Orphanages challenged to uphold ethical values

Presentation ceremony done by Evangelis Nii Odoi and received by Richard Adongo

Evan Adams Akurumolga_ Project Director, Bongo Church's of Christ Orphanage

Evangelist Charles Nii Odoi

The Minister in Charge of the Odorkor Church's of Christ, Evangelist Charles Nii Odoi, has challenged the country’s orphanages to uphold to their ethical values in order not to defeat the purpose for which they were established.

He said the recent media exposé by ace investigator, Anas Amereyaw Anas, speaks volume of the level of abuse being meted out to inmates at the orphanages.

He however, appealed to managers of the orphanages to act as care givers and not subject vulnerable children to ill –treatment all in the name of orphanages.

Evangelist Nii Odoi, made the call when he presented 50 pieces of student mattresses valued at 5, thousand five hundred Ghana cedis to the Bongo Church of Christ Orphanage at Bongo in the Upper East Region.

Radio Ghana's Correspondent Isaac Asare reports that in June last year, the Help Ministry, which is a development and relief agency under the Church's of Christ assisted its branch in Bolgatanga with 80 bags of used clothing and assorted foot wares for onward distribution to needy institutions in the municipality.

The symbolic donation which was made possible through the support of benevolent committees of over 45  religious denominations in the Accra metropolis was to improve the lives of the less privilege in society.

The ministry also assisted the Bongo Church of Christ Orphanage with an unspecified amount to cater for the needs of the inmates.

The Director of the Orphanage in appreciation thanked the ministry for the show of concern and called for additional support in the area of feeding and beddings. The donation of the mattresses was in response to the clarion call made by the orphanage.

At a special handing over ceremony, Evangelist Charles Nii Odoi of the Odorkor Church of Christ, reminded Christians to see to the welfare of orphans in order to gain favour from God.

He bemoaned the maltreatment children go through in the hands of caretakers at some orphanages and called for a paradigm shift.

Evangelist Nii Odoi, also appealed to individuals and corporate bodies to provide financial and material support for the orphanages.

The Board Chairman of the Orphanage, Richard Adongo, was grateful for the gesture and assured the donors to put the items to good use. In line with the vision to providing hope for over 500 poor and needy children in the district, the Bongo Church of Christ Orphanage has grown to become one of the household Christian institutions in the Upper East Region. It has over the years chalked tremendous successes.

Inspite of the success story,Evan Adams Akurumolga,  the Project Director of the home says 
 the orphanage was still confronted with other challenges that require the support of concerned individuals and organizations. 

GBC NEWS                                      END                                                       IA/

Contesting gate to the Bolga skin threatens legal suit against counsel to the late chief

Lawyer John Ndebugri

One of the contesting gates to the Bolga skin has threatened legal suit against John Ndebugri, counsel to the late Bolga Naba, Naba Martin Abilba.

At a news conference held in Bolgatanga, spokesperson to the group, accused lawyer Ndebugri for meddling in the current chieftaincy affair in the area.

Lawyer Ndebugri is also alleged to have taken an entrenched position instigating the family of the late chief to install a regent.

This the group said is unacceptable as due process has to be followed.

They are therefore urging Lawyer Ndebugri to remain neutral in his actions and inactions since they will be left with no option than to consider a legal tussle against him.  

Report : 

Until recently, residents of Bolgatanga Traditional area has enjoyed relative peace and has for years remained one of the peaceful municipalities in the country.

Since the death of the late Bolga Naba, confusion has rocked the traditional area with contesting gates battling over who should succeed him.

The impasse between the said gates is before the judicial committee of the regional house of chiefs for redress. Last Saturday, armed men wielding machetes and other dangerous weapons descended on some sub chiefs injuring five in the process.

The victims who were on their way to attend a meeting at the Bolga Naba’s palace were assaulted on suspicion that they were aiding the family of the late chief to enskin a regent.

The latest event nearly marred the relative peace being enjoyed by the people in the municipality but with the swift intervention of the police, the situation was brought under control. 

At a press conference held yesterday, one of the contesting princes to the skin accused the counsel for the late Chief, Lawyer John Ndebugri of interfering in the skin affair.

According to the group, Lawyer Ndebugri is nowhere related to the skin and that his involvement in the matter was an attempt to destabilize the peace in the area. 

Spokesperson for the group is cautioning lawyer Ndebugri to stay off the matter or made to face legal action.

 Speaking to Radio Ghana's Isaac Asare, lawyer Ndebugri described as baseless all allegations leveled against him. He said as a counsel  to the late chief, he is only performing his duty as a legal practitioner and that he has been entrusted the legal right to provide counsel for his clients on any issue that calls for judicial attention.

 On the issuance of legal threat against his personality, Lawyer Ndebugri, said he was going to react appropriately by launching a formal complain to the Police and the Regional Branch of the Ghana Bar Association for the necessary action to be taken.

 Lawyer Ndebugri hinted that a successor to the vacant skin has been elected after series of meeting held last Saturday, adding that per the Constitution of Ghana and `the Chieftaincy  Act, (Act 759) of 2008, the Bolga Naba elect will be duly outdoored and installed at the appropriate time.

                                                       
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Victim of last weekend attack in Bolgatanga detained by hospital authorities

ASP Agbenyo

Four of the five sub chiefs who were brutally assaulted by a group of armed men in Bolgatanga have been treated and discharged from the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital.

Speaking to our Upper East Regional Correspondent Isaac Asare, the Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Thomas Agbenyo, disclosed that one of the victims who sustained severe cutlass wounds during the attack is still on admission at the hospital due to the severity of his condition.

The sub chiefs were attacked by unidentified men wielding machetes and other offensive weapons while on their way to attend a meeting at the Bolga Naba’s Palace.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Regional House of Chiefs is scheduled to convey an emergency meeting today with the Regional Security Council to find a lasting solution to the impasse.

Since the incident, no arrest has been made though the regional police command is conducting investigation into the matter.

According to the Police PRO, ASP Agbenyo, the police will not rush to apprehend the perpetrators, adding that any arrest made in a haste could spark of violence.

But legal practitioner, John Ndebugri, disagrees the statement, describing it as unfortunate. First comments from the Regional Police PRO.

A source says last weekend’s attack is in connection with the chieftaincy dispute between two royal families to the Bolga skin, following the death of Bolga Naba, Naba Martin Abilba.
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Five Elders to the Bolgatanga Skin Attacked

MCE for  Bolga Municipality, Edward Ayagle

Some of the elders

Some elders and sub chiefs related to the Bolgatanga skin were this afternoon attacked by some unidentified persons while heading to the Bolga Naba’s Palace to attend a meeting.

The attackers who wielded machetes and other dangerous weapons subjected the elders to thorough beating thereby inflicting cutlass wounds on five of them. They are currently on admission at the Bolgatanga Regional hospital pending investigations.

The Chief of Yibong, who was identified as one of the victims sustained severe cuts on the head with the rest sustaining various degrees of injuries.

One of the victims, John Agolma, said no reason was given for the said attack and that he was spared because one of the attackers identified him as a former Assembly member.

The Upper East Regional Police Command has so far deployed a number of police personnel to provide maximum security for the chiefs and people of the area.

The Regional Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Thomas Agbenyo, who is following the unfortunate turn of event, said the deployment of his men was an interim security measure necessary to prevent any possible clash between factions of the skin.

As a way forward, an emergency meeting has been conveyed by the Regional Security Council, REGSEC involving the MCE and other opinion leaders to find an amicable solution to resolve the impasse.

The MCE, Edward Ayagle, has assured residents of the area to remain calm since adequate security has been provided to ensure their safety.

According to him, he will prevail on both factions to exercise restraint in order not to disturb the current prevailing peace in the municipality.

So far, all the chiefs that were called for the meeting have been dispersed and are being granted police escort to travel back to their various destinations.

The Bolgatanga Skin became vacant following the death of Naba Martin Abilba, a year ago.



GBC

Dep Attorney General secures funds for school project

          

The Deputy Attorney General and MP for Bolgatanga East, Dominic Ayine, has secured 46 thousand, nine hundred and eighty seven Ghana Cedis from GETfund to ensure the completion of a six unit classroom block and an office for the Apindongo -Katanga community at Zuarungu. 

The project, which is currently at the roofing stage, was awarded on contract in 2011, but remained stalled due to lack of funds. 

The delay in the execution of the project had been a major concern to the people, and this prompted the MP to intervene. 

At a presentation held at Zuarungu, the Bolgatanga East Constituency Chairman of the NDC, Solomon Adombire, handed over the cheque to the contractor on behalf of the MP. 

He urged the contractor to do due diligence to the gesture and ensure that the project is executed on time devoid of shoddy work. 

The contractor for his part promised to use the money for its intended purpose. Asampana Abugre, a community leader, thanked the MP and GETFUND for responding to their plight.  

He told Radio Ghana that the successful completion of the project will inure to the benefit of the people since it will ensure an increase in school enrolment and also enhance quality teaching and learning at the basic level.

GBC NEWS                                                         END                                                        IA

Residents urged to join in the fight against poor sanitation

Record has it that over 70 percent of OPD cases recorded at the various health facilities in the Upper East Region are sanitation related diseases with malaria being the number ailment reported each day.  

The rest include diarrheoa and cholera which  had claimed the death of some residents in the region. 

The Regional Manager of Zoomlion Ghana, John Sackey, who made this known said the health sector of the country spent heavily in fighting sanitation. 

Moreover, government utilizes chunk of its resources to provide medication for malaria and other related diseases.

 Mr Sackey disclosed this to Radio Ghana at the end of today’s National Sanitation Day exercise held in Bolgatanga. 

He said since sanitation was a shared responsibility, it was incumbent on all to complement the effort of government by practicing sound environmental cleanliness.   

Mr Sackey also called for attitudinal change in the fight against sanitation since Zoomlion cannot shoulder the responsibility alone. 

The exercise began at the premises of the Regional Office of the Ghana Fire Service and ended at the Metro Mass Transport, MMT, yard. 

Present were dignitaries including the MP for Bolgatanga Central, Opam Brown Akolbire and the MCE for Bolgatanga Municipal, Edward Ayagle. 

Personnel from the various security agencies including staff of Zoomlion Ghana and the MMT were there to lend their support.

 They desilted some chocked gutters and cleared other waste materials in identified areas. In a brief message after the exercise, the MP and the MCE said was high time people embrace the national exercise considering the poor sanitation in the country.

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CSM kills two in Bongo

           

Mr Awuni

               

The Upper East Regional Disease Surveillance Officer, Baba Awuni has refuted media reports that suggest an outbreak of cerebrospinal Meningitis, CSM, in the Bongo District. 

He said though the district has recorded two deaths out of eight suspected cases, the situation still puts the district close to an alert threshold, and it is only when it records 10 cases per week that an epidemic threshold could be declared. 

Mr Awuni, identified the dead as 14 year old girl from Atampisi and a 57 year old woman from Ayopia communities. 

He tells Radio Ghana's Isaac Asare that he is not surprise the region had recorded early cases of meningitis because experience showed that the disease usually occurs between October and May, reaching its peak between March and April.

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Interior Minister calls for renewed partnership between Prisons and Police

Interior Minister, Mark Woyongo

The Minister of the Interior and MP for Navrongo Central, Mark Owen Woyongo, has called for renewed partnership between Prison Officers and Personnel of the Ghana Police Service in dealing with inmates of the country’s prisons.

 He said following the attempted jail break in Kumasi which led to the death of one inmate, it has become imperative for the two institutions to foster closer relations to forestall any future occurrence. 

As a way forward, Mr Woyongo, disclosed that talks were ongoing with the Director of Prisons to ensure that such collaboration was extended to the rest of the regions. 

Speaking to Radio Ghana's Isaac Asare in Bolgatanga,  Mr.  Woyongo outlined plans by his ministry to resource and decongest the country’s prisons.  

Overcrowding at the Kumasi Central Prisons is said to be one of the factors for the attempted jail break. 

 GBC                                                                       END                                       IA

Bolgatanga: Ghana to face major shortfall in tomato production

Vegetable farmers particularly those in the Upper East Region are not likely to go into tomato production since they no more find the venture lucrative.

According to them, the dysfunctional Northern Star Tomato Factory, at Pwalugu, which is supposed to serve as the main market centre for their tomato produce, speaks volumes of their inability to engage in tomato farming.

This means that tomato queens will now resort to buying tomato in larger quantities from neighbouring Burkina Faso. In view of the situation, experts in the vegetable sector of the region predict a major shortfall in tomato production this year.

Perhaps an indication that Ghanaians are going to buy tomatoes at a higher price on the market.

Radio Ghana's Correspondent, Issac Asare engaged the thoughts of the Upper East Regional Chairman of the Vegetable Farmers Association, Donald Samani on the issue.

Mr Asana said in the face of the challenges, executives of the association made efforts to engage management of the company to discuss issues relating to a price fixing among others.

He said though series of meetings were held to that effect, tomato farmers in the region are still not convinced because they believe the factory is still battling with other challenges in terms of crates, marketing and delays in carting the produce from the farms to the factory, hence their resolve to pull out from the business.

In an interview, the DCE for Talensi, Edward Awunnore, confirmed that the tomato factory at Pwalugu is not fully operational as expected, but said the assembly is in discussions with an investor who has expressed interest in reviving the factory.

The Talensi D C E assured the workers that the investor will arrive in Ghana by next two weeks to assess the situation at the factory, and urged the farmers to exercise restraint.


GBC NEWS                                                            END

Ghana Close to winning AFCON 2015

Ghana’s Senior National Team the Black Stars were winners over their Guinean Counterpart in what could be described by soccer pundits as the most fascinating match in the ongoing AFCON tournament.

Black Stars midfielder, Christian Atsu gave a good account of himself after coming close to scoring a hat trick during the fierce quarter final game yesterday.

Ghana won three goals to nil with Atsu scoring the opener while Akwesi Appiah who featured for the first time proved himself by scoring the second goal as a result of a defensive blunder from the Guinean Defence.

The victory over the Syli Guinean National team has given high hopes as the Stars are two steps ahead to winning the ultimate cup.

As the Black Stars prepares to meet the home side Equitorial Guinea side in the semis, most soccer fans are hopeful that with the current level of commitment and zeal exhibited by the stars, they were poised to win the cup for the fifth time.

Attached audio is some expectations from residents of Bolgatanga in an interview with Radio Ghana's regional correspondent Isaac Asare.

GBC NEWS                                     END                                                                      IA

U/E tops forced and early marriages

02-02-15            

Research has shown that the Upper East Region was leading in terms of forced and early marriages.  Subsequently, the practice was still prevalent in most deprived areas of Ghana despite the country’s law frowning on it. 

The Director of Afrikids,  a child right NGO, Nicholas Kuma who made this known said forced and early marriages  was against the fundamental human rights of victims, hence the need for organizations to intensify their public education to conscientize people on the practice. 

Mr Kumah, was speaking at the durbar of the Chiefs and People of Yorogo, a community in the Bolgatanga Municipality to honour its citizens that have contributed to the development process of the area. 

Speaking on the theme “Home recognition and encouragement towards development, the Chief of Yorogo, Naba Johnson Awuni, stressed on the urgent need to give recognition to persons that have distinguished themselves in various fields of endeavour. 

While acknowledging the effort of individuals and organisations in the development process of the community, Naba Awuni called on the people to embrace education and take responsibility for the welfare of the children. 

He lamented on the developmental gap in the area of education and appealed to the Assembly and the Ghana Education Service for support. Individuals and organizations were honoured for their contribution to the development of the area, the Director of Afrikids, Nicholas Kumah, was one of the awardees.

GBC NEWS                          END                                           IA/