Shocking: Communities in U/E still indulge in FGM

Mr Shaibu Abubarkar, Pgms Mng of BEWDA

Narration: Research findings collated by, BelinWusa Development Agency, BEWDA and Action Aid Ghana both NGOs suggest that Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, known as female circumcision was still being carried out in most communities of the Upper East Region, particularly, the Bawku Municipality and its environs. Though concerted efforts have been made over the years to address the challenge, the practice still Bawku, Mognori, Pusiga and Mandango, despite the laws of the land frown on such a dehumanising act. The Programmes Manager of BEWDA, Shaibu Abubakar who revealed this to Radio Ghana said in the quest to end the injurious practice, it was incumbent on all concerned to join in the fight against the menace. Here is a report by correspondent Isaac Asare.

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Girls being made to undergo the practice (FGM)

Report

Female Genital Mutilation, a harmful and injurious act often executed without anaestetic and antiseptic treatment has for the last two decades suffered criticism from health experts and NGOs. At the local and international level, various laws have been passed to stop the practice which violates human rights and dignity. The act, which is practiced in most African countries sweeps across cultures, religions and continents. It involves the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia, a procedure that causes injury to the female organs. FGM is carried out with knives, scissors, pieces of glass or razor blades. Some practices place iodine or a mixture of herbs on the wound to tighten the vagina so as to stop the blood from oozing. Victims are mainly girs girls aged 15, and occasionally some adult women. Studies have shown that the age at which the practice is carried out varies from community to community. Some girls are circumcised shortly after birth depending on the community of family involved. This practice depending on the degree of mutilation employs some short and long term health implications as it affects the social and psychological wellbeing of the victims. Speaking to Radio Ghana, the Programmes Manager of BEWDA, Shaibu Abubakar, said some victims of FGM are subjected to severe pain and shock, thus causing complications in pregnancy and child birth. He said the sharp objects, used for the circumcision causes all sorts of infections and injury to the victims. These include uterus, vaginal and pelvic infections. Others are sexual dysfunction, urine retention and difficulty in menstruation. Mr. Abubakar, said notwithstanding the health implications of FGM, most practicing communities attach some cultural beliefs to the practice. Just like any other social behaviours, FGM is derived from varied and complex belief systems. He revealed that despite the public outburst against the practice coupled with the universal declaration marking the zero tolerance to FGM, practicing communities in parts of the Upper East still hides under the carpet to indulge in the act, thereby endangering the lives of innocent young girls and women. The Communities in and around Bawku have been noted for such a dehumanising practice despite the international outcry criminalising it. Mr Abubarkar called on traditional authorities as well as the law enforcement agencies to assist in clamping down on perpetrators.

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Memorial Day in honour of late comrade Asampanbilla

Tomb of Comrade Asampanbilla at Gorogo in the Bongo District

Cadres chanting and singing in honour of Comrade Asampanbilla

         

Comrades of the United Cadres’ Front, UDF of the NDC have been challenged to uphold the values and principles of probity and accountability as a means to fighting corruption at all levels of development. The National Chairman of the UDF, Comrade Kofi Aikins said corruption was gradually eating deep into the moral fabric of the Ghanaian society, and it was high time comrades of the revolution act as agent of change to eliminate the canker. Comrade Aikins made the call at a wreath laying ceremony held at Bongo in honour of Comrade Asampanbilla Agongo, a then government militia who died in a struggle to fight corruption. The celebration of Comrade Agongo coincides with cadres’ day celebration, a period set aside in memory of gallant cadres that stood against all odds to defend the ills country. Activities in line with the day include cadres’ awards and memorial lectures to be held in Bolgatanga under the theme: ‘The hallmark of Deepening Democracy –the cadre example’.  Comrade Aikins described the late Comrade Agongo as a brave and selfless cadre who is highly respected for his show of integrity and impartial concern for the public good. Narrating the ideal, the Deputy National Secretary of the UCF, Camillus Sakzeesi said late Comrade Agongo  met  his untimely death thirty years ago while operating at a check point in Gorogo, a predominantly farming community in Bongo,  where he comes from. In the course of his official duty as a newly recruited militia in the then PNDC era, Comrade Agongo was shot on a close range in a fierce resistance against smugglers that were being escorted by some border guards to Burkina Faso. The smugglers were in possession of bags of maize loaded on ten articulated trucks. Comrade Agongo in an attempt to stop the smugglers resulted in a scuffle. The then border guards armed with rifles instructed comrade Agongo and his men to run for safety. Sensing danger all those on duty succumb to the order but Comrade Agongo otherwise remained. In the process, one of the border guards shot and killed him instantly, after which they sped off leaving no traces.  It was at this backdrop that the cadres are dedicating his tomb to the people of Bongo and the region in recognition of his courage and sense of patriotism.   Comrade Sakzeesi echoed the need fellow cadres to unite and promote the tenets of probity and accountability as portrayed by the former president.  The out-going Upper East Regional Minister, Dr Ephraim Avea Nsoh who is also a cadre charged the people of the region to always recognize their heroes and emulate their character traits. He however called for attitudinal change and appealed to the cadres to always stand by the truth. Meanwhile, A minute silence characterized by the unveiling of tomb and wreath laying took place in remembrance of the late Comrade Agongo. The event was attended by senior cadres from outside the region including some revered chiefs and family members of the deceased comrade.

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Workshop to deepen decentralisation held

19-06-14               

Some women in leadership have proposed that women should be given enough resources and orientation to boost their confidence in district local elections. According to them, the increasing poor performance of women during assembly elections are primary due to the absence of financial and other resources to fund campaigns and appealed to all  concerned individuals and agencies to give women the necessary support and training to be able to  compete strongly with their male folks. Women, they further proposed should be given the needed educational support for them to deliver up to expectation. These concerns were raised at a day’s workshop organized by the Community Development and Advocacy Centre, CODAC, with support from Ibis Ghana at Bongo in the Upper East Region. The meeting was to dialogue with the various political parties to solicit support for the profiled women for the upcoming Unit Committee and District Assembly Elections. It brought together stakeholders including past and present assembly women, opinion leaders, political party representatives as well as heads of decentralized departments. In a presentation, the Programmes Manager, Seidu Musah Akagri, told Radio Ghana that his office through effective interaction with communities and research conducted on women leadership in the 2010 district assembly elections discovered low participation and representation of women in local governance. CODAC since the discovery has been collaborating with Ibis Ghana to promote women participation and representation in governance. This, he explained was to create awareness and deepen decentralization and democracy at the local level. In this respect, CODAC is fishing out for qualified women for profiling so that their capacities could be built to enable them compete effectively in the upcoming district level elections. He stressed on the urgent need for women to demonstrate their commitment by nurturing and encouraging other women to aspire for leadership positions. To him, women’s participation in political life is pivotal to social development considering the significant and invaluable role they play to the development processes. He further expressed the belief that women are the core actors of the society and needed the required push and recognition only if they are to get anywhere with the country’s development agenda. The Regional Director of the National Youth Authority, James Abang-Gos, said though provisions are made in the various political party manifestoes to  increase women representation in government, nothing concrete had been achieved in that regard. He said at the district level out of 54 elected and appointed assembly members, only 9 are females with the rest being males. Mr Abang-Gos, entreated political parties and stakeholders to bury their partisanship in the upcoming district level elections and support women to win the elections to correct the imbalances. Women were also asked to unite and avoid multiple female candidates in one electoral area.

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Call for Early National Delegate Congress Intensified

19-06-14            

The Upper East Regional and Constituency Executives of the NPP are calling on its National Executive Council (NEC) to put the necessary structures in place to facilitate an early national delegate’s congress for the election of a flagbearer for the party. a statement signed by the Regional Communications Director, Edmund Awuni, said the delay in organizing the party’s delegate congress will be detrimental to the party, since more money will be spent on campaign within the party. It added that as a united party focused on winning the next general elections, it was imperative for it to reduce spending on intra-party campaign. Early congress, the statement argued should be considered so as to enable alleged factions within the party to resolve all differences to pave way for unity, in case of any in the flagbearership race. It observed that adherence to an early congress, will afford the elected flagbearer ample time to market himself/herself, particularly at the constituency level. This will also give the flagbearer the opportunity to identify and address the needs of the constituents.  It however cautioned party faithful to avoid acrimony and divisions that the flagbearership may create. The party was urged to fully participate in the upcoming district level elections later this year. It appealed to the rank and file of the party to be guided by the principles and ideals of the party and further appealed to all to eschew divisive tendencies that could spell doom for the party. 

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BUCOBANK ranked No.1 among 16 RCBs in Northern Ghana

16-06-14    

BOCOBANK, hqtrs in Sandema

Board Members and dignitaries

Report by the Efficiency Monitoring Unit of the Association of Rural Banks, ARBs, puts the Builsa Community Bank Limited, BUCOBANK ahead of all the 16 Rural and Community Banks, RCBs of  Northern Ghana. As a result of its performance output, the bank for the year 2013 was rated satisfactory and ranked 20 out of 137 RCBs nationwide. The bank, despite its success story continues to perform creditably and has succeeded in making strides in the period under review.  This came to light at the bank’s 14th Annual General Meeting of shareholders in Sandema. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of BUCOBANK, Pascal Ayaric, who made this known in the bank’s 2012/2013 report,  observed that  the country’s macro economy  in the first quarter of 2012 recorded high rise in the rate of prime, inflation,  and treasury bill among other indicators. He said the increments coupled with hikes in the prices of utilities and fuel affected the growth of businesses including the activities of rural banks. Notwithstanding the challenges, the bank from 2011-2013 made a positive turn over in areas of asset, deposits, loan and advances, short term investment and tax profit in the period under review. Additionally, pre-tax profits, stated capital and net worth widened significantly within the same period with net worth recording as high as 44.8 percent increase in 2013 as compared to the 28.6 change over in 2012.  The bank over the past four years has consistently paid its dividends to shareholders and has fulfilled its Corporate Social Responsibilities, CSR in accordance with its resolve to commit 5 percent of its tax profit to CRS fund account. Beyond that the micro finance scheme of the bank continues to grow in numbers as well as loan portfolio.  Mr Ayaric, attributed the excellent performance of the bank to the prudent financial management of the board, staff and stakeholders and indicated the bank’s determination to create the enabling environment for stakeholders to increase their wealth. He however appealed to loan defaulters and guarantors to consider fulfilling their loan obligations to prevent legal suits against them. In a speech read for him, the Managing Director of ARB APEX Bank Limited, Kwadwo Kusi Aye commended the bank for its sterling performance and challenged it to work to be ranked among the first ten RCBs in the country. He said the central bank has increased its policy rate to 18 percent, an indication that ARB APEX has to adjust its lending rate from 15 percent to 20 percent and called on RCBs to partner his outfit in realizing its set objectives to make banking favourable and attractive to all. This year’s AGM of BUCOBANK brought together dignitaries including the Paramount Chief of the Builsa Traditional Council Sandem Nab, Azagsuk Azantilo, Member Council of State for the Upper East, Adezi Kanga and the Cletus Achaab, Former Board Member of the bank and the current Regional Director for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture among others.

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