UE: EC will ensure smooth conduct of tomorrow's special voting _EC Reg Dir

The Upper East Regional Office of the Electoral Commission, EC, says it was adequately prepared for the smooth conduct of the special voting exercise which takes place across the country tomorrow. 

Speaking to Radio Ghana's Isaac Asare in Bolgatanga, the Regional Director of the EC, James Arthur-Yeboah disclosed that barring any unforeseen circumstance, the region was armed in readiness to ensure a peaceful and violent free exercise.  

 According to him 8,045 special voters are expected to take part in the ballot process  cast their ballot, stating that since special voting is constituency based, 15 polling centers  have been created in each of the 15 constituencies in the region.   

On logistics,  Mr Arthur-Yeboah said all required materials including pink sheets, ballot papers, and Biometric Verification Devices, BVDs, are readily made available and by the close of day, all district offices will have access to these items for onward distribution to the designated polling centres. 

With regards to the BVDs, he hinted that constituency measures have been put in place to forestall any possible breakdown of the devices. 

The BVDs he added are to be dispatched to the various polling stations later today.

 Moreover, ballot papers are currently being sent and distributed to the various stations.  

 Meanwhile, the training of EC officials and training of trainers is expected to end today.

 Mr Arthur-Yeboah said though the special voting exercise will involve security operatives, the EC will ensure that at least one security personnel is positioned in each of the 15 constituencies to maintain law and order. 

He advised all those who will partake in tomorrow’s voting to exercise their franchise in a more matured and civic manner.   

Special Voting allows persons who because of the role they will play on Election Day to cast their ballot before the stipulated date for the general elections.

GBC                                                            END

Afrikids Ghana intensify efforts to ending Child Marriage

    

Parents have been advised not to marry out their daughters when they eventually become pregnant but rather allow them to give birth and pursue their education.  

Moreover, parents should ensure that children are enrolled in kindergarten at the right age of 4 and also follow their daily activities especially when they give out excuses to leave home and visit friends. 

These recommendation s came to fore during a community durbar on the protection of children and youth against child marriage at Sheaga in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region. 

The District Girl Child Officer, Mollydean Zong Buntuya, who gave the advice bemoaned the alarming rate of teenage pregnancy and child marriage in the area and cautioned parents not to force their pregnant daughters into marriage because they saw it as a burden taking care of them. 

Marriage issues among basic school girls in the Upper East Region are increasing at an alarming rate. The situation is becoming a source of worry not only to parents but to the GES and Child Right NGOs, particularly Afrikids Ghana. 

In 2014/2015 academic year, fourteen schools in the Talensi District alone recorded 31 marriage issues among teenage girls. 

26 of this figure, were given out for marriage because they were pregnant.

Fortunately, five of these girls were rescued from forced marriage through the collaborative effort of teachers, the GES and Afrikids Ghana among other child right ambassadors. 

Relatively, the district in the 2015/2016 academic year identified 16 basic schools recording another 31 cases of child marriage with twenty of them forced into marriage while pregnant. Interestingly, some girls are still attending school while in their husband’s homes.

 In an effort to curb this unfortunate turn of event, Afrikids Ghana has partnered the Talensi Education Directorate with funding by UNICEF to organize a child right festival on the protection of children and youth against child marriage. 

The event which took a form of a durbar was to drum home the need for parents and stakeholders to be responsive to the education and social needs of the girl child. 

Giving the state of marriage issues among basic school girls in the district, the District Girl Child Officer, Mollydean Zong Buntuya, recounted instances where girls below the ages of 14 and 15 years are forced into marriage against their wish. 

According to experts, factors that contribute to child marriage varies.  

 Some teenage girls, it is established goes into marriage due to poverty and parental neglect because their basic needs are not met.

 There are other social and cultural reasons for girls getting married at their tender age. Some parents as well saw it a disgrace for their daughters to give birth before marriage. 

To this end, the Bolgatanga Area Programmes Manager of Afrikids Ghana, Cletus Anaaya said efforts must be made to tackling the root causes and factors responsible for child marriage.

Afrikids Child Right Festival celebrated on the theme; “Ending Child Marriage, Our Collective Responsibility” brought together stakeholders including traditional rulers and heads of basic schools.

The Chief of Sheaga in a message , Sheaga Naba, Naab Kesem Nam Pehe La're advised parents to make education of their wards a number one priority as it was the only legacy they can bequeath them. 

Sheaga Naba who was much particular about the education of the girl child charged parents to support them in anyway possible to enable them realize their full potentials and become responsible women in future.

He said as the general elections approaches, there was the urgent need for all to shun activities that might mar the beauty of the electoral process.

 The event saw brilliant display of cultural performances including drama, debate and quizzes. 

The Christ the King JHS emerged as the winners in the grand final of the debate competition. 

They outwitted Tongo Beo JHS in a fierce competition on the topic “Child Marriage is caused by parents". 

Participating schools were presented with certificates, books and other stationary.

Projects under GSOP rated satisfactorily by the World Bank

The World Bank Country Director, Henry Kerali has rated the performance of projects undertaken by the Ghana Social opportunities Project, GSOP, as highly satisfactory. 

He observed that the efficient utilisation of funds on completed and ongoing projects under GSOP has resulted in some positive outcomes considering the level of commitment at which beneficiary communities are engaged in the projects. 

Recounting on the success story of the LEAP and the Labour Intensive Public Works, LIPW, programme, Mr Kerali said feedback received from a number beneficiaries in targeted communities gives the impression that beneficiaries were armed in readiness to sustain their livelihood should these projects finally phase out. 

Mr. Kerali made the observation during a day’s field trip around three sub-projects sites in the Garu-Tempane district of the Upper East Region.

Background

Led by a team of officials from the GSOP, Mr Henry Kerali visited Tariganga, Zisere and Denugu communities, where he interacted with individuals and groups involved in the piloted phase of the LIPW infrastructure and LEAP. 

For the implementation of the LIPW, projects are carried out through the 216 targeted districts and facilitated under three main types of sub-projects. 

These include the repair of access and feeder roads as well as the rehabilitation of small earth dams and dug outs using community labour.  

Under the project, communities are supported to undertake major plantation schemes in mango, acacia, and cocoa depending on the location and the choice of the beneficiary community. 

This is to help provide alternative source of livelihood while assisting in restoring lost and degraded farmlands.   

At Tariganga, about 600 beneficiaries mainly women are engaged in a 7 hectare mango plantation. Their involvement is to help supplement their income levels. 

During a visit to the site, the National Coordinator of the GSOP, Robert Austin disclosed that the plantation scheme is one of earliest GSOP’s sub-projects and forms part of the climate change mitigation components and this is carried out during the agricultural off season. 

According to him, the project has been completed and handed over to the district assembly and the community.

 He disclosed that for the four year period, about 263,000 Ghana cedis have been spent on the project, adding that 73 percent of the amount went into the payment of wages for the beneficiaries. 

 Meanwhile, management of the GSOP has instituted case management systems to resolve all grievances in relation to payment for LEAP and LIPW beneficiaries.  

 The second point of call was at Zesiri, where community members are engaged in the rehabilitation of small earth dam estimated to cost a little over 445,000 Ghana Cedis. 

The over 27,000 cubic meter capacity project which is 60 percent complete used to be a hand scope dug out that could not serve its purpose because it barely last for a month after the dry season. 

The successful completion of the project is therefore expected to serve the larger community and provide adequate water for dry season farming and other household activities.

 Adwoa Asotia-Boakye is the Regional Coordinator of the GSOP. She said so far, 86 of such dams have been rehabilitated in terms of assets delivery. 

During the visit, some LIPW beneficiaries, mainly women were seen engaging in a road construction along the banks of the dam. 

According to Madam Asotia-Boakye, 100 of such feeder roads covering about 350 kilometres have been rehabilitated. 

The World Bank Country Director, Henry Kerali who interacted with some of the beneficiaries says he was satisfied with the level of performance by the outcome of the project components under GSOP. 

The team was also at Denugu to inspect another complementary income generating scheme undertaken by women under the Japan Social Development Fund, JSDF.  

Here beneficiaries are engaged in livelihood support interventions such as soap making, pito brewing, animal rearing and Shea butter extraction. 

The project hopes to provide assistance to 6,200 beneficiaries by close of the piloted phase in the Upper East Region. Under the JSDF, Skills and vocational training has been given to the over 4,000 individuals that has so far benefited from the project in the region. 

These include shea butter processing, malt processing, dawadawa processing, rice parboiling and soap making among other lucrative livelihood ventures. 

Accompanied by the World Bank Director were officials of the Garu District Assembly. 

Also present  was  the National Capacity Building Specialist of the GSOP, Desmond Duametu and the National Manager of the LEAP, Kofi Dzigbordi Agbekpornu among other key dignitaries.

 GBC