Chiefs and People of Nabdam celebrates Nangod-Naab Goug Festival

26-05-15    

This year’s Nangod-Naab Goug festival of the chiefs and people of Nangodi Traditional Area in the Upper East Region has been celebrated in pump and pageantry.

 The colourful event brought together sons and daughters of Nabrug including revered paramount and divisional chiefs, departmental heads as well as visitors from other communities in the region. 

Correspondent Isaac Asare was there for Radio Ghana and has filed this report

Report

Unlike other festivals celebrated annually, Nangod-Naab Goug is a biennial festival celebrated in April to usher in the raining season, seek the protection and guidance of the ancestors and also renew the bond of friendship and brotherliness among the people of Nabdam and its neighbouring communities. 

The festival according to the customs and traditions allows the chain of survival among animals in the forest; so that animal species are not endangered. 

However, the maiden edition of the Nangod-Naab Goug festival which served as a home coming summit brought together citizens from Nabrug as well as visitors and development partners. 

The ultimate goal was to reflect on the development needs the Nabdam community and to initiate development projects and to contribute financially towards these projects. 

Addressing the gathering on the theme: “Our Heritage and environment, the Basis for Nabdam Development”, the Paramount Chief of the area, Naab Kosom Asaga Yelzoya, touched on the development aspirations of the people.

 He said the development of the Nabdam community hinges on their output and how well they contribute to the reduction of poverty in the area. 

Naab Asaga Yelzoya, therefore advised the people against the high intake of alcohol, burning of the vegetation as well as wastage of resources especially during funerals.

 This, he, lamented contribute to their privation.

 He moreover advised the youth to have respect for authority and refrain from violence. 

Naab Asaga Yelzoya, also used the opportunity to thank the government for the numerous developmental projects in the area and further called for support in the area of road construction, particularly the Bolga-Bawku, Nangodi -Yakote-Pelungu and Asonge-Pelungu-Sakote roads.  

The upgrade of the Nangodi health centre and the provision of technical and infrastructural support for farmers and the Kongo Senior High school were key on his priority list and called on authorities concerned to come to their aid. 

There were solidarity messages from various chiefs present at the occasion.  On behalf of the Regional Minister, the Nabdam DCE, Vivian Anarfo challenged the people to develop the habit of tree growing in order to protect the environment. 

Madam Anarfo emphasized the urgent need for the chiefs to mobilize their communities to take active part in the upcoming National Sanitation Day exercise schedule to take place in the region next month. 

Other speakers including the MP for Nabdam, Boniface Gambila, stressed on the need for people to uphold their cultural heritage and no succumb to the negative global influences. 

This year’s Nangod-Naab Goug festival was marked with series of activities including a football gala, quiz competition as well as a hunting expedition.

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MASLOC disburses GHc 262,000 to 20 women groups in UE

Mrs Tamakloe (middle) flanked by some of the beneficiary women groups 

Mrs Tamakloe presenting  a cheque at Zebilla 

About 20 women targeted groups in the Upper East Region have received cheques covering 262 Ghana cedis as loans to expand their businesses. 

The amount, which was being disbursed by the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre, MASLOC, is to be repaid in six months with two percent interest. 

Beneficiary groups include small holder farmers, market women as well as petty traders among other vulnerable groups. 

They were given amounts ranging from 5 thousand Ghana Cedis to 14 thousand Ghana cedis depending on their businesses. 

Presenting the cheques during her two day working visit to the region, the CEO of MASLOC, Sedina Tamakloe, said budgetary allocation for the disbursement of the loan is limited, therefore as and when the budgetary support improves the facility will be extended to benefit other needy groups. 

 

 Report

The Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions are said to be among the poorest regions in the country. 

Majority of the people with women constituting the majority, lives in abject poverty despite their contribution to the economic development of the `country. 

It is believed that once these vulnerable people are empowered financially, they will be able to improve their livelihood and give enough support to their families.

 It is for this reason that the MASLOC, which is a body set up to implement government’s microfinance programmes, has focus its attention to reach out to vulnerable women in the area of loan disbursement. 

The visit by the CEO of MASLOC, Mrs Sedina Tamakloe, and her team to the Upper East Region was to reaffirm government’s resolve to reduce the vulnerability of women while ensuring the growth of their businesses.  

Areas visited incude Zebilla, Bawku, Navrongo and Sandema. Mrs Tamakloe’s first point of call was at the Bawku West District where she disbursed 32 thousand two hundred and seventy two Ghana cedis to two groups. 

They are Googo Anontaba and Binaba Asongtaba women groups. At Bawku, three out of 25 groups namely; Yingande Tinkpenee, Megogo Asaal-Taaba and Yakut Akulutaaba women groups also received about 33 thousand Ghana Cedis. 

Next was in the Bolgatanga Municipality where Business Women Association, Asanabisi and Kumbosco Ateletaba Women groups were assisted with 18 thousand Ghana cedis. 

The monies were handed over to the executives of the various groups on behalf of their members. Seven women groups from Navrongo were also supported and 30 thousand cedis was disbursed to three women groups in Sandema. 

Rounding up her tour, Mrs Tamakloe, said the although there were many vulnerable groups in the region and the Northern Ghana in general, the focus has been on women having realized  the invaluable role they play in the overall development of the country. 

While commending women for their contribution to nation building, Mrs Tamakloe, cited misconception as some of the major challenge confronting the scheme.

Mrs Tamakloe was accompanied by the Head of Operations at MASLOC, Daniel Axim, and the Media Relations Officer of MASLOC, Fadilatu Mumuni, among other officials from Accra and Tamale.

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GBC NEWS:    Report by Correspondent Isaac Asare

Prof Miller advocate for the study of African History in schools

Prof Ayelah in talks with Dr Mba Atinga, Rector of Bolgatanga Polytechnic

Prof Ayelah at  Miller Open University in Bolgatanga

The Vice Chancellor of Miller Institute for Trans-disciplinary and Development Studies, Professor David Miller, has advocated for the inclusion of indigenous African knowledge and history in the educational curricular of universities in the country.

He observed that the study of African history was gradually fading and if care is not taken, the future generation will be left with no indigenous knowledge to feed on.

This, he, however said, calls for an urgent need to formalize the study of African history in the country’s institutions of higher learning.

Prof Miller made the call when he received some ancient and modern historical materials from Prof Ayinibisa Ayelah, a historian, and host of Divine Speech in African Traditionalism, a TV show in the United States of America. 

Professor Miller said African descents have a long and rich history that cannot be secreted, and in order to encourage the study of African history, there was the need to compel students to learn their own history.

He said institutions such as Miller Open University has gone the extra mile to intellectualize the study and learning of indigenous African knowledge, having realize the need to go beyond western education and technology through discipline and culture.

Pro Miller however encouraged other institutions to prioritize the study of African History in order to keep it alive.

This, he noted, require some level of motivation to succeed. He therefore thanked Prof Ayelah for the donation and said the books has come to rekindle the concept and purpose for which the school was established.

Prof Miller stated that, there was a total disconnect between African, European and American history. This, he explained was evident in the fact that most scientific theories adopted from the western world does not help in solving the numerous challenges facing the African continent.

Therefore, much as it is good to study and understand what the western system is doing with its knowledge and sciences, it was highly imperative for Africans to study their own while building bridges to perfect both.

Earlier, Prof Mr Ayinibisa Ayelah, who is also a native of the Upper East Region made a similar donation to the Bolgatanga Polytechnic, when he payed courtesy call on the rector, Dr Mba Atinga at his office.

Correspondent Isaac Asare filed this for Radio Ghana.

GBC

Commentary for Radio Ghana Discusses sexual assault and the rule of law Script is by our Upper East Regional Correspondent Isaac Asare

Rape or Sexual assault could best be defined as the act of violating a person’s bodily integrity and sexual sovereignty.

 This dehumanizing act covers physical or sexual violence against a person, be it a male or female. Although sexual assault can be committed by and against both sexes, women and girls fall primarily to such abuses. 

Rape or sexual abuse constitute a criminal offence the world over. In Ghana, sexual offences are encapsulated in chapter 6 of the criminal offences act, Act 29 of 1960. 

As the chapter clearly defines, sexual offence is any unlawful dealing with a female by way of rape, defilement, and in the case of unnatural carnal knowledge, the victim could be either a man or woman, indecent assault and also, incest. 

The issue of female is boldly highlighted in Act 29 because in a case where a female has the intention of committing sexual violence against a male folk, she might not have the spunk or the physical edge to indulge in the act.  

Of recent, the Ghanaian airways is filled with reports of sexual violence being perpetuated against women particularly pedophiles. 

Hardly a day passes without a bizarre or sadistic rape being reported in the media.  Ranking high in the media reportage is gang rape. 

 Many had described gang rape as disheartening as the situation has turned sour with many perpetuating the act with impunity. 

As sickening as the practice has been, innocent girls who happen to fall prey to this nefarious activities are tight lip because they are sometimes warned not to disclose their ordeal to friends or relatives lest they  to face the wrath of perpetrators. 

Occasionally, victims of rape are made to succumb to sexual fantasies of culprits at knife or gun point. 

Late last year, a teenager was reportedly hospitalized after she was allegedly gang-raped by five men, an action which was videoed in a dark room at Sabon Zongo in Accra. 

The girl after the act attempted committing suicide for obvious reasons.  

The police has since not been able to append the culprits. 

Worst of all, the suspects are said to have threatened to post the videoed nude pictures of the victim on social media if she dare pursue with the case at the police station. 

Similar cases have been reported in the media of late.  

My heart ached with excruciating distress when news broke out that two elderly men, aged 60 and 70 years had defiled a five year old kindergarten girl at Effia, a community near Takoradi in the Western Region. 

After they were done with their irresponsible act, the two vehemently warned the poor innocent girl not to disclose it to anyone or else she will die.

 It was unpleasant the manner in which the girl was sexually assaulted.  

As rightly reported by the Ghanaian Times, one of the rapists placed the girl on his laps and sexually abused her causing her to bleed profusely from her private part and anus. 

So the question is, is this the legacy the adults are leaving behind for posterity?  

Though the two are currently in police grips, I still find it extremely difficult to understand why some men cannot act responsibly by letting go their sexual desires rather than taking advantage of innocent girls to excite their sexual and fleshy needs. 

This brings to the fore, the issue of consent which seem to be missing from the dictionary of rapists. 

Consent in the sense that without it any act of sexual violation is considered unlawful and enshrined in the criminal offence act of 1960.

 In the alleged case of rape involving ace broadcaster, Kwesi Kyei Darkwa, footages of the couple kissing and caressing before and after the act have surfaced in most sections of the Ghanaian media, thus challenging Mr. Darkwa’s assertion of having consented sex with the victim. 

  In the face of this rape allegation, it is however surprising that the nineteen year old who is at the center of the matter has denounced her intention to discontinue with the case for reasons best known to him. 

There has been instances where girls subjected to rape are incited by their friends and   relatives to drop charges against offenders.  

Interestingly, cases of rape that are being reported and dealt with at the law courts are sometimes revoked for out of court settlement for fear of putting victims under public ridicule. 

Arguably, a lot of women and girls who get raped fail to report to the law enforcement agencies because they are often faced with challenges in their quest to seek justice through legal means. 

Since rape cases attract legal punishment, the laws must be made to take its course and not the other way round. 

People should be made to realize that sexual assault is not only injurious to the victim’s physical wellbeing but also affects them emotionally and psychologically. 

Rape victims often go through a lot of trauma with memories that could last for a life time. Female victims sometimes develop hatred for men and often refuse to marry due to their past experiences.  

As a country, we must rise up to the occasion and let our conscience guide us in all we do. 

The onus also lies on our ability as citizens and the media in general to create the needed awareness on the effects of sexual violence. 

Equally, religious bodies are required to rekindle and imbue the minds of people particularly, the youth on the spirit of moral uprightness. 

This has become necessary because the youth of today are exposed to various sexual contents via the internet, thus making them morally bankrupt. 

This therefore requires the intervention of faith based organizations to instill discipline in them. 

Parents should complement this effort by leading exemplary lives for the younger ones to emulate.  

As a way forward, human right institutions such as the Ministry for  Gender, Children and Social Protection should be up and doing in dealing with cases of sexual assault particularly gang rape. 

This, I believe could go a long way go to bring moral sanity in the country.

END

Upper East Branch of the NPP to go on demonstration, March 26.

         

  

The Upper East Regional Executives of the NPP has set the 26 of this month for a planned demonstration to register its displeasure about what it calls shocking indifference with regards to developmental issues affecting the three regions of Northern Ghana. 

The party is accusing the Mahama-led administration for being insensitive to the plight of Northerners despite the promises made to the people in its campaign in the run up to the 2012 polls. 

At a press conference in Bolgatanga, the Regional Chairman of the party, Adam Mahamma said President Mahama had electoral advantage over his contenders because his major campaign message was directed at bridging the gap between the north and the south. 

He observed that the plea convinced majority of people northern descent to give him the mandate since he was a northerner who better understood their problems. 

For the executives the government has reneged on its promise, hence their resolve to go on the streets to remind the President of his promise made to the people of northern Ghana. 

The Regional Youth Organiser of the NPP, Bashiru Ibrahim, said the government has failed in its mandate to address the concerns of Ghanaians. 

He noted that Ghanaians, particularly, northerners under the current administration are worse off due to neglect and lack of foresight. 

Mr Ibrahim, entreated government to exhibit exceptional leadership by taking a closer look at the numerous developmental gaps between the north and the south. 

He mentioned job creation, education, health and economic empowerment as some areas that require priority attention to better the lot of the people.

GBC                                                                                 END                                   IA/

Contribution of women in agriculture value chain acknowledged

An event to acknowledge the invaluable contribution of women in agriculture has been held at Binaba in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region. 

The event which is being  be spearheaded by USAID ADVANCE program, an NGO,  highlighted  the role of women in agriculture value chain as part of effort to commemorate this year’s International Women’s’ Day Celebration, which fell on March, 8.

 USAID ADVANCE is a five year project that sought to scale up agricultural investment to improve the competitiveness of maize, rice and soya bean chains with the aim to improving food security among the rural communities of Northern Ghana. 

The project among other interventions also seek to increase competitiveness in the domestic markets. Correspondent Isaac Asare has more for Radio Ghana.

Chief of Binaba, Naba Moses Apea

Section of women out-growers at the event

Report

 This year’s International Women’s day, IWD, which is celebrated under the global theme: Make It Happen’ seeks to create the needed awareness to encourage the implementation of actions for advancing the cause of women by acknowledging their effort. 

The contribution of women in agriculture in Northern Ghana cannot be glossed over. It is for this reason that USAID ADVANCE has taken the initiative to recognize their role in ensuring food security in the country.

 In 2013, USAID ADVANCE program marked the International Women’s Day at Gindanbou, in the Upper West Region with the view to make their contribution in the production of food known. 

In attendance were small holder farmers, input dealers, aggregators as well as male and female out growers among other actors.

 Last year, USAID ADVANCE under its ADVANCE I program engage female out growers in Tamale to commemorate the IWD. 

The occasion was used to share ideas and experiences with the aim of raising awareness on the economic benefit of bringing women together to provide them with support services.  

This year, the Binaba community was chosen for the celebration of the IWD under an adopted theme: Women: making it happen in Agriculture”. 

The event which was captured under ADVANCE II showcased the work the project is undertaking to enhance women empowerment and economic development. 

It also highlights the progress women were making in the area of agriculture.

 The key objective of this year’s event is to deepen awareness on the contribution of Women actors in the agriculture sector. 

It moreover sought to increase engagement between female farmers, community leaders and value chain actors.  Madam Ayisha Mickey is the Gender Desk Advisor of USAID ADVANCE. 

She was of the conviction that if women are given the opportunities along the value chain, they stand to benefit from their contribution.

During a forum, the Chief of Binaba, Naba Moses Apea,  shared some succes stories on the support given to farmers in under his term as a nucleus farmer.

As part of activities to commemorate the day, a quiz was organized for out-grower groups to test their knowledge on financial literacy, agronomic practices as well as environment and pesticide use.

 A cooking contest was also held as part of effort to promote healthy and delicious meals made with soya. 

Women who demonstrated evidence of adopting improved practices were awarded with spraying machines and boxes of key soap among others. 

Monarh declares intention to battle for chairmanship of the PNC

PNC General Secretary, Bernard Monarh has formally declared his intention to battle for the chairmanship or flagbearship position of the party.

He told Radio Ghana’s Isaac Asare that though not much had been achieved during his terms as General Secretary for the party, it was prudent to allow others to contest the position in order to effect the needed change.

Mr Monarh said, the position of the chairman is central to the development of the party, however the office of the chairmanship which is supposed to act as a life wire to strengthening the communication aspect of the party has not lived up to expectation.

This, he indicated, has informed his decision to contest for the chairmanship position in the near distant future.

Mr Monarh also urged PNC sympathizers to remain committed and fight for the cause of party.

GBC NEWS                               END                                      IA/