Afrikids Ghana/UNICEF joins global campaign against child marriage

Considering the emotional, physical and psychological welbeing of victims, Afrikids Ghana, a child right NGO based in the Upper East Region has partnered UNICEF to organise a Child Right festival in the Nabdam District to end child marriage. 

Speakers at the function stressed on the urgent need for the public to join the global campaign to addressing the practice, which is said to be endemic in developing countries. 

Emphasizing on the theme" Ending Child Marriage, our collective responsibility', a Child Protection Officer at the UNICEF, Ruby Anang Korkor, echoed that though the phenomenon was becoming less common in Ghana, it was still paramount to allow the girl child to stay in school. 

Mrs Korkor urged parents to rise up to the challenge in ensuring that girls are support through schools and that poverty should not be an excuse in giving them out for marriage.

 Report

Child and forced marriages constitute a violation of human rights and is firmly rooted in gender inequality. Despite laws criminalizing such practices, they have remained widespread in most developing countries due to persistent poverty and gender inequality.

 Available statistics has it that in countries where child marriage is endemic, one in every three girls is given out for marriage before attaining the age of 18. 

The primary belief is that girls and women are seen as inferior to boys and men. 

This has increased their vulnerability, thereby depressing their fundamental right to make decisions for themselves. Ghana is ranked one of the countries in West Africa sub-region with the highest rate of child marriage. 

Interestingly, in all the administrative regions of Ghana, the highest level of child marriage is highly prevalent in the northern sector, with northern region leading in terms of numbers. Moreover, in the Central and Upper East Regions, one in ten adolescent girls is already married or in a union. 

It is for this and other reasons why Afrikids came up with the Child Right Festival with the ultimate aim to joining the global campaign to ending child marriage. 

The year-long project with funding by UNICEF is being implemented in 20 beneficiary communities within the Talensi and Nabdam districts. 

The initiative is a continuation of a piloted project undertaken in these two areas from January to June last year. 

The Talensi/Nabdam Area Manager of Afrikids, Silas Ayaaba said the festival was born out of activities under Afrikids child protection services, which are captured in the areas of health education, rights and advocacy as well as livelihoods, business and social enterprises. 

Child marriage is said to be more common in rural populations where poor and uneducated girls and women are more likely to get married twice as much as those in urban settlements. 

Moreover, 50 percent of adolescent gets married before age 18. Afrikids child right festival however serves as a platform to drum home the need for stakeholders to compliment the effort of NGOs and CSOs in dealing with the menace.

 This was clearly demonstrated in a heated debate by pupils of Sakote and Nangode West circuit. 

The debate was for or against the motion "Are parents to blame for child marriage".

On behalf of the Country Director of Afrikids, the Programmes Manager for the Complimentary Basic Education, CBE, Richard Amoah, entreated parents and teachers to support the global effort in ending child marriage and other forms of abuse against children. 

In a brief message, a Child Protection Officer at the UNICEF, Ruby Anang Korkor, said the incidence of child marriage was a shared concern and not to be blamed on parents. 

She said the best place for the child is to be in a family and called on all to continue to work with Afrikids on child protection issues and ensure that girls stay in school.          

 The Paramount Chief of the Nabdam Traditional Area, Naab Kosom Asaga Yelzoya re-emphasised the need for parents urged to let their girl child stay in school and most importantly protect them till they are of age to get married. 

 He further issued a stern warning against his sub chiefs who sometimes connive with some parents to give out girls for marriage. 

He warned them to desist from the practice since he will not hesitate to deal decisively with any chief found culpable. 

Naab Yelzoya further urged teachers to champion the cause by coming out with posters and other materials that will communicate effectively to pupils when in school.  

 The occasion was also spiced with a quiz competition and cultural performances by pupils Nangodi East and Zoliba circuit. 

In attendance were revered chiefs and officials from the Ghana Education Service among other functionaries. 

The Nabdam DCE , Vivian Anarfo  and the District Director of Education, Edward Azuri  were also present  to grace the occasion.

GBC 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Outgrower scheme critical in reviving defunct Northern Star Tomato Factory

     By Isaac Asare

Upper East Regional Minister, Albert Abongo says the intervention of an out-grower scheme with appropriate technologies constitute a critical requirement in the revamping of the defunct Northern Star Tomato Factory , NSTF, at Pwalugu. 

The NSTF factory formerly Pwalugu Tomato factory used to produce about 100 tons of tin tomatoes on daily basis. For years, the facility  has remained dysfunctional due to some operational challenges that had to do with perennial shortage of raw materials to feed the company. 

Mr. Abongo made the proposal in an interaction with members of the Upper East Youth Association, UEYA, in Bolgatanga. 

The delegation led by the Organizing Secretary of the group, Francis Adingo was to deliberate on issues bordering on the economic prospects of the region and also discuss how best they can share and contribute to driving its development agenda forward.

The Minister's comment on the Northern Star Tomato Factory was in response to questions raised by the group with regard to the neglect of defunct factories in the region, some of which include the Bolgatanga Meat factory and the abandoned Rice Mill project in Zuarungu.

 Mr. Abongo described as unfortunate, the current state of the NSTF. He expressed regret that despite efforts made by successive governments till date, the company has still not seen the light of day. 

He said the cost in the running of the company coupled with its operational deficiencies have been an albatross in breathing life into the company. 

Mr. Abongo maintained that looking at the present competitive business environment, no investor will risk investing in defunct facilities without reaping any meaningful dividend.

 This, he explained, was because viability plays a key role in building investor confidence and anything short of that might deter potential investors from injecting resources to resuscitate the facility. 

The region, he hinted, had so far received two delegations to access the state of the NSTF and issues regarding its operation were duly discussed openly for consideration with the expectation to receiving a favorable response. 

According to the minister, the major challenge of the company is about production. 

He observed that in order to ensure absolute viability of the company, there was the need to employ an out-grower scheme with new technologies so that farmers will be encouraged to venture into the production of raw materials to feed the factory. 

When this is done, the factory will be able to produce in high capacity and operate all year round. He moreover outlined plans by his office and the Trade Ministry to woo local and other foreign investors to take up the rest of the defunct factories to help create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.

 On roads, Mr. Abongo disclosed that in the not long distant future, the Bolgatanga town roads will be attended to. He said estate roads, the Extee Hotel extension and the library roads among others have been earmarked for asphalting. 

He added that the necessary consultation had been done with the regional office of the urban roads to that effect.

GBC                                                                 

Chiana-Paga NDC primaries slated for July, 9

NDC Parliamentary Primaries for the Chiana-Paga constituency in the Upper East Region had been slated for Saturday July 09, 2016.

The decision comes seven months after the constituency failed to run its own internal election alongside several other areas where primaries were conducted across the country on Saturday November 21, 2015.

Reasons for putting the primaries on hold are still not clear though reports indicate that the suspension follows threats from angry supporters of some aspirants over alleged attempts to disqualify their preferred contenders.

A letter signed and issued on June, 20, 2016 by the Party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia to the Upper East Regional Executives of the party stated that the report of the vetting of parliamentary aspirants for the Chiana-Paga constituency has gone through and that further investigations and the results have been updated.

The following have been cleared to participate in the election.

They are Abuga Pele, MP and Former National Coordinator for the NYEP, now GYEEDA, Jonathan Nyaaba and Lawyer Rudolph Nsorwine Amega-Etego.

Meanwhile, twelve thousand, 200 delegates are expected to choose among the three aspirants to lead the party into the proposed November, 7 polls.

The Chiana-Paga Constituency Chairman, James Kojo Kupanamo said the primaries will run at 48 electoral areas of the Kassena-Nankana West District.

He said all constituency executives are elated about the news, adding that modalities have been put in place to ensure a free, fair and transparent election devoid of violence.

GBC

Two implicated in alleged fraud in the implementation of the GSFP in Garu

Two caterers of the Ghana School Feeding Programme, GSFP, in the Garu-Tempane District have been fingered in an alleged fraud for failing to deliver on their mandate of providing catering services to five beneficiary schools in the district. 

It has been established that the two, Paulina Atigah and Gladys Fumilar Laar have been receiving payment from the office of the GSFP to cater for the five schools since the second term of the 2014/2015 academic year for no work done. 

At a press conference held  in Garu, a group calling itself "Concern Assembly Members” pleaded with the media to help unravel the mystery surrounding the said payment, which they considered as illegal. 

The group questions why the caterers have since January 13, last year received an amount to the tune of Two Hundred and Twenty Nine Thousand, 341 Ghana Cedis but failed to deliver catering services to the schools entrusted under their care. 

They are equally worried as to why the assembly is not privy to the inclusion of the schools enrolled into the programme. 

As required by the Assembly's standing orders, the District Chief Executive should have contacted the executive committee of the assembly for approval.

 The spokesperson for the group. Mr. Moses Badeobo Bambil told Radio Ghana that the five schools mysteriously found their names into the feeding payroll. 

He said when contacted, the caterers have indicated their ignorance, saying they are not even aware of their engagement to provide catering services for the five schools. 

They are Nisbuliga D/A Primary, Worikambo D/A Primary, Azuguri D/A Primary, Abilatega D/A Primary and Wakuan D/A Primary. The payment, the group further revealed was made to cover 273 days with difference in enrolment figures. 

This, it said raises suspicion that the actual payment began much earlier. Interestingly, the enrolment figures used to receive payments from the GSFP is completely different from the actual figures of pupils in the beneficiary schools. 

The group is therefore calling on the government and agencies concerned to intervene and investigate the matter to expose the rot.

All attempts to reach the caterers to respond to the matter had proven futile. 

The meeting was attended by a cross section of the public including assembly members, teachers as well as representatives of the GPRTU. 

Also present was the constituency Chairman for the NDC, Edward Dahamani and other party supporters from the political divide.

GBC                                              END        IA/SA