Bawku Naba Calls For Adequate Resourcing Of Security Personnel At Bawku To Ensure Peace

The Overlord of the Kusaug Traditional Area, Zug Ran Bawku Naba, Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka, says recent developments in Bawku concerning security were dastardly acts perpetrated by people he referred to as cowards and bandits.

He said such people are only trying to test the ability of the security on the ground as they have taken advantage of the ethnic situation to indulge in criminal activities.

Bawku Naba, however appealed to government to meet the needs of the security personnel to enable them to deal decisively with the security problems of Bawku.

He made the call when the Upper East Regional Minister, James Zuuga Tiiga, accompanied by his deputy, paid a visit to him at his palace to climax his tour of paramountcies in the region.

The Bawku Naba showed appreciation to the President for honouring their invitation to attend last year’s Samanpiid Festival.

He also thanked the President for the fair share of development projects in the area and mentioned the provision of boreholes and electricity as well as the expansion of the school feeding programme as some of the interventions.

Despite these developments, Bawku Naba, mentioned some areas that are dear to the hearts of the people and urged the government to assist them.

For his part, the Regional Minister thanked the Bawku Naba and his sub chiefs for the warm reception given him.

He said for Bawku to develop, there is the need for absolute peace and applauded the efforts of the chiefs for the manner in which cases of shooting and murder are handled.

While allaying the fears of residents in the area, the Regional Minister was hopeful that with time the detractors behind the rampant shooting in Bawku would be exposed for the law to take its course.

Mr Tiiga also used the occasion to remind the gathering about the deadly Ebola disease.

He said surveillance teams have been put in place to tackle any suspected case of Ebola and urged the people to report to any of the teams any suspected case.

The Minister and his entourage also paid a brief visit to the Ghana Immigration Service Division at Kulungugu to familiarize himself with their mode of operations.

Mr Tiiga urged personnel manning the area to be vigilant in the course of their duties so as to prevent migrants from entering the country with Ebola.

The Minister later paid a visit to the Ghana-Burkina Border post to interact with officials stationed there.

GBC

Police mad at authorities of Big Boss

       

             

 The Upper East Regional Police Command has taken a swipe at authorities of Bolgatanga Senior High School, BIG BOSS, for its inability to inform the police on their decision to welcome students back on campus after the institution was temporarily closed down last December following student unrest. 

The Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Thomas Agbenyo, who expressed the sentiment to Radio Ghana's Correspondent Isaac Asare, explained that the police ought to have been invited by the school authorities to conduct expert check to ensure that no student enters the school with any dangerous weapon.

 Moreover, the police were part of the committee that was set up to investigate the matter. Despite their non-involvement in the re-opening of the school, ASP Agbenyo said the police was leaving nothing to chance as it has taken measures to intensify its patrol activities at the school for safety reasons. 

In reaction, the Senior Housemaster of the school, Stephen Awasinap, apologized to the regional police command and the entire police force for the oversight. 

He stated that there was no ill intent as their decision to re-open the school was informed by internal and external pressure from both parents and students. 

It could be recalled that on December 1, 2014, management of the Bolgatanga Senior High School in consultation with the Regional Security Council resolve to close down the school to avoid rioting students from causing further damage to property belonging to the school.

 Earlier, some students went on rampage to express their displeasure on the circumstances surrounding the death of their colleague, Emmanuel Bawah, who fell and died on natural cause as autopsy report reveals.

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Zuarungu market earmarked for reconstruction

25-01-15                           

The MP for Bolgatanga East constituency, Dominic Akuritinga Ayine, has officially handed over a site for the reconstruction of the Zuarungu central market. 

The project was initiated when the MP lobbied for funds from the Ministry of Trade and Industry to upgrade the market since it has not seen any major reconstruction for many years.

 According to Mr Ayine, the gesture follows a promise he made during the political campaign era to his constituents especially traders and the market women to reconstruct the market to boost business activities. 

Mr Ayine said the market was currently in a deplorable state with dilapidated sheds which he noted does not befit the status of a central commercial town like Zuarungu. 

The MCE for Bolgatanga, Edward Ayagle, declared the assembly’s support for the project and said the assembly has set a committee to see to it that the project was well executed with the support of the people. 

Residents who have one or two structures on the proposed site have all agreed that the project should commence with no compensations paid to them. 

The project which has already been awarded on contract is being implemented by the Ministry of Trade through the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly. 

The project is worth GH¢ 1 million and it is expected to be completed by end of July this year. 

The MP also visited two sites at Zono and Pologo communities which have been earmarked for the construction of a CHPs compound and a three unit classroom block respectively.

GBC       NEWS                                                  END                                        

Defilement Suspect Granted Bail by Circuit Court in Bawku

   

The Police in Bawku is seeking advice from the State Attorney’s office before proceeding with an alleged defilement case involving one Wahid Azumah, a pupil teacher in the Bawku area. 

Though the suspect has been granted bail, some residents, particularly, parents and teachers who are concerned about the case told Radio Ghana that the news about the bail, came to them as a surprise. 

The Bawku Divisional Police Command has, confirmed that, indeed a case to that effect was reported to them in November last year and upon series of adjournments, Wahid Azumah, was granted bail by the Bawku Circuit Court. 

The suspect is expected to re-appear in Court on February 2, 2015. It was reported that, on November 22, 2014 the suspect, Wahid Azumah, allegedly defiled a 14 year old girl and was subsequently arrested. 

The 14 year old girl is said to be battling with severe pain as a result of the act, as it has caused serious injury to the private part with swelling developed around the Vulva. 

A concerned teacher in the Bawku Municipality, who declined to be mentioned said the suspect should be dealt with according to the country’s law on child molestation.

 He however pleaded with the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur, to attached much interest on the case and ensure that justice was done to serve as a deterrent to others

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Chiefs advocate for teacher training colleges

Regent of Tongo Trational Area, Naba Dan Kolbil

            

The Tongo Traditional Council in partnership with the Talensi District of the Upper East Region is initiating moves to establish a Private Teacher Training College in the District.  

Additionally, the two institutions is considering putting up a private senior high school to help improve quality education in the area and also absorb the high number of qualified students that do not gain admission into the various second cycle institutions. 

The Regent of the Tongo Traditional Area, Naba Dan Kolbil, who announced this, said the construction of the two institutions will go a long way to open up the area as far development is concern. 

He made the pronouncement when the Upper East Regional Minister, James Zuuga Tiiga, paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Tongo. 

The visit forms part of the Minister’s continuous tour to traditional areas and paramountcies in the region. 

Naba Kolbil, said adequate measures have been put in place to see to the successful construction of the two institutions and appealed for government’s support in that regard. 

He said land banks have been reserved by the various divisional chiefs for the construction of the said projects.

 The Minister’s visit also took him to Nangodi, Sekoti and Bongo, where he interacted with the respective chiefs on issues hindering their development agenda.

 One area of concern to the chiefs was the deplorable nature of the road networks within their catchment area and charged government to assist in making the road motorable. 

Top on the agenda was the need for government to prioritize education in deprived communities of the region. 

In view of this, the Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, Naba Salifu Alemyaruum requested government to assist the district with a teacher training college to absorb students from the six senior high schools in the district and beyond.

 He also challenged government to improve the water situation in the area by rehabilitating the Vea Dam which serves as the major source of drinking water for the region. 

The Paramount Chief of the Nangodi Tradtional Area, Naab Kosom Asaga Yelzoya, also requested government to support the people in the area with employable skills through effective social interventions to help alleviate their plight. 

The Paramount Chief for the Sekoti Traditional Area, Naba Sigri Bewong for his part, appealed to  the Regional Minister to ensure the adequate protection of the forest reserve in the area since rampant tree cutting and illegal mining operations were posing a major  threat to the reserve. 

Rounding up his tour, the Regional Minister said he will push forward the concerns of the chiefs to government for consideration. 

According to him, some senior high schools in the region will be converted into specialist teacher training colleges that will be used to teach French and other languages.

GBC NEWS                                  END                                                                        IA/

Five arrested in connection with a shootout in Bawku

Five suspected persons are undergoing thorough screening by the Bawku Divisional Police Command for their alleged involvement in a shootout that occurred last night at Asanga, one of the Zongo communities in the Bawku Municipality. 

The suspected persons will be processed before court if investigations proves their involvement in the said shooting incident. 

Confirming the incident to URA News, the Bawku Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Kalesci Tefutor, said one person who was badly hit in the process is now receiving treatment at the Bawku hospital while investigations are ongoing to unravel the cause of the shooting. 

According to him, the incident has nothing to do with the ethnic violence in the area and that police has intensified its patrol activities for the sustenance of peace and security.

GBC NEWS                                            END                                             IA/

Low women representation in elections worrying: RISEGNET

     

Ghana’s democratic dispensation does not forbid women to take part in the decision making process of the country, neither does it limit women from taking active part in elections of all forms. 

Notwithstanding, most women, particularly those in Northern Ghana  do not show much interest in contesting their male folks when it comes to elections, hence the low women representation in the District Level and Unit Committee  Elections.  

While some blame the situation on lack of confidence and superstition on the part of the women, others have attributed the cause to the ordeal women go through in the hands of their male contestants.

A Gender Activist who doubles as the Chairman for the Regional Inter-sectorial Gender Network, RISEGNET, James Dawud Abang-Gos, told URA News that party politics and gender stereotyping were some of the major causes that inhibits women from contesting in District Level Elections.

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About 1,004 people are contesting in this year’s District Level and Unit Committee Elections in the region. 

Out of the number 946 are males whilst 56 are women, a significant decline in the number of women that contested in the 2010 elections. 

Mr Abang- Gos, gave the breakdown of the total figure.

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EC fume over low turnout in District Level Elections

Mr Sulley Amadu (Middle)

            

The Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission in charge of Operations, Sulley Amadu, has described as regrettable the consistent low voter turnout at the country’s local government elections. 

He said the District level and Unit Committee elections has over the years recorded a low turnout of about 40 percent. 

The highest turnout, he cited, was 59 percent which occurred in 1988 and 89 before the coming into force of the 1992 constitution, stressing that the highest under said constitution was 41 percent in 1998. 

This, he noted, gives cause for concern and urged the media to intensify their advocacy role in addressing the numerous challenges affecting the effectiveness of the district level elections. 

He spoke with Radio Ghana’s Isaac Asare in Bolgatanga.

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Commenting on the electoral laws regulating the conduct of the District Level Elections, Mr Amadu, said, with the amendment of Act 473 and the coming into force of Act 801 in 2010, candidates are now permitted to mount their own campaign platforms. 

Moreover, organisations, that are desirous of supporting platform mounting, are obliged to root their resources through the commission to mount a platform for the common use of all the candidates. 

He gave an insight on the said amendments.

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Ghanaians have lost confidence in stars

19-01-15                   

Many Ghanaian soccer enthusiasts are not certain about the outcome of today's AFCON match between the Black Stars of Ghana and their Senegalese counterpart. 

The usual euphoria that often characterise matches played by the Black Stars has dwindled as most Ghanaians seem to have lost confidence in today's game. 

While some believe the stars can pull a surprise despite their abysmal performance at the last world cup debut, others think the stars cannot qualify beyond the group stages considering the caliber of players mapped out for the tournament which is currently ongoing in the Equatorial Guinea. 

Black Stars are in group C with South Africa, Algeria and Senegal. Radio Ghana's Isaac Asare and Yusif Abubakar sampled views of soccer fans in Bolgatanga to know their prediction in today's match.

GBC NEWS                                                              END                                                         IA/YA

Fire kills boy, 4 in Bolgatanga

              

Fire yesterday gutted one of the junior quarters in Bolgatanga killing a four year old boy. 

It took the timely intervention of personnel from the Ghana Fire Service to save two other children that were trapped in the building. 

Although the cause of the fire is not yet known, residents believe that it occurred due to electrical fault. 

At the time Radio Ghana visited  the scene, victims of the fire incident were picking their bit and pieces.  

The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Bolgatanga Regional morgue pending investigations to ascertain the cause of the fire. 

An eye witness who spoke to Radio Ghana on condition of anonymity said the fire began around 11: 40 am when the parents of the deceased child were at church. 

According to him, the three children that were inside the building started screaming for help. This, he said caught the attention of residents nearby prompting them to attend to the children. 

In their attempt to rescue them, two managed to escape the fierce inferno while the deceased child got trapped leading to his death. 

While others were commending the fire personnel for the swift intervention to put the fire under control, others believe that they should have done better to rescue the boy.  

Property running into thousands of Ghana Cedis were lost in the course of the fire as it swept through other rooms. 

The guardian to the deceased child, Mr Isaac Mensah, who was away when the incident occurred later resurfaced after assisting the police to deposit the body at the Bolgatanga Hospital Morque. 

He described the situation as unfortunate and said he was disoriented when the news of the fire was made known to him.  

The building in question is one of the Junior Staff Quarters occupied by staff of the Ghana Water Company. 

Due to the severity of damage caused to the building, officials of the company has deemed it prudent to resettle the affected victims. 

The Human Resource Manager of GWCL, Mr Sam Aninga,  who was present to assess the extent of damage caused said his outfit will see to the plight of the victims in due course.

    GBC NEWS                                                                  END                                          IA/YA