SAMANPIID MARKED PEACEFULLY

The 21st Samanpiid Festival of people of Bawku came off successfully over the weekend with the common message to all and Sunday to desist from the destructive tendencies but pursue development agenda.

The festival which could not come off last year owing to the incessant communal conflict saw a high government delegates in attendant.

Addressing the joyous attendees, the Regional Minister for Upper East, Hon. Mark Woyogo urged Bawku Naba, his sub-chiefs, elders to endeavor to mead the broken relationship with their neighbors towards peaceful and harmonious co-existence in Bawku and its envious.

He said there were indications all over that, residents were fed up with these conflicts and therefore, were yearning for speedy resolution of the problems for normal business to resume so as to reduce poverty staring at them.

He added that government would not renege in its effort at ensuring that peace was maintained in Bawku however, noted that peace that had to be supervised was not a lasting one.

The Minister was quick to add that, it therefore, behoves on all parties to the conflict to say “enough is enough and begin to recognize each other as brothers and sister who need one another for mutual development” he advised.

Hon. Woyogo assured the people that the government was not only mindful of its pledge to equitably sharing the nation’s resources but was determined to marshal all resources towards bridging the wide developmental gap between the North and South of Ghana.

In this vein, he said, the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) would champion the development agenda of the three Northern Regions including the northern parts of Brong –Ahafo and Volta Regions.

The Interior Minister Hon. Cletus Avoka who represented the President spoke at length on internal security and asked the people to let bygone be bygones added that the culture of impunity was over, ‘anybody who caused arson, murder or caught with ammunition would be dealt with according to the law of the land’ he said.

He explained that the time when people lost confidence in the national security, therefore trusted no one and put the law into their own hands was thing of the past, henceforth, anyone who felt offended should only put it into paper and pen and channel through the law court as the only process for proper redress.

Hon. Avoka was grateful to Bawku Naba, the planning committee and other tribes that made it possible to hold the festival this year which should had taken place last year but was not possible because of the conflict.
The Bawku Municipal Co-coordinating Director, Mr. Yakubu Alhassan Abukari said Bawku was rated very bad across the country, consequently potential personnel and workers invariable shy away from accepting postings, on the mere mention of Bawku because they were petrified by stories they heard about the place.

He added that to correct this negative impression and evoke mixed sentiments and apprehension by certain people by mere mentioning of Bawku, the security agencies had to gather courage to “bite the bullet” in getting this festival celebrated.

Mr. Abukari said having managed this conflict this far, the security agencies had no cause to suspect the insincerity and sinister motives on the part of anybody and therefore had confidence that all citizens of Bawku would be law abiding.

The Bawku naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II lamented over the conflict which lasted over a year, saying that “Everyone would agree with me that the bitter experiences we all went through last year in the form of conflicts have not benefited any group or individual. We have all lost and become the poorer”.

He continued that, at this time no one needed to tell them to stop the senseless conflict and seek unity among the various tribes for meaniful development. “What we should be fighting together is poverty, ignorance and disease ‘he added.

Naba Asigri appealed to his entire subjects irrespective of ethnic differences to put hatred and conflict behind them and together assured the government that they were poised for development.

Naba appealed to Mills’ administration to as matter of urgency put ‘life’ into Tamne Irrigation Project whose feasibility studies had long been completed but not to give the usual excuse of financial constraint in order to provide the teaming youth means of survival.

Bawku Naba took the opportunity to announce to all gathered that he would celebrated his silver Jubilee as Bawku Naba this year and plans were being put in place and details would be released in due course.

This year’s festival was under the theme “Forging Ahead in unity and Development” and was celebrated under a heavy police and military protection.

Godwin A. Nkunu
I.S.D – Bawku

MAJOR BOOST TO FOOD SECURITY IN THREE NORTHERN REGIONS

The Canadian International Development Authority (CIDA) have pledged food security package to the tune of 15million for the three northern regions.

The intervention was to address the perenimial food shortages through food production, marketing preservation environmental protection and a forestation.

This was disclosed by the Regional Minister, Hon. Mark Woyongo yesterday in Bawku when he formally introduced himself to Bawku Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II.

Hon. Woyongo explained that the lack of food storage facilities in the region often compelled formers to dispose off their food stuffs across the boarders and down south and as a result food became scarce during the lean season bringing untold hardships to them. He cited the tomatoes farmers at Tono and Via whose stuffs went bad due to lack of market and storage facilities.

He added that the erstwhile Farmer Service Centre would be responsible for buying the food during the glut season, preserve it and re-sell in the lean season.

The minister said the shea-nut production in the three northern regions had the potential to reduce poverty since much foreign exchange could be earned and also provide jobs to women and girls which could stop them from moving to the south looking for non- existence jobs

He explained that the proposed Savanna Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) in the National Democratic Congress (N.D.C) manifesto was committed in bridging the gap between north and the south as a result 20 out of 220 irrigations dams in the Upper East Region have been contracted to be drained or desilted to make irrigation accessible to farmers.

Hon. Woyongo also hinted that government would subsidize the price of fertilizers this year and also make it accessible to farmers in order to increase their production.

He reminded the people that soon, government would make available the free school uniform policy announced in this year’s budget to vulnerable groups. He added that government would increase the number of schools benefiting from the school feeding program for children to enjoy one hot free meal a day.

The minister therefore, appealed to Bawku Naba and his chiefs and elders to stop the ethnic conflict since no development could take place in chaotic situation rather support the N.D.C administration to bring economic relief to the citizens as they considered chiefs, development partners.

Bawku Naba Asigri Abugrago Azoka II was grateful for the visit and pledged his readiness to support all development plans of the ruling government since that would create jobs for the teaming youth.

Bawku Naba however, pleaded with the N.D.C administration to make bare the cause behind the Bawku conflict stressing that Kusasis did not have “fight in their blood” but when others trying to deny them what was their own has always forced them (kusasis) to fight back.
He also asked the N.D.C administration to prevail on the National Peace Council to make public their findings on the Bawku conflict for all to know as that would contribute to achieving peace in Bawku.

After this interaction, the minister had closed door meeting with the Municipal Security Committee (MUSEC) probably review and strategize for peace to prevail in the municipality.

Godwin A. Nkunu
I.S.D – Bawku

BAWKU, I.S.D EMBARKS ON NI D’S CAMPAIGN

The Information Services Department in Bawku in the Upper East Region of Ghana has started a 3-day intensive Public Sensitization Campaign towards this year’s National Immunization Day (NID).

The purpose of the campaign is to create public awareness and also encourage them especially women to make their children within the age group of 0-59 months available for the impending exercise.

The NID is slated for 25th to 28th March 2009, during which all children within the age brackets of 0-59 months will be dosed with Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).

These will be done by mobile teams from House to House and in all schools to immunize all eligible children.

Additional, parents can visit all health centres with their children to take the Oral Polio Vaccine.

The Cinema Van, man by competent field officers will disseminate this important information to all communities to enable a comprehensive coverage and success of the exercise.

According to the Municipal Director of Health Services Dr. T. Mensah Afful, this year’s NID is special and very important to the extend that, the neighboring districts of Tone and Bittou in the Republic of Togo and Burkina Faso respectively and the Bawku Municipal Health Directorate have agreed to organize a launching ceremony at the kulugungu border to create an international awareness and approach towards the fight against polio.


James Dorgbetor
Bawku Municipal Information Officer

BUSINESSES IN BAWKU EXPECT FINANCIAL SUPPORT UNDER PRESIDENT MILLS' GOVERNMENT

For along time now Bawku remains a business town for both local and international businesses.

The location of Bawku in the north eastern corridor of the country and the boundaries it shares with Togo and Burkina Faso does not only position it as a border town but serves as a place for constant but brisk business for all day and greater part of the might.

In spite of all the recent troubles the area has suffered, Bawku remains a business town and business as usual is brisk. However, one thing that has eluded the business men and women over the years is financial support or access to loans.

For this reason, businesses that have the potential to expand, either can not do so or do so with serious suffocating financial difficulties and challenges.

The multiple effects of theses challenges are enormous considering the fact that about 60% of the population is engaged in one form of business or another. For instance, the bulk of onions, water melons, sheanut, cattle, sheep, goats and Guinea fowls for the Ghanaian markets are from Bawku and surrounding areas.

Others also are engaged in the sale and distribution of motorbikes, mobile phones and accessories, satlight disc, merchandise, constructural works, petty trades, etc, all of these need financial support to survive.

The quality and beautiful smocks and other hand woven arts are simply in a class of their own and with a little support the results thereafter would be extremely admirable and beneficial to the economy of the country.

It couldn’t be captured well when the Bawku central NDC constituency treasurer Alhaji Mohammed Mashood said, “we know how to turn the fortune of our business around but the financial assistant is highly limited and difficult to access”.

Alhaji Mashood whiles congratulating President Mills and Vice President Mahama on their ascension to the high office of Ghana added, ‘we’re sure the president will give a boost to business in a form of financial support for them to flourish especially in Bawku where the difficulty has always been.

He was confident that the new administration per its manifesto will put in place programmes and policy to enhance businesses.

Alhaji Mashood intimated that the survival of business has a bearing on the consolidation of peace in Bawku because the booming of business will increase interaction among the people which will eventually lead to building of confidence and trust and subsequently bring about increase in peaceful co-existence.

Alhaji Mashood said the businesses have collateral security plus the extended family ties provide enough security for repayment of loans.

He therefore challenged banks to consider venturing into Bawku.

JAMES DORGBETOR ( BAWKU MUNICIPAL INFORMATION OFFICER)

ABYSMAL PERFORMANCE IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS ATTRIBUTED TO LACK OF SUPERVISION

Lack of effective supervision by circuit supervisors for public schools has been identified as a major setback responsible for the continuous abysmal performance in government schools.

As a result of this bad behaviour of the supervisors, teachers at the least chance absent themselves from school with the full conviction that supervisors will not come around.

This was disclosed by the head of Social Science Department Mr. John Agobre of Tamale Teacher training College at an annual review program organized by Young Christian Workers (Y.C.W) in Bawku yesterday with sponsorship from lbis –Ghana, an NGO.

(Y.C.W) is a voluntary catholic group helping Moslem children begging on the streets known in Arabic as Almajiri with formal education.

Mr. Agobre using a private school in Bawku as case study, Mother Theresa, which performance he described as superb even in the midst of conflict chalked hundred percent passes with excellent grade in last year B.E.C.E thought there was no single trained teacher, therefore, asked what was the difference?

He added that for private schools, pupils were given not less than three home works a day and for weekend not less than five home works with a column for parents to sign to indicate their supervision also at home, therefore, really keep the children busy with a little time to play.

However, in the public schools, teachers frequently absent themselves with impunity, “when it rains, no school, if anybody dies in their communities it is a big excuse, on market days is the some story, therefore the pupils are left to the mercy of the structure” he noted.

Hon. Agobre, who is also the Presiding Member for Bawku Municipal Assembly charged the Municipal and District Education Offices to intensify the supervision of their circuit supervisors to monitor the movement of the teacher especially rural areas, supervise their lesson notes as to improve the performance in public schools.

He asked the authorities also to supply them with fuel and maintaince allowance of their motorbikes regularly as that was always the bone of contention citing an example where a motor with flat tyre would take six months to receive attention.

The Presiding Member also urged Ghana Education Service not only fighting for salary increment for teachers but expedient action on teachers promotion especially those who have accepted postings to some inaccessible areas where they lack basic social amenities.

He was also not happy with the awards given to teachers like fans, T.V sets, saying which teacher has got such gadgets rather award them with motors or sponsorship packages for further studies to disabuse their minds that teachers’ rewards are in heaven.

Giving the background of Y.C.W, the Ghana President, Mr. Barnabas Aboriga explained that the association is Christian group that works with methodology of see, Judge and Act. With this direction, they identify problems in society, analyze and then act upon it to benefit humanity.
He added that as one of their numerous activities, they researched into the background of these Moslem boys roaming the street and people homes with containers in their hands dressed in tattered clothes begging in the name of religion describing their lives as undignified.

The Project Coordinator, Mr. Elias Atinbire said through the collaboration with Social Welfare, Commission on Human right and Administration Justice and Ghana Education Service, they educated the Mallams on the rights of children who they taught Quoran only which would benefit them in the Islamic religion but advise them to blend it with formal education.

Mr. Atinbire said the Mallams welcomed the idea; hence, they have been able to establish 10 non-formal classes with about 600 of such children and 20 were screened and enrolled into formal education because most of them were far above the lower primary age of schooling.

He added that currently other three classrooms structures are being constructed at Sagabo, a suburb of Bawku to absorb more of such children.

He explained the children go through a two-year cycle of non-formal education with materials and personals support from Non-formal education outfit where they learn the Quoran, English and innumeracy to give a preparatory background in order to compete with other children in the formal education.

The Bawku Municipal Assembly also pledged their support to decongest the streets with such children as such nuisance did not befit the status of the town as a transit point to other countries.


Godwin Nkunu
ISD-Bawku

HIGH SCHOOL DROP OUT SINCE CRS DEPARTURE

Fifty-five pupils, including ten boys in Gumyoko Primary School dropped out of school this academic year.

The pupils, all in the lower Primary who survived on the support provided by the Catholic Relief Services (C.R.S) could not continue their education because C.R.S folded up in September this year because of lack of funding from their donors.

Despite the bleak future of these children it did not bother their parents as some of them commented that, the girls could be baby-minders, or wash ‘pito’ calabash because they would not find anything to do after school just as some of their colleagues.

This was disclosed by the head-teacher of Gumyoko Primary and Junior high School, Madam Beatrice Dahamani this morning when ten bicycles were presented to eight teachers and two community Food Management Committee members in Bawku in the upper East Region.

Madam Dahamani explained that C.R.S had sustained pupils’ interest in education as they supplied to the schools in the three Northern Regions wheat, oil and sorghum which they used in cooking two square nutritious meals daily for the pupils.

She added that since its inception four years ago, that is four October 2004 to September 2008, the pupils were punctual and regular to school as they were assured of regular supply of meals which indeed served the aim of C.R.S for helping children to stay and study at school to prevent them from going hungry.

“It is a sad story now, lateness, absenteeism school drop-out, these are what stare us in the face just because C.R.S can’t provide the usual meals to our children, all due to the fact that parent can’t afford to support their children” she lamented.

The Head teacher said there were 500 pupils in Primary and Junior High School (J.H.S) and 205 in Kindergarten and the latter are currently being taken care of by some volunteers to sustain their interest on the education.

Madam Dahamani who is also the Assembly woman for Binduri electoral Area bemoaned the attitude of fathers who did not show any interest at all in their children’s up-bringing, however, would married more wives, what she termed as “junior wives”.

She explained that children as early as eight to nine years were left on their own to struggle for survival. Some had to afford their uniform and stationeries while the girls were forced by their mothers to baby sit their younger ones as their mothers engage in dry-season gardening at the expense of their education.

She, therefore, made a passionate appeal to Catholic Relief Service to reconsider their stands to resume their good services or the gain so far chalked would be eroded.

She also pleaded with the government to expand the Feeding Programme to cover most deprived schools since only two schools (i.e. St, Peter’s and Suweidia Primary schools) are benefiting from the programme within the Bawku municipality. Some schools that needed such immediate attention included Tansia, Kaadi, Atuba, Nofkolga, Agole, Zawse Baraboga and Daiga all primary and Junior High Schools out of 138 in the Municipality.

The Municipal Chief Executive Hon. Abdulai Abanga expressed his gratitude to the people of Bawku for the maturity they exhibited during 7th December general elections which made the process very peaceful and orderly. He appealed for calm and good neighborliness as we prepare for the presidential run-off on 28th December. He advised the people to avoid intimidations and always remember that “we’re one people first of all before our political groupings”. He called on the beneficiaries to continue in their hard work which earned them the bicycles and also take good care of them to serve the purpose which they were provided. He wished Christians and non-Christians Merry Christmas.

The Municipal Director of Education, Madam Florence Bobi extolled the success of C.R.S which drastically reduced the drop out rate in the entire municipality.

She said that the provision of lunch resulted to great increase in enrolment, improved daily attendance and retention “apart from enjoying the lunch the girl-child was provided with a monthly take-home ration, hence, girls enrolment exceeded that of the boys” she added.

Madam Bobi also suggested C.R.S major funding Agency, USAID, to re-finance C.R.S to continue and carry out more of the Quality Improvement in Primary Schools (QUPS) programmes.

Reading out the criteria in selecting the beneficiaries of the bicycles, Mr., Michael Awini, circuit Supervisor in the office of G.E.S in Bawku said that the award was given on the merit of tireless services the awardees have rendered to their schools and communities.

Also the criteria took into consideration good record keeping, adequate preparation and prompt presentation of monthly reports and termly data collections. Still others were good security of the C.R.S food entrusted to them, proper supervision of meals for the children during preparation among others.

Mr. Awuni said since C.R.S pulled out of the feeding programme, 21 schools and communities have contributed their own food that is being cooked in order to retain the pupils which was the initiative of the beneficiaries but is woefully inadequate.

He mentioned Kuka Primary School, Zabugu primary School and Gentiga Primary School which contributed corn, beans and rice to the tune of GH¢397.50.

Godwin Nkunu
JOUNALIST, ISD - BAWKU

NDC SUPPOTERS JUBILATE IN BAWKU

The Bawku Municipality and its environs were not left out in the jubilation that engulfed the entire nation in the wake of the declaration of Prof. John Evans Atta Mills as winner of 2008 presidential run-off elections.

However, the jubilant were moderate and considerate with the celebration contrary to the notion that the National Democratic Congress (N.D.C) supporters would pour out on the streets to express their joy, rather only few people were spotted jubilating on the streets.

The jubilation took place in the N.D.C’s stronghold like New Station, Bawkzua, sabongari, where the winning Party shared the party T. shirts to people.

But surprising enough, the jubilant dressed in the New Patriotic Party’s T. shirts and danced to N.P.P Party song “Go, go high” accompanied with the Kangaroo dance.

It was worthy to note that the residents exhibited a great sense of maturity in the process in order to avoid any confrontation between the two major tribes which were labeled as N.P.P and N.D.C. The security was around to ensure peace and incident free jubilations.

Godwin A. Nkunu
ISD- Bawku