister,Daniel Syme, challenged key stakeholders involved in the project implementation to collaborate and establish critical linkages to avoid power and personality conflicts. He also urged the various assemblies to embrace the project and work to bring quality health care delivery to the doorstep of the people in the region and beyond.

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U/E Regional Police Command vow to weed out criminals in the region

22-02-14   

The Upper East Regional Police Command says it will enhance proactive measures and work tirelessly to weed out criminals that are bent on dragging the name of the service into disrepute. Moreover, personnel of the service will be resourced to handle miscreants in the society in order to bring crime rate to its barest minimum and if possible eliminated.  The in-coming regional Police Commander, ACP Simon Afeku gave the assurance at the Annual end of year get-together popularly known in the service as the West African Security and Social Activity (WASSA) of the Ghana Police Service in Bolgatanga. ACP Simon Afeku, reiterated his resolve to foster good relation with all supporting agencies including the media, adding that security was a shared responsibility. He moreover pledged to deal decisively with persons that have the intention to live above the law. The out-going regional Police Commander, ACP Isaac Alex Quainoo re-emphasised the role of the police in dealing with crime in the region. He entreated the police to be extra vigilant in clamping down on criminals whose activities pose a security threat to the prevailing peace of the region and the country at large. He also tasked personnel of the service to remain professional and create room for public co-operation to expose criminals from their hide outs. Giving statistics on the crime rate in the region, ACP Alex Quainoo said cases of robbery, rape and murder witnessed a significant reduction whilst cases of deaths through accidents reduced from 3,516 last year as against 3,155 cases recorded in 2012. He added that though 61 deaths were recorded, those incidents occurred from areas where vigorous road safety exercises were not carried out. He however implored the police to intensify their operations to reduce the number of deaths in the region. He expressed the hope that his successor would continue from where he left to enable the region enjoy relative peace and security. Meanwhile, the deputy regional commander, ACP Peterkin  Gyinae, is schedule to go on transfer to the Volta Region as the substantive regional commander.

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U/E records significant reduction in road fatalities last year

Accident scene

ASP Daniel. K. Teye, MTTU Commander  

Available statistics from the Upper East Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Unit, MTTU, of the Ghana Police Service reveals that road carnage in the region, particularly motorbike crashes recorded a significant reduction in 2013 as compared to 2012. The Regional Commander of the MTTU, ASP Daniel Kwao Teye, who made the revelation to Radio Ghana said though there was a decline in the number of road fatalities, it was still necessary for all to collectively join in the crusade against  road accidents. According to him, his office will continue to intensify its road safety campaigns and called for attitudinal change to addressing the menace. Motorbike crashes in the three regions of the north had caused the lives of many leaving a high number of people having permanent deformities. In 2012, one hundred and sixty one cases were recorded with 63 deaths whilst   the year 2013 recorded a decrease in the number of deaths. Most of these deaths were recorded in the Bolgatanga and Navrongo municipalities. During the year under review about nine hundred motorists in the Bolgatanga municipality were processed for court due to road traffic offences in the region and paid close to GH¢42,000  as fines. They were charged with various offences such as overloading, wrongful overtaking, over speeding, blatant disregards for road traffic regulations as well as driving without the requisite driving documents among other offences. ASP Daniel Kwao Teye, said had it not been the intervention of the police through it rigorous road safety campaigns and continuous operations to the clamp down road traffic offenders, the number of fatalities in the region would have been higher.  He stated that though various interventions have been mapped out to deal with road accidents, the rate at which road accident was killing people in the region gives calls for concern. He said the region as at the beginning of the year had recorded nine deaths, stressing that should motorists continue to ignore road safety regulations, there could be more deaths in the months ahead.  ASP Kwao Teye however implored motorists to exercise caution when using the road.  According to him, stakeholders’ particularly religious bodies have a role to play in the fight against road accident and urged them to complement the effort of the police in dealing with the situation.

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CWSA/RCC sign agreement to provide water for deprived communities

22-02-14    

The Consultant to the Project, Emmanuel Obeng Atuah (standing)

DCE for Garu appending his signature to the contract agreement

 The Community Water and Sanitation Agency under the Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing has signed a contractual agreement with the Upper East Regional Coordinating Coordinating Council to ensure the construction of a multi-million dollar water system for the various municipal and district assemblies of the region. The project which is said to cost 10 million dollars with an expected completion module of 8 months is intended to provide small town water supply system for thirteen communities within nine selected districts in the region. At a short ceremony held in Bolgatanga, 15 qualified contractors represented by their respective municipal and district chief executives appended their signature to the agreement for work to commence. The small town water supply system for the beneficiary communities will among other interventions ensure the provision of point sources with the construction of 250 No boreholes fitted with hand pumps. The system has been designed for a period design horizon and it is expected to serve a total projected population of 53,000 covering over 250 communities including Zorkor and Bongo Soe communities as well as Pwalugu, Duusi,  Widana and Kadema communities among others. At the signing of the agreement pact a, the Consultant to the project, Emmanuel Oware Atuah announced March 7 2014 as the date for the official commencement of the project, which he noted involve the completion of institutional latrines and pipe schemes. According to him, the various municipal and district chief executives have the oversight responsibility to spearhead the various projects within areas of their jurisdiction.   He said the execution of the project will be done on lot basis and will require the involvement of qualified engineers to ensure their successful implementation. The Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed Muniru who witnessed the signing of the contract agreement stressed the need for all to complement government’s effort to providing potable water to all. He used the platform to commend the contractors for sailing through the bidding and evaluation processes and tasked them to go by the tenets of the contract terms and guidelines to ensure quality delivery. Alhaji Limuna moreover cautioned them contractors against shoddy work, urging the assemblies to step up their monitoring and supervision activities.

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