Presiding Member (PM) calls for creation of new District at Zabzugu/Tatale

Francis Npong, Tamale: The Presiding Member (PM) for Zabzugu/Tatale District Assembly, Madam Mary Tagba has underscored the need to create another district in the area to cater for the teaming unemployed youth.

PM Zabzugu/Tatale District Assembly, Madam Mary Tagba

According to the presiding member, the population growth coupled with the vast nature of the district was making it impossible for the assembly to undertake effective development to enhance the living conditions of the people.

“It is meaningless if the district cannot help improve the socio-economic conditions of the people. As a presiding member I now see the need to create another district out of the current Zabzugu/Tatale District to cater for the larger population”, she said.

The only female presiding member in the region was speaking to the Enquirer in an exclusive interview in Tamale after an ICT training workshop organized for female assembly members in the north.

“our roads are bad, women and children particularly those at Tatale and surroundings have been experiencing water crisis for decades now, no educational infrastructure, living standards of the people kept deteriorating each day that is we need to create another district to deal with water, roads, infrastructure, health, economic and educational needs of the people”, she emphasized.

Madam Tagba also added his voice to the calls by the chiefs and people of Tatale traditional area to President Mills and his NDC government to split the district into two to facilitate development, create jobs to reduce high unemployment and poverty rate and also encourage grass roots and popular participation in governance.

The area, she pointed out has enormous natural and human resources enough to sustain the district if created and urged the government under the leadership of President Mills to make the separation of the district his top priority.

The Presiding member’s call came at the time authorities including the youth and chiefs of the Tatale traditional area were lobbying the government to create another district to enable them confront their own problems.

Though the people began lobbying for the creation of a district several years ago, no attention had been given to their request for political reasons. The people were brutally denied the opportunity during 2004 when their counterparts such as Kpandai, Chereponi, and Bunkprugu/Yunyoo among others were separated.

The people are hopefully that the government would grant their request time round to enable them tackle their own problems.

It could be remembered that the paramount chief for Tatale traditional area, Obore Gariba Yankosor at a recent durbar of chiefs and people of the traditional area pointed out that the traditional area was vast with one paramount seat, about ten divisional chiefs and over 20 sub-chiefs.

The area, he disclosed also has enormous natural and human resources enough to sustain the district if created.

The traditional area is one of the peaceful areas in Ghana can boast of three area councils, one senior high school, a police station, CEPS and Immigration posts, large tracts of land, electricity to promote the growth of the cottage industry, one polyclinic, four health centres for quality health delivery and four mobile telecommunication networks, MTN, TiGO, Airtel and Vodafone.

The chief said that the traditional council had already earmarked over 80 acres of land for the construction of offices and accommodation for staff of the proposed district assembly. The provisions had also been made for temporary offices and accommodation for the staff if approval were given for the creation of the district.

94 farmers drag to court over GhȻ2.9 million defaults

Bimbila-Nothern Ghana:

Nanumba North DCE, Hon. Mohammed Ibn Abass

About ninety-four (94) farmers in the Nanumba North District Assembly have been dragged to court over GhC2.9 million.

This amount is said to be the total cost of fertilizers and farm inputs supply to these farmers by the ministry of agriculture under the government block farm project two years ago.

This came at the time the minister of Food and Agriculture Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi is advocating the stoppage of the government funding of agriculture as the ministry is subtle with huge debt under the block farm programme. The minister who recently proposed this when he met with the public account committee to answer questions relating to his ministry indicated that it was difficult recovering the money from farmers.

The culprits allegedly defaulted in payment in spite of the consistent reminders from the District Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture to repay.

The 94, who were served with the writ filed by the District Director of Agriculture Mr. Eugene Yelfaanibe at Bimbila Magistrate Court are supposed to appear before it later this month to answer charges on dishonesty and default.

The District Director of Agriculture Mr. Eugene Yelfaanibe who disclosed this to the Enquirer in an exclusive interview in his office at Bimbila indicated that his action to sue these farmers was to ensure the sustainability of the programme.

The programme, the Director described as “fantastic agriculture programme” is to ensure not only food security but support the development of agric sector and enhance the livelihoods of the people.

It also has the objectives to improve economic conditions of these poor farmers, make Ghana food sufficient, food reliable and reduce the difficulties farmers often go through in acquiring farm implements to undertake farming activities.

The Director who is now be threatened by some of these disgruntled farmers pointed out that politicking on all the government programmes including the government highly subsidized fertilizers and farm inputs, were responsible for the failures or unsuccessful implementations of most government programmes and livelihoods interventions.

The farming activities had increased tremendously in the Nanumba North District after the introduction of the government lock farm programme that engages thousands of unemployed youth. Currently the district is doing 1, 500 hectares of maize as against 100 last year, 500 hectares of rice as against 200 last year, 200 hectares of soya beans as against 90, and 35 hectares of sorghum this year alone.

The improvement of farming activities is a result of the government agriculture initiative including the supply of highly subsidized fertilizers and other agriculture inputs, the Director said.

Mr. Yelfaanibe disclosed that his office was compelled to take action against these defaulting farmers after the office’s consistent reminders and threat of prosecution could not compel them to voluntarily pay back the money belonging to the government.

“Some of them are reluctant to pay because their thinking is that the fertilizers were freely supplied by the government”, he said.

Stakeholders Review Ghana’s Climate Change Policy Framework

Francis Npong, Wa, Upper West

Mr. Philip Acquah in suit explaining a point to some participants

Ghana has less than nine years to build climate change resilience, adaptation and mitigation measures to be able to withstand the looming devastating effects of climate change and global warming.

The member of the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Roaster of Experts, Mr. Philip Acquah who gave this warning pointed out that the country which was currently grappling with the burden of poverty, environmental degradation, food insecurity is prone to erratic rainfall, floods, droughts and diseases and would need an action plan to be able to cope with the effects of global warming which was rare by 2020.

Mr. Acquah who was leading discussions on a three- day civil society capacity building on climate change and review of the national climate change policy framework document currently ongoing here in Wa, the Upper West Region stated that there would be no more time for Ghana and for that matter countries in Sub-Sahara region to build capacities of their people to deal with the effects of climate change if it was not done now.

The workshop organized by the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) in collaboration with CARE International Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP) and KASA and brought together representatives from civil society organizations in the three regions of Ghana was to enhance civil society capacity to understand the causes, impact and response measures to climate change. It was also to provide a consultative platform for civil society to discuss and input the national climate change policy framework to make its implementation easy.

The member of UNFCCC roaster of experts described climate change as a threat to Ghana’s development process and would need both the long and short term mitigation and adaptation policies and programmes to be able to cope with the effects of climate change.

The Advocacy manager of CARE International, Mr. Baba Tuahiru explained that Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP) is part of the organization’s resolve to increase the capacity of vulnerable households in sub-sahara Africa to adapt to climate variability and change.

The programme, he said which develops and applies innovative approaches to community basd adaptation to generate best practices models is aimed to empower communities and civil society organizations to have a voice in decision making on adaptation to climate change and also to influence national, regional and international adaptation policies and plans.

Mr. Tuahiru explained that ALP which is being implemented in 40 communities in Ghana, Niger, Mozambique and Kenya also promotes rights and responsibilities and empower people in the most vulnerable socio-economic groups to take action and raise their voices in local, national, and international planning and policy-making processes on adaptation and mitigation of climate change.

A Director in-charge of KASA programme at CARE International, Mr. Zakaria Yakubu said that the development of national climate change framework was to create a more coherent, equitable and integrated society to deal with the effects of climate change on development and livelihoods.

He said that the policy framework was also to ensure a climate resilience and climate compatible economy while achieving sustainable development and equitable low carbon economic growth for Ghana.

He called for effective collaboration between the government and civil society to ensure the successful implemtation of climate change policy to reduce poverty, hunger and prepare the people to adapt coping strategies for a better livelihood.

Mass Extinction of wild species of animals-Climate Change blame

Incredibly sad that many of the species of the living creatures who contribute nothing to the cause of climate change is paying for it. As i stroll from the street from Pet Vero Hotel to Upland Hotel in Wa, Upper West Region of Ghana to participate in a climate change workshop, a beautiful special species of a wild bird fell off from the sky and landed in front me by the road side.

I felt so sad as i stood helpless watching this bird died off. Is that a sign of climate change or probably a disease called “stroke” that could have killed this innocent bird. The workshop was a discussion of Ghana’s climate change policy framework and organized by the ministry of Environment, Science and Technology in collaboration with Care International as part of plans to come out with national climate adaptation, mitigation strategies on climate change.

Climate change is said to have been responsible for mass extinction of animal species and biodiversity worldwide. One thousand species of living creatures and still counting cannot be account for some due to rise of greenhouse gases, while other died through pollution.

The Effect of Climate Change is said to have affected global food security, influence water crisis, and natural disasters. Women and children are said to have also been affected greatly as they are mostly classified as most vulnerable. The loss of biodiversity through climate change also affected agricultural sector reducing harvesting by 20 per cent.

Like

Climate Change Resilience: Government Introduces Low Carbon Economy

 Francis Npong, Wa, Upper West: The government of Ghana is poised to introduce low carbon growth in its economic development as part of measures to

Mr. Rudolf Kuuzegh

drastically decrease the global greenhouse rising emissions to check climate change and global warming.

The Secretary to the Ghana Climate Change Policy Framework Committee, Mr Rudolf S. Kuuzegh who disclosed this to the Enquirer in Wa, the Upper West Region after he led a discussion on Ghana’s efforts being made to reduce the effects of climate change on livelihoods said that implementing low carbon growth in a long-term would create a robust economy that would prepare the country to be able to withstand the shocks and stresses resulting from climate change.

Describing climate change as a major threat to the country’s development, Mr. Kuuzegh hinted that the government was embarking on energy sector reforms that seek to build new technologies and low carbon electricity generation capacity and improve energy efficiency for economic development.

“It is against this background that the government’s climate change policy framework emphasizes the development of effective and efficient energy technologies that will minimize the greenhouse gas emission that causes global warming”, he said.

Low carbon growth , he explained could mean less reliance on fossil fuels, high energy efficiency and increased the use of renewable energy which could lead to creation of new jobs resulting from the application of new technologies.

Mr. Kuuzegh who is also finance and administration officer of the ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) stated that the climate change policy framework also seeks to improve future city planning, introduce modern transport infrastructure to lessen air pollution, and encourages effective use of renewable energy.

The secretary said that the climate change policy would also ensure national infrastructure developments are “climate- proof” and well adapted to impact of climate change variability.

Mr. Baba Tuahiru, the Advocacy manager of CARE International said that his outfit was working closely with the government and other organizations to develop climate change resilience policy that would help the country to cope with the effects of climate change.

According to him, CARE International’s Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP) which is being implemented in about fourty communities in four Africa countries including Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya and Niger was part of the organization’s core poverty fighting mission among rural dwellers.

The programme, he said develops and applies innovative approaches to community based adaptation to generate best practices climate models aimed to empower communities to cope with effects of climate change.

Mr. Tuahiru explained that ALP also promotes rights and responsibilities and empower people in the most vulnerable socio-economic groups to take action and raise their voices in local, national, and international planning and policy-making processes on adaptation and mitigation of climate change.

He promised that CARE International would continue to work with the government, civil society organizations and communities to implement scientifically sound and socially equitable climate change strategic policies as mitigation and adaptation against global warming.

crease the global greenhouse rising emissions to check climate change and global warming. The Secretary to the Ghana Climate Change Policy Framework Committee, Mr Rudolf S. Kuuzegh who disclosed this to the Enquirer in Wa, the Upper West Region after he led a discussion on Ghana’s efforts being made to reduce the effects of climate change on livelihoods said that implementing low carbon growth in a long-term would create a robust economy that would prepare the country to be able to withstand the shocks and stresses resulting from climate change.

Describing climate change as a major threat to the country’s development, Mr. Kuuzegh hinted that the government was embarking on energy sector reforms that seek to build new technologies and low carbon electricity generation capacity and improve energy efficiency for economic development. “It is against this background that the government’s climate change policy framework emphasizes the development of effective and efficient energy technologies that will minimize the greenhouse gas emission that causes global warming”, he said.

Low carbon growth , he explained could mean less reliance on fossil fuels, high energy efficiency and increased the use of renewable energy which could lead to creation of new jobs resulting from the application of new technologies. Mr. Kuuzegh who is also finance and administration officer of the ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) stated that the climate change policy framework also seeks to improve future city planning, introduce modern transport infrastructure to lessen air pollution, and encourages effective use of renewable energy.

The secretary said that the climate change policy would also ensure national infrastructure developments are “climate- proof” and well adapted to impact of climate change variability. Mr. Baba Tuahiru, the Advocacy manager of CARE International said that his outfit was working closely with the government and other organizations to develop climate change resilience policy that would help the country to cope with the effects of climate change.

According to him, CARE International’s Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP) which is being implemented in about fourty communities in four Africa countries including Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya and Niger was part of the organization’s core poverty fighting mission among rural dwellers.

The programme, he said develops and applies innovative approaches to community based adaptation to generate best practices climate models aimed to empower communities to cope with effects of climate change. Mr. Tuahiru explained that ALP also promotes rights and responsibilities and empower people in the most vulnerable socio-economic groups to take action and raise their voices in local, national, and international planning and policy-making processes on adaptation and mitigation of climate change.

He promised that CARE International would continue to work with the government, civil society organizations and communities to implement scientifically sound and socially equitable climate change strategic policies as mitigation and adaptation against global warming.

SADA Launches Millennium Village Project in North

Francis Npong, Tamale

CEO of SADA, Alh. Gilbert Seidu Iddi

SADA- Millennium Village project (SADA-MVP), an initiative of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) is set to kick starts soon in 34 deprived communities in the Northern and Upper East regions.

The project which estimated to cost 18 million dollars and financed by theDepartment for International Development (DFID) would rollout massive development infrastructure in beneficiary communities that seek to transform local agriculture, economy, education, health, water and sanitation to improve the living conditions of the people.

The Chief Executive Officer of SADA Alhaji Gilbert Seidu Iddi who made this known the Enquirer in an exclusive interview after a validation workshop for SADA-MVP in Tamale explained that the project is a five year development programme initiated by SADA as part of plans to bridge the development gap between the north and south.

The project which he said would cost about 18 million dollars and to be financed by the Department for International Development (DFID) is aimed to scale up Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) based development plans in the beneficiary communities in the selected communities in regions.

“As part of the government’s better Ghana agenda these selected communities will witness massive basic infrastructure while latest agriculture technologies will also be deplored to improve traditional farming methods”, the CEO said.

He mentioned some communities such as Siliga, Nabari, Sariba, Duu, Jagsi and Katrigri in the West Mampurusi District and Gbedembilisi, Dalaasa, Kandem and Luisa as among the 34 deprived communities to benefit from this initiative.

He appealed to members of the selected communities to support the project when finally commerce in their respective areas to speed up progress of work.

The Northern Regional minister Mr. Moses Bukari Mabengba pointed out that project is part of the NDC government resolved to open up the region to investment.

Aside these projects, SADA would rollout major infrastructure development across the three regions of the north and that it was putting in place necessary frameworks and structures in place to ensure SADA faced little challenges in implementation of its activities.

The government, the minister said was determine to reverse the decades of neglect of the north and was setting up structures for sustainable development to uplift the livelihoods of the people.

The minister said that currently there are ongoing high level discussions for sustainable funding for SADA indicating the government would be holding funding or donor forum on the programme soon to attract necessary donor funding for the project.

He appealed to people agitating against the government over SADA implementation to exercise restraints as necessary works are being done to commerce the implementation of the programme. “We want it lasting and sustainable but not to rush and face implementation difficulties in terms of funding”, he said.

Mr. Mabengba said that SADA would integrate and harmonize existing plans and programmes to avoid as possible the neglect of the ongoing projects in the area. He however, appealed to the SADA-MVP to include chiefs and media in the implementation of the programme to make it transparent.

The Minister thanked the government and her International funding partner for initiating the programmes urged SADA to put necessary things in place for a smooth runiing of the programme to benefit the rural poor.

Chancellor calls for establishment of sheanut research institute in north

Shear tree

Francis Npong, Tamale

The Acting Vice Chancellor of the University for Development studies (UDS) Prof. Kaku Sagary Nokoe has called on the government to as a matter of urgency establish sheanut Development Board and Sheanut Research Institute with budgetary allocations just as Cocoa Research Institute to encourage research into the commercialization of the shea tree.
According to him, the placement of sheanut industry under COCOBOD by government was disincentive to its development.

He therefore recommended to the government to separate the sheanut industry from cocoa industry by setting up an independent board to be called Sheanut Development Board which would be entrusted with the responsibility to oversee the affairs and development of sheanut industry.

Prof. Nokoe made the call at a press conference organized by the authorities of the university after the Third Harmattan School; a policy think-tank group on the northern Ghana held at GET fund Hotel in Tamale.

The Harmattan School is an initiative of the University for Development studies which fundamental responsibility is to function as a forensic advocacy group that ensures improved accountability in the development discourse of the north.

This year’s school which was organized by the university in collaboration with Center for Continuing Education and Interdisciplinary Research was under the theme: Food security and poverty reduction: Conventional and non-conventional food production”.

He explained that just as there was cocoa research institute establishing sheanut research institute would encourage research into the development and commercialization of shea tree. This he observed would help reduce poverty among the people living in the three northern regions.

Prof. Nokoe also called on government, bilateral and multilateral donor agencies to help promote small scale irrigation development in all districts of the north to facilitate dry season farming. This would help solve the food insecurity, hunger and starvation in the regions, he observed.

Stressing the need for research into indigenous food and cash crops, the Acting Chancellor of UDS called on government and her development partners to make funding available to research into native crops which are crucial in the fight against hunger and starvation and food insecurity in the north.

He said special efforts should also be made by government to develop guinea fowl industry as well as small and large ruminants’ production which have competitive advantage in the north.

He called on government and its development partners to provide credit facilities that were readily accessibly to women and vulnerable to empower them economically. These credit facilities should have low interest rates or interest free to ensure that the poor and vulnerable could access it.