Iyke: DVLA re-affirm stance to go autonomous

Iyke: DVLA re-affirm stance to go autonomous: Story by Isaac Asare                         The Director Driving Training and Operations at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Au...

DVLA re-affirm stance to go autonomous

Story by Isaac Asare    

                   

The Director Driving Training and Operations at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, DVLA, Cheyuo Wienaa Musah, has re-affirmed the authority’s readiness to wean itself off government subvention based on its financial footing coupled with the requisite human resource capacity. 

He said his outfit was currently undergoing massive transformational change and with the necessary equipment and expertise in place, it was poised to becoming self-sufficient. 

Mr Wienaa-Musah further underlined increased revenue generation, cost reduction and improved customer relation and training as some of priority areas that are being given the necessary attention to enhance the growth of the authority. 

Mr Wienaa- Musah disclosed this when management of the authority led by the new, CEO, Ing Noble John Appiah payed a day’s working visit to the Upper East Region to interact with staff and familiarize himself with their operations.

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The Finance Minister, Seth Tekper in his presentation of the 2014 budget announced government’s resolved to wean twelve agencies off government funding within a spate of three years. 

Government agencies involves are DVLA, the EPA and the Energy commission. 

These agencies are the first batch to be affected by this new policy.  

 Nine other agencies are being identified and reviewed to follow suit in subsequent years. 

According to the Finance Minister, there were enough justifications for them to go independent considering their financial competencies and proven track record in the area of revenue generation. 

Therefore, the decision by management of DVLA to go autonomous was in accordance with the proposed policy by government.  Mr Cheyuo Wienaa Musah is the Director Driving Training and Operations at the DVLA.

 He told Radio Ghana that the authority has conducted the necessary SWOT analysis to that effect and was confident that the with the right policies in place, they are ready for the task.

Mr Wienaa Musa said in the face of its transformational revolution, the authority was working tirelessly to redeem its corporate image and build on customer satisfaction to discard the long-held negative public perception on its activities. 

According to him, efforts are being made to improve customer relation while ensuring a high  level of transparency in their operations.   

This, he said was a one of the major reasons for embarking on the nationwide tour to remind staff of their core duties. He spoke about effects of the proposed transformational change.

He moreover disclosed that the authority was bent on setting a standard for itself, adding that efforts were being made to produce licensing documents that are valid enough to meet international standards and that the authority was aligning processes to achieve the set objective.

In November last year, government appointed Ing Noble John Appiah as the new CEO for the DVLA. Ing Appiah, a former Managing Director of Metro Mass Transit, succeeded Mr Rudolf Beckley.    

The nationwide tour was to afford the CEO the platform to acquaint himself with staff, sell his philosophy and chart the way forward in addressing their challenges.

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Wild dogs on expedition spree invades Kumbosco in Bolgatanga‏

Residents living in and around Mbilabun, a deserted section within Kumbosico in the Bolgatanga Municipality are gradually losing their domestic and farm animals to some wild dogs that have invaded the area of recent.

Residents are currently living on tenterhooks as activities of these wild dogs has become a major source of worry to the people.

Mbilabun, is a vast grazing area reserved for the grazing of animals.

However, domesticated animals that roam the area to graze fall prey to these ferocious dogs.

They are ambushed, attacked and eaten by the hovering dogs leaving their carcasses for other birds to feed on.

Narrating the situation to Radio Ghana, a concerned individual, Florence Ayamga said members of the community are yet to unravel the mystery behind the attack because this is not happening for the first time.

Speaking to Radio Ghana's Correspondent, Isaac Asare, Mrs Ayamga, said there had been past experiences but it appears this time round, the rate of attack has assumed an alarming proportion, requiring urgent intervention to salvage the situation.

The expedition spree by these wild dogs, she bewailed, was affecting the livelihood of the people since majority of the inhabitants depend largely on their livestock for survival.

She said surprisingly, these hunting dogs numbering more than five often launch attacks on their victims in broad day light, but since the area looks quite and deserted, hardly will one witness such attacks on the animals.

A resident of the area who gave her name as Atipoka, confirmed the invasion of the wild dogs in the community.

She lamented that within a week, the community loses up to 20 animals to the dogs.

She confirmed witnessing an incident where ten dogs pounced on a sheep that had just delivered but said to her utmost surprise, they ate the sheep leaving the kid.

She however, called for practical measures from the community members to halt the incessant attacks.

The Assembly member for Kumbosico electoral area, Thomas Nyaaba told Radio Ghana that several attempts have been made to arrest the situation but all to no avail.

He said anytime members of the community organised themselves to attack the dogs, they escape and resurface unnoticed.

He announced his resolve to discuss with the unit committee members on the matter to enable him come out with an amicable solution.

The Municipal Veterinary Officer, Mr Thomas Anyorikeya believes the dogs are domestic ones that are not taken care of by their owners have come together to hunt for food and once they are able to succeed in feeding on their preys, they do not not see the need to go back home, hence their stay in the bushes.

For him, they are wild dogs that have taken advantage to depend on these stray livestock. He, therefore, proposed to members of the community to expedite action by identifying their abode and disperse them.

Once that is frequently done, they will be left with no option than to disappear.

He also advised livestock owners to confine their animals and make sure they are fed appropriately to control their movement to such dangerous grounds.

Mr Anyorikeya also seized the opportunity to announced advise residents of the area to prepare their cats and dogs for vaccination against rabies and that the exercise had just began and will be extended to Kumbosico, Zuarungu and its adjourning communities.

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Health Professionals charged to develop right attitudes to stay in the profession

Story by Correspondent Isaac Asare

Dignitaries present at the function.  From the extreme left is the Bawku Divisional Police Commander, Lovelace Tefutor

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The Principal of the Bolgatanga Nurses Training College, Bawa Amealu says the Nurses and Midwives Council, is concerned about the high level of arrogance and indiscipline exhibited towards patients by some health care providers. 

He expressed regret that the attitude of some health professionals was undermining efforts at ensuring quality health service delivery. 

The trend, he noted has brought the noble profession into disrepute as it has remained a major public concern. 

Speaking at the joint matriculation ceremony of health training institutions at Bawku in the Upper East Region, Mr Amealu, disclosed that council was seriously working towards improving the attitude and quality of service by caregivers and reminded health professionals to act as agents of change by developing the right attitude and competences to enable them fit into the new era of the profession. 

Principal Bolga NTC, Bawa Amealu

The broad objective of bringing together all the health training institutions in the region to be matriculated at a common ground was geared towards establishing institutional linkages to promote efficient and effective use of resources and also project the image of the Health Training Institutions (HTI) which are considered as centers of academic excellence. 

As enshrined in the NRC Decrees and LIs of the Nurses and Midwives Council Act, the induction of the matriculants was to nurture them to become professional and responsible cadres committed to delivering quality health service to the citizenry. 

The ceremony which brought together representatives of the Nurses and Midwives Council of Ghana, Principals of the various HTIs, government officials and heads of decentralized departments saw 1,199 matriculants being inducted into the five health training institutions across the region. 

They are the Community Health Nurses Training School at Navrongo, the Zuarungu Health Assistant Training School, the Bolgatanga Midwifery Training school, the Bolgatanga Nurses Training College, as well as the host institution, Bawku Presbyterian Nurses Training College. 

Students responding to the matriculation  oath

Addressing matriculants at the 6^th joint matriculation ceremony, the Principal of the Bolgatanga Nurses Training College, Bawa Amealu recounted the negative attitude of some health care providers and lamented that the trend was defeating the purpose for which the profession stood for.

 He observed that such negative attitudes are often imported from the various institutions into the health service and challenged the principals of the colleges to instil discipline in their students. 

Mr Amealu, further charged the matriculants to show empathy towards patients and clients and adapt the right attitude to be able to adjust to the changing times.

A representative from the Health Training Institutions Secretariat , Lawrence Lawson congratulated the matriculants for meeting the needed entry requirements and appealed to them to carry themselves in a dignified manner as society expects much from them. 

He said with the establishment of the secretariat, health training institutions will receive the needed assistance and will subsequently consider tackling the numerous challenges facing the affected institutions.

Speaker after speaker highlighted the urgent need for health professionals to show love and compassion towards clients and not add up to their woes and predicaments. 

Matriculants : Nankong Brutus of Bolga NTC and Bukari Rashida Bawa of Presbyterian Nursing Training College, Bawku

Matriculants were later ushered into the five nursing training institutions under an oath administered by the Principal, Zuarungu Health Assistants Training College, Michael Yidana. Some of the matriculants shared with Radio Ghana their commitment to care for the sick and give comfort for the dying.

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Upper East records appreciable turnout in nationwide pilot biometric registration exercise

 

Specimen of the Biometric Registration Card belonging to the MCE for Bolgatanga Central , Philip Aboore

Mr Oscar Baah, Municipal EC Officer

Today's nationwide pilot biometric registration exercise in the Upper East Region was quite smooth and peaceful.

 EC officials at the designated registration centers were up to task and were able to address some petty issues relating to the registration. 

In the early hours of the day, the region recorded some rain showers making the weather favourable and pleasant. 

Also at the initial stages of the exercise, people did not express much interest in the exercise. Perhaps the apathy stems from the fact that it was a market day and most people were at the markets to transact business or may be the publicity was not that encouraging since the selection of the piloted areas was done few days ago. 

Sixty applicants successfully underwent the exercise in the Bolgatanga Central Constituency. 

The exercise which took place at the Zamse Senior High and Technical School, ZAMSTEC, earlier recorded a low turnout but the number improved over time registering 20 women out of the said figure. 

Speaking to Radio Ghana at the end of the exercise, the Municipal Electoral Officer, Oscar Baah, said though he was impressed with the turn out as well as the level of collaboration from the applicants, he would have wished the weather was a bit warm to ascertain whether the upgraded kits could stand the harsh prevailing weather condition often experienced in the region. 

He also dispelled some media reports that went to suggest that members of the opposition NPP boycotted the exercise. 

According to him, there is no iota of truth in such reports. 

He cited an unfortunate incident where two applicants made away with their registration forms without the consent of the EC officials. 

 The mishap, he explained, was addressed when the victims were later identified and made to return the forms. 

Meanwhile, the exercise went on smoothly at the Saligba JHS in the Bongo District. One significant thing about the center was that a number of some visually impaired persons were present to take part in the exercise. 

At the end of the exercise, 61 people had successfully  registered. 

The District Electoral Officer disclosed to Radio Ghana that the process encountered some slight challenges in relation to the fingerprint scanner used in capturing the fingers of the applicants.

 Few voters, he explained delayed the process due to the inability of the machine to capture their fingers.

GBC NEWS                                             END                                       IA/