Robbers invade shop, injures four at Sandema

Four persons yesterday sustained gunshot wounds through a robbery attack by some unknown armed men at Sandema in the Upper East Region. 

Two of the injured persons were shot on target resulting in the injury of the other two who were affected by stray bullets.

 The robbers numbering three attacked a popular supermarket in the Sandema Township known as “No Hurry in Life”. 

Narrating the incident to Radio Ghana, the owner of the shop, Adabiyak Akanlugba, said at about 5pm in the evening, he was with the wife taking care of the shop, when suddenly three men wielding guns and other offensive weapons emerged and opened fire on them. 

He said while firing was underway, three other persons also in possession of guns had mounted a road block outside the shop to ensure the safety of their accomplices. 

According to him, the robbers made away with the sales for day and various telecom scratch cards that were on display for sale.  

 In the shooting process, a 35 year old, Anyueta Aparik and Anthony Akosua 25, were shot on the thigh. 

As a result of the indiscriminate shooting, one, Anyakpang Akantialie, 42 and Asiakatoa Emmanuel, 20 also sustained various degree of injuries.  

 Akosua Anthony, who was badly hit by the stray bullet is currently in a critical condition and receiving treatment at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital. 

Meanwhile, Anyueta Aparik and Anyakpang Akantialie are still on admission at the Sandema Hospital while Asiakatoa Emmanuel has since been treated and discharged. 

An eye-witness, Kenneth Lawine told Radio Ghana that the incident occurred when he was transacting business at the banking hall of the Builsa Community Bank, which is directly opposite the said shop. 

He said out of curiosity, he came out of the banking hall to saw the robbers firing at all angles.

When contacted, the Sandema District Commander, ASP Yaw Dankwah Agyekum, said he was in the office at the time of the incident. 

He confirmed hearing the gun shots and said he rushed out only to realize that it was an armed robbery attack.

 He then quickly dispatched his men to the scene and upon arrival, the robbers manning the road block outside the shop opened fire on them.   

ASP Agyekum also pointed out that a Nissan Pick-up with registration number GP 3576 belonging  to the District Police Command was not spared during the shooting.

He added that in order to avert further casualty and save innocent lives, the police declined to fire back at the robbers because it was a market day and the incident took place right in the middle of the town.

 For him, it would have been suicidal mission if the police had engaged the robbers in a shoot-out. 

So far, no arrest had been made but the police say it was conducting investigation into the attack and perpetrators will be fished out and be made to face prosecution.  

GBC

Existing modules will be reviewed for upgrade - YEA

The National Youth Employment Agency (YEA), under the Akufo-Addo led administration says existing structures and modules under the programme will not be truncated as speculated, but will be reviewed for possible upgrading.

In doing so, the agency shall concentrate on building an exit plan that will inure to the benefit of beneficiaries.

The exit plan will be structured such that after completing the two year mandatory contract, one may have the opportunity to be sustained or absorbed under an entirely different module.

In an interview with GBC’s Radio Ghana's Isaac Asare, the Deputy National CEO of the YEA in-charge of Operations, Bashiru Ibrahim, said his administration will see to the rolling up of more modules to benefit majority of the teeming unemployed youth.

The addition, he said, will be done in conformity with the NPP’s manifesto which specifically guarantees jobs for the youth.

Mr Ibrahim described as regrettable, the level of corruption and mismanagement that characterized the Agency under the watch of the former administration.

According to him, the Agency has gone through some massive restructuring to spice up its operations. With this in place, the agency is poised to work in tandem with the laid down rules and regulations governing it.

He said under the new youth employment Act, only 5 percent of total revenue can be used for administrative purposes including payment of salaries.

Under the same act, the agency is required to give out not more than 2 percent of the projected revenue to its mother ministry with the rest going to beneficiaries. This basically means that the agency will operate with 3 percent of its revenue contrary to what pertained in the previous Act.

Mr Ibrahim, was certain that per the new Act, issues of corruption and other wrongdoings relating to abuse of procurement laws, ghost names and awards of contract will be a thing of the past because the laws frown on such illegalities.

Asked whether the new administration was ready to settle the debt owed YEA beneficiaries, Mr Ibrahim stated that his office was considering the payment of allowances due beneficiaries though most of them were enrolled few months to the elections.

He disclosed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration recruited 65,000 people but was able to migrate about 59,000 onto the pay roll system adding that the new policy mandates the Agency to address such financial hiccups considering the delay it may take to do that.

The appointment of Mr Ibrahim came not as a surprise to many, as evident in his proven track records both in academics and party business.

He will now be in charge of rolling out new models, ensure payment of allowances and also play monitoring and evaluation role on functional models.

Mr Ibrahim who is yet to be endorsed by the Public Services Commission under paragraph 7 of the Youth Employment Act told GBC’s Radio Ghana that in spite of the daunting task ahead, he will put his expertise to bear and abreast himself with the operations of the programme.

Before his appointment by President Akufo-Addo, Mr. Bashiru Ibrahim was the former Upper East Regional Youth Organiser of the NPP.

GBC

Water rationing hit parts of Upper East

 Story by Isaac Asare

Farming and illegal small scale mining activities continue to pose dire consequences on the country’s water bodies as these raw water sources are constantly polluted with impunity. 

The Ghana Water Company, GWSC, in a bid to ensure clean and reliably water supply to users has to spend huge amounts in treating these polluted water sources. 

Aside the cost implication, the polluted water sources has become a menace to existing pumps and machines because they are not purposely designed to suit such conditions. 

Most often, these machines breaks down creating intermittent water supply to users. As Ghana joins the rest of the international community to observe the World Water Day, much attention has been drawn on the urgency to conserving freshwater resources.  

 In the Upper East Region, the major source of drinking water is the Vea Dam which is managed by the Irrigation Development Authority. 

Mr Kenneth Ennin, Chief Manager GWSC UE

According to the Regional Chief Manager of the GWSC, Kenneth Ennin, the dam among other freshwater bodies under his jurisdiction are free from contamination. 

However, the use of chemicals in treating water is quite minimal making it fresh and healthy for consumption. 

Mr Ennin disclosed that though communities under the Bolgatanga and its catchment are currently undergoing some water rationing on the interim, the volume of raw water meant for supply will be able to sustain consumers up to the next raining season. 

The rationing, he indicated has become necessary because the demand for water far outstrip supply and therefore requires an upgrade of the water capacity to match up the demand. 

Moreover, intense temperature leading to high evaporation of the raw water source is a contributory factor.

 He said currently, the company is able to supply 4000 cubic meters of water as against the expected daily demand of 7000 cubic meters.

 The shortfall, Mr Ennin, noted, has come about as a result of population increase, particularly Bolgatanga, where there has been a significant increase in the capacity of water delivery. 

He said plans are advanced to provide a number of boreholes in the Bolgatanga and Zuarungu townships to make up for the deficiency. 

Additionally, the company also has a long term plan in place to site a treatment plant by the Tono Irrigation dam site to assist in the treatment of additional volume of water to augment what is being supplied. 

He said adequate funding is however required to undertake the project.

 Speaking on the benchmark for quality and accessibility, Mr Ennin said once the GWSC concentrates on urban areas and deals with conventional water supply, it will not relent in its effort to produce water that is of high quality to meet the standards set out by the WHO.  

 He added that the region’s raw water source is adequate and lots of afforestation is being done in the catchment area to preserve its freshness. 

Moreover, the company is reinforcing the dam making sure that it is capable to storing the right volume of water for treatment and supply. 

He urged consumers to pay their bills promptly and further cautioned them against illegal connection to enable the company generate the needy revenue to serve the larger population.  

GBC                                                                    END                                                                        IA/

Bolgatanga Regional Hospital In Need of 40-50 Pints of blood daily To Save Lives

UE  Territorial Sales Manager of  MTN Ghana, Richard Asamane exchanging pleasantry with Ibrahim Sadique of Save a Life Foundation

The Bolgatanga Regional Hospital is said to be in dire need of 40-50 pints of blood daily to save lives.

As a measure to fulfil it's corporate social responsibility and to make up for the deficit at facility, Save a Life Foundation, SLF, a health oriented NGO has resolved to partner MTN Ghana in organising voluntarily blood donation exercise twice each year.

The Director of the Foundation, Ibrahim Sadique who gave the assurance at the sidelines of a blood donation exercise in Bolgatanga said the national blood bank requires about 250 000 pints of blood yearly and this calls for concern.

He stressed that donating blood on regular basis comes with other health benefits and dispelled the common notion that giving out blood takes a longer period for one to recover.

Save a Life Foundation had since 2013 partnered MTN Ghana Foundation in organizing voluntarily blood donation exercises to help stock the blood bank at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital.

The event is being held each year on St. Valentine's Day to give a new dimension to the celebration of the day, which has been misunderstood by majority of the youth to mean a special day for sex and other immoral activities.

On the contrary, the rationale behind the exercise was to whip up public interest on the urgent need for them to regularly donate blood as a way of showing brotherly love and compassion for persons that are in dire need of it to survive.

In an interaction with Radio Ghana, the Director, Save a Life Foundation, Ibrahim Sadique was pleased to announced that in spite of the constraints with respect to funds and logistical support, the expected outcome of the exercise since 2011 has been quite appreciable.

He said plans were afoot to organize it twice a year to meet the growing demand of blood required at the various health facilities.

The success story of MTN Ghana Foundation was not different. It has been established that the foundation in the last six years collected over 3,715 pints of blood to support the national and regional blood transfusion services.

Having realized the depth of the perennial blood shortage at the hospitals and clinics, the foundation says it was committed to creating a sustainable blood supply to help save lives.

 The Regional Territorial Sales Manager of MTN Ghana, Mr. Richard Asamane said his office was glad to be part of the annual exercise because there are plans to raise 2,017 pints of blood to save pregnant women and children  as well those that are in need.

According to him, the exercise took place simultaneously in all the ten regions of the country, adding based on  the extension of the  exercise MTN Ghana Foundation now has 12 bleeding centers which also symbolize a decade of the foundation's existence in Ghana.

For MTN Ghana, the exercise is serving as a prelude for the celebration of the foundation's 10th anniversary.

While acknowledging  MTN staff volunteers and the media for the invaluable support over the years, Mr Asamane entreated Ghanaians under 18 to cultivate the habit of donating blood any time they are called upon.

The exercise which began at 8am and ended at 6pm received high patronage with majority of donors being students from the Zamse Senior High and Technical school in Bolgatanga.

Successful donors were given certificates and other incentives to appreciate their contribution to the restocking of  regional blood bank.

Some of the students spoke about their experience during the exercise and why it was necessary for people to donate blood at any given time.

The Head Of Blood Mobilisation at the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, Ajara Issah was also grateful to save a life foundation and MTN Ghana for the support and urged other corporate bodies and institutions to emulate same.


GBC

SDF grant for private sector operators enters its second phase

  

Senior Grant Officer of SDF, Nyadia Sulemana Nelson

The Danish International Development Agency, DANIDA, has set aside 15 million Ghana Cedis under the Skills Development Fund, SDF, to stimulate the growth of private sector enterprises with focus to supporting the Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET. 

 

 Under the fund, enterprises associations and companies are offered the opportunity to request for grant via an online application to give practical and high impact training to its workers provided the training will be useful to the already acquired knowledge they have. 

 

In an interview with Radio Ghana’s Isaac Asare in Bolgatanga, the Senior Grant Officer of SDF, Nyadia Sulemana Nelson said the fund had so far engaged qualified businesses on the opportunities at hand, the ground process and processes for implementation to enable them come out with very successful applications.  

 

 Background

 

The Skills Development Fund, SDF, is an economic driven intervention that sought to provide skills development for private sector enterprises. 

 

The bottom line is to support the Technical, and Vocational Education and Training, TVET, with the aim to improve productivity, competitiveness as well as household incomes. 

 

It is often said that the private sector is the engine of growth but in reality, the story seem different as most companies operating under the sector are financially incapacitated due to lack of financial discipline and proper managerial skills and training. 

 

With the fund in place, mechanics, tailors, automobile repairers, masons, tilers and a host of enterprises that operate under TVET, will be equipped with skill training to increase their hands-on activities and get value for money. 

 

Evidently, these businesses are engaged in all sectors of the economy but because their skills are not sharpened, the end result is poverty. The SDF, however believe that if such enterprises are offered the needed practical and skill training, they will be in a better position to come out with innovations that could compete with the standard of products on the global market. 

 

Nonetheless, the FDS fund is targeting deserving institutions, particularly Small and Micro Enterprises, SMEs with calls for proposals that will attract funding to assist in the training of workers. 

 

In an interview with Radio Ghana, at the sidelines of a sensitization programme for training institutions, the Senior Grant Officer of SDF, Nyadia Sulemana Nelson said the fund operates under four segments involving both formal and the informal sector. 

 

This covers innovation training development and coaching of management and supervisors. 

 

According to him, the fund is demand driven and directed at providing management training and technical support that are responsive to the training needs of existing growth oriented SMEs.

 

 Relatively, the fund would want companies to request for grant to train staff on new training areas to boost their knowledge. He explained that most companies possess the requisite skills in business but lack good management regime. 

 

This,  upshot in cost increases translating in loses. 

 

Mr Nelson said the fund is equally targeted at becoming the focal point of supporting skill training in a sustainable manner in Ghana. 

 

When this is achieved, they will be able to source additional funds from both the public sector, donor organizations and development partners so that it becomes a pool fund tailored to addressing the critical issues of skill training for businesses.   

 

On funding, Mr Nelson named DANIDA and the World Bank as the funding agencies for the first phase of the project which began in 2011 and ended in 2015.

 

 During the first phase, 55 million Ghana cedis was committed and disbursed to about 630 organisations nationwide.

 

 He was happy to announce that output on productivity among beneficiary organisations has more than tripled. 

 

He moreover used the opportunity to urged prospective applicants to forward their concept notes for consideration. 

 

Mr Nelson stressed that those identified after careful assessment and evaluation, will be asked to present a simple but detailed application for necessary approval.

 

GBC