Politicians urged to share vision with electorates

The General Overseer of the Living Waters Community Church, Bolgatanga, Apostle Paul Thiombiano, has advised leaders of the various political parties to be mindful of their utterances ahead of this year’s general elections. What is required of politicians, he indicated is to share their vision with electorates and not resort to comments that have the potential of threatening the relative stability and peace in the country. Apostle Thiombiano was addressing his congregation at Bolgatanga as part of the New Year church service. According to him peace is paramount, and that churches and for that matter religious bodies owe it a duty to preach about peace to both believers and unbelievers. He said as believers of the gospel, there is the urgent need to live above reproach and refrain from activities that are likely to tarnish the country’s hard won democratic credentials. Christians, he cautioned should not indulge in electoral malpractices but instead play a leading role in ensuring an incident free election. Speaking to Radio Ghana after the service, Apostle Thiombiano took a swipe at politicians by advising them to perform decent campaigns as 2012 election draws closer. He said Ghana is bigger than any political party, hence the need to ensure that 2012 election is conducted in a free fair and transparent manner. He prophesy 2012 as a year of hope and expectation, stating that any negativity that has the potential of destabilizing the relative peace should not be condoned. Apostle Thombiano moreover appealed to the electoral commission and the law enforcement agencies to be on the alert and arrest any situation that goes against the country’s electoral process. At the Peniel Presbyterian church also in Bolgatanga, the head pastor, Rev Richard Kumah said as Christians efforts must be made to ensure a successful election, come December, this year.  He added that Christians should rather set the example by propagating the message of peace any where they found themselves. He advised politicians to desist from the creeping culture of political insult and urged them to perform health campaigns in order not to create unnecessary tension and division among Ghanaians. Speaking on the theme: “Lift up the name of Jesus”, Rev. Kumah, encouraged Christians to put their hope and trust in God, since 2012 brings much hope and peace. He urged Christians to uplift the name of Jesus and appreciate his good works, adding that with the name of Jesus, Christians are poised to surmount all challenges that come their way and also enable them break all shackles of poverty, disease, hunger and deprivation. He charged Christians to support each other in times of need and also do things that will bring them closer to God. Rev. Kumah further challenged Christians to support politicians in prayers as 2012 election gathers momentum.

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An Ultra Modern OPD Complex Commissioned at Sirigu

01-01-2011               

An Ultra Modern Out Patients Department (OPD) Complex has been commissioned at the Martyrs of Uganda Health center at Sirigu in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region. The GHC 227,026 edifice has four consulting rooms, a laboratory, an accounts office, an Ambulance bay, an injection rooms and a dressing room among others. The OPD complex is to ease congestion at the clinic since some of the existing structures has become too small to serve the growing number of people who attend the clinic. The center was provided by the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocesan Health Services with funding from NEFKINS through CORDAID, and Non Governmental Organization based in the Netherlands. Commissioning the OPD complex , the Bishop of Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese, Most Rev. Alfred Agyenta said the provision of the edifice  is an indication that the Catholic church does not only limit itself to the spiritual aspect of people, but  their psycho-social and physical needs. He was optimistic that the facility will provide the medical team at the clinic, on the spot, the necessary comfort to enable them provide quality health care services. Most Rev. Agyenta noted that, through the Catholic Health Services, the church continues to show compassion for the sick and all who suffer as Christ himself suffered adding that the church is engaged in the fight against infirmities and diseases. He entreated all Religious Health Care Institutions to see in each sick person, a suffering member of Christ’s body in order to bring Jesus’s compassionate love to those in pain. The Bishop stressed the need for health personnel to be careful at all times in order to maintain and uphold the good name and high moral standards of the church. He commended Ghana Health Service for their long standing collaboration and appealed to them to support the Diocesan Health Services with the needed equipments and personnel to enable them bring quality health care services to the doorstep of people in the region. The Executive Director of Catholic Health Services, James Tobiga said the Diocesan health service through its sponsors have been able to construct three additional health facilities in the district. These facilities, he mentioned include, a maternity block at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Health center at Kongo, an OPD Complex at St. Theresa’s Health center at Zorko and an eight unit staff quarters at St. Lucas Health center at Wiaga. Mr. Tobiga said the three facilities valued at a cost of GHC481, 268 will be commissioned sometime soon to enable them improve their health care coverage.

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01-01-2011 Paga-Pio’s New Year Message Government had been urged not to play politics with matters concerning the welfare of Ghanaians and also involve traditional leaders in governance of the country. Adherence will help ensure the sustainability of our democracy with the African tradition. The President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, Pe Charles Awiah Awampaga who made the call in a New Year message copied to GBC, commended residents for keeping the peace and unity in the region despite challenged provocations. Pe Awampaga who is also the Paramount Chief of the Paga Traditional Area appealed to Ghanaians to tolerate each other as election 2012 gathers momentum. He moreover took the opportunity to wish all residents of the region a peaceful and prosperous new year full of hope and expectation. GBC END IA/

                             Paga-Pio’s New Year Message

Government had been urged not to play politics with matters concerning the welfare of Ghanaians and also involve traditional leaders in governance of the country. Adherence will help ensure the sustainability of our democracy with the African tradition. The President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, Pe Charles Awiah Awampaga who made the call in a New Year message copied to GBC, commended residents for keeping the peace and unity in the region despite challenges and  provocations. Pe Awampaga who is also the Paramount Chief of the Paga Traditional Area appealed to Ghanaians to tolerate each other as election 2012 gathers momentum. He moreover took the opportunity to wish all residents of the region a peaceful and prosperous new year full of hope and expectation.

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Resident of Upper East assured of more developmental projects in 2012

          

The Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo has advised people of the region not to hide behind legitimate political campaigns to prosecute their own agenda. He said as a country touted to be the beacon of hope for the rest of Africa, it behoves us to prove our democratic credentials even higher by exercising decent campaign as 2012 elections draws closer. In a New Year message copied to GBC, Mr. Woyongo reminded Ghanaians that there is no other country on this planet than Ghana and that nothing should be done to destabilize the prevailing peace and unity in the country. He therefore stressed on the urgent need to refrain from activities that has the potential of creating unnecessary hostilities among supporters of rival political parties. Touching on the general development of the region, Mr Woyongo disclosed that the region has had its fair share of development projects that cut across all sectors of the economy particularly, in areas of health, education and road infrastructure. He noted that as a result of the crush programme embarked upon by the government to cover deficit in educational infrastructure, over 150 projects comprising school dormitories, classroom blocks, assembly halls and laboratories have been constructed whilst others are at various stages of completion. Other school projects, he added are ongoing. Subsequently, a number of pickups and buses had been procured and distributed to a number of district directorates of education and some second cycle institutions in the region. This, he emphasized, is to help enhance effective supervision and administration. According to Mr Woyongo more of such projects would be carried out this year. At the basic education level, Mr Woyongo stressed that the region is working on modalities to provide all under tree schools with decent classrooms as being pursued nationwide. Mr Woyongo thanked residents of the region for their support and cooperation in surmounting some of the challenges in 2011 and encouraged the people to help maintain the relative peace and stability throughout the year. He also urged residents to eschew all forms of hostilities and conflict this year to enable the region benefit from its fair share of the “Better Ghana Agenda” being promised by the government. He said with prevailing peace the regions stands the greatest chance of hosting a number of very distinguished personalities as witnessed in 2011.

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Paga Youth Movement Inaugurated

04-01-2012                             

A new movement known as the Paga Youth Movement (PAYOM) has officially been inaugurated at Paga with the aim of collaborating with key stakeholders to propel the development of Paga and its catchment area to further heights. As a non-partisan and non sectarian movement, PAYOM, which is an umbrella of the Paga Development Association seeks not only to serve as a catalyst to its mother association to accelerate developmental programmes but also has the objective of uniting the youth of Paga under the banner of unity in diversity. It also seeks to establish the platform and forum where they could jointly identify challenges and bottlenecks that hinder development of Paga. The Chairman of PAYOM, Thomas Awiah said the theme for the occasion, “Harnessing the Potential of the Youth as a Potent Resource to Accelerate Sustainable Development in Paga” was chosen to bring to the fore, the urgent need to collaboratively tap the immeasurable wealth and potentials that abound in Paga by using the movement to pool together resources and translate them into growth, productivity and development. This, he said, was necessary since its realization will help change the lives of the people for the better. He said the movement will positively engineer the provision of the much needed infrastructure facilities for the area and also work towards improved health services. The move, he stated, will contribute in changing the health condition of the people. Mr. Awiah also disclosed plans by the movement to work towards the establishment of an endowment fund to cater for the poor but brilliant students in the area and called on the people to contribute their widow’s mite to ensure its realization. Mr. Awiah later in an interview with Radio Ghana emphasized the need to advocate for the teaching and learning of the local Kasem language, which, he complained, was absent in most of the schools in the area. To make matters worse, most teachers who studied Kasem at the Universities and colleges of Education have for obvious reasons opted to teach other subjects instead of Kasem. This, he lamented, has become a worrying phenomenon as the language stand the risk of being extinguished at the university, the reason being that people do not offer to go and read Kasem at the university.  He said for this academic year, only five students from the Kassena-Nankana East and West Districts had being offered admission at the University of Education-Winneba to read Kasem. Mr Awiah described the situation as heart breaking and appealed to authorities concern to take a second look at the problem and find workable solution to it. He noted that failure in tackling the challenge will spell doom not only for students in the junior, senior high and tertiary institutions but also to parents since their wards will not get placement for admission. He called on the youth of Paga to register as members of PAYOM so that together they can drive the development of Paga on a high pedestal. The National Coordinator for the NYEP, Mr Abuga Pele and the President of the Regional Youth Council, Mr James Aban-Gos congratulated the movement for the bold initiative and appealed to the youth of the district to conduct themselves during and after the 2012 general elections.

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Proposed Eastern Corridor Road Network to commence soon-Says Vice President

A section of the crowd at the festival

Dignitaries present   

Narration: Government is speeding up preparation to embark on the proposed Eastern Corridor road that links the Upper East Region through Garu to Kulungugu. Other priority road earmarked for construction next year include the Bolgatanga-Bawku, Bolgatanga-Bongo, Winkongo-Tongo, Bawku-Pusiga, Sandema-Wiesi as well as the Bolgatanga-Naaga-Kadema roads among others. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Woyongo who announced this said the move forms part of government’s effort in addressing the developmental imbalances in the Savannah regions captured under the Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA). Mr Woyongo was delivering a speech on behalf of Vice President, John Dramani Mahama at the 24^th Annual Samanpid Festival of the chiefs and people of the Bawku Traditional Area. It was on the theme:  “Sustaining Peace for Progressive Cultural Development in Kusaug”, Isaac Asare has more for Radio Ghana.

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Report

The annual Samanpiid festival is a traditional post-harvest thanksgiving event meant to thank God and the ancestral spirits for a successful farming season. It is also an occasion to take stock of the past and draw useful lessons against the future. It is also a period during which sons and daughters of the Kusaug traditional area both home and abroad renew their allegiance, unity, love and solidarity for the essence of peace. This year’s event attracted eminent personalities including chiefs and ministers of state amidst heavy security presence. The Vice President, in a speech read for him by Mr Woyongo, described the theme for this year’s occasion as timely and appropriate considering the current prevailing peace enjoyed by the people. He said the violent conflict that erupted in Bawku was not only a source of worry to residents in the area, but also all peace loving Ghanaians and prayed for peace to be sustained. Many, he noted had been greatly affected by the conflict and appealed to the people to give peace a chance to pave way for speedy development. This, he said, calls for dedicated and concerted effort by all since development cannot thrive in a conflict environment. Touching on the impact of the conflict on education, Mr Woyongo said academic performance of student’s in the area continues to decline, citing the performance of pupils at last year’s BECE, describing it as abysmally poor. He disclosed that out of 163 municipalities and districts nationwide, the Bawku Municipality was ranked 154^th, a situation, he observed leaves a cause to worry and challenged the people not to allow conflict to destroy the future of their children. Mr. Woyongo therefore charged parents to make education of their wards their outmost priority by ensuring that relative peace is sustained. Mr. Woyongo later seized the opportunity to outlined various government’s interventions aimed at creating employment opportunities for the rural poor and mentioned the Ghana Social Opportunities Projects (GSOP) of which six districts excluding the municipalities are beneficiaries. On SADA, Mr Woyongo assured the people of government’s readiness to bridge the developmental gap between the south and the savanna regions of the north through massive infrastructural development and creation of economic opportunities. He mentioned the eastern corridor roads and the construction and rehabilitation of dams as some of the critical areas captured under SADA programme. The Zug-Raan Bawku Naba, Asigri Abugrago Azoka commended the government, security agencies and bodies for contributing to the peace building effort in Bawku. He said efforts are being made to ensure relative peace in Bawku and called on both factions to iron out their differences and unite as brothers and sisters. He said as 2012 elections draws closer, people should not hide behind legitimate political campaigns to prosecute their own agenda but rather exercise restraint, tolerance and co-exist peacefully for development. Zug-Raan Bawku Naba later reminded government to as a matter of urgency deal with the Bawku-Bolgatanga highway, which he lamented is fast becoming a death trap to travelers. The Majority Leader in Parliament, Cletus Avoka and the Council of State Member for the Upper East, Rev. Bishop Jacob Kofi Ayeebo called for the sustenance of peace in the area. An appeal for fund towards the Bawku Naba Education Endowment Fund was held to raise funds to assist brilliant but needy students in the municipality.

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Majority Leader in parliament goes unopposed

Hon. Cletus Apul Avoka_ Incumbent MP
                    

PM for Bawku West, Mr Moses Aduk-Pam presenting  the form to the party office

Executives of the Zebilla constituency branch of the NDC have endorsed the bid of the incumbent MP, Hon. Cletus Apul Avoka, to be retained during the 2012 elections. Mr Avoka who is also the Majority Leader in Parliament is the only aspirant who has filed to contest the parliamentary slot in the upcoming general elections. This explains that Mr Avoka would be endorsed unopposed by delegates of the constituency on January 21,2012,when party delegates goes to polls to elects a candidate for the constituency. Returning the nomination form to the Party’s office at Zebilla on behalf of the incumbent MP, Mr Moses Aduk-Pam, a member of the Party disclosed that the party officially opened nomination for the primaries from November 24 to December 23, 2011. Mr Avoka, he indicated filed, his nomination on December, 19, stressing that by the close of the scheduled date it was only Mr. Avoka who had filed his papers, thus making him unopposed. This, he confidently stated is a threat to the opposition NPP. Mr Aduk-Pam said Mr Avoka has predicted he would dislodge any contestant from the opposition side to retain the seat for the NDC at the 2012 polls. According to him, the sole candidature of Mr Avoka goes on to explain that he is the right choice for the people. He said while it was in the national interest to have Mr Avoka back to Parliament because of his vast and rich experience, the people of the constituency also wanted to retain him to continue with development projects he had initiated. Mr Aduk-Pam outlined a number of developmental projects carried out by Mr Avoka, describing it as unprecedented.  He mentioned the drilling of 60 boreholes and the construction and rehabilitation of a number of schools in the constituency as some of the projects. According to him, Mr Avoka has ensured the construction of CHP compounds in areas such as Agatuse, Agawere, Kolpela and Bolma as the School feeding programme has been expanded to benefit more schools in the area. He confidently stated that Mr Avoka’s chances of retaining the seat in the 2012 general election is bright and thanked the people of Zebilla for the confidence repose in him.  Mr Avoka, he added, is sure of beating his main contender from the opposition NPP, Mr Frank Fuseini Adongo, who he said is not fit to wrestle power from the incumbent MP.  Later in an interview with Radio Ghana, Mr Aduk-Pam stressed that the sole candidature of Mr Avoka  was a clear indication that he is 100 percent sure of retaining the seat in the 2012 election, adding that the electorates are comfortable with his good works. He added that the vast experience of Mr Avoka, earned him the trust and confidence of His Excellency, Prof. John Evans Attah Mills by making him the Interior Minister and subsequently the Majority Leader in Parliament.” He said executives of the party is working tirelessly in ensuring that Mr Avoka receives the mandate of his constituents and urged party members to unite to  form a formidable force in retaining both presidential and parliamentary election next year. The candidature of Mr Avoka was endorsed and seconded by five party executives including Sheitu Issifu, the branch Secretary. 
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