Judge Blames Police for Bushfire Rise

From: Francis Npong, Tamale

The presiding Magistrate of the Tamale District Court, His Worship Gabriel Mate-Teye has blamed rampant bushfire, wood logging and charcoal burning on Ghana Police Service.

He said that the continuous burning of bush and indiscriminate felling of trees was because of the failure of the police personnel to enforce strictly anti-bushfire law.

He described as disgusting the failure of the police to deal ruthlessly with organized rat hunters in the region who were burning bushes without recourse to danger it poses to environment and property .

His Worship Mate-Teye who expressed worry about the rampant bushfire, commercial charcoal burning and wood logging activities in the region said that the process was influencing desertification and drought, and posed serious threat to food security and must be stopped.

The presiding judge said this after slapping a fine of 120 Ghana cedis each on two of the nine rat hunters who pleaded guilty to for unlawful and negligently causing damage contrary to section 12 of the 172 Act 29/60 of the criminal code who appeared before him to answer these charges brought against them by the officials of the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA).

 

The Magistrate stated that the rampant bushfire and environmental pollution could be minimized if the police personnel together with officials of the Environmental Protection Agency enforce environmental laws to the later.

“Often times organized rat hunters who set fire to the bush pass by the police who did nothing to prevent them from going into the buses to cause havoc to environment and farm produces”, he stated.

The judge said that civil crime would have been reduced to the minimum if the police were serious and strictly enforces and educate people on the laws as enshrined in the law books of the country.

He warned that his outfit would deal drastically with individuals brought before him and charge with bushfire, tree logging and charcoal burning offences.

The Magistrate commended the officials of the EPA for resisting influences and pressure from opinion leaders, political leaders and chiefs to bring the case before him for trail.

He promised to give prominence to cases related to environment and encourage EPA and police to join forces to deal with issues of bushfire, wood logging and charcoal burning.

The nine persons include six juveniles were arrested by the Tamale police somewhere in January 2011 for setting fire to the bush that destroyed a 36 acre cowpea farm at Nyamelga, a farming community on the Salaga road.

Though the pleas of the six juveniles were not taken the court however granted to reappear in court on the 16^th March 2011 to enable the court making arrangement to hear the case of these under aged children in camera as stipulated by the law.

Two of remaining three pleaded guilty to the offence and would be sentenced on the 21^st when they reappear before it.

Fighting Corruption in Agric Sector: Enquirer Team Commended

DCE Entangled in 45,000 Ghana Cedis Scandal (Enquirer 20 July 2011)

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Zabzugu/Tatale, Mr. Umar Wahab who was recently cited for defrauding his youth numbering about 200 who paid him Ȼ50 each to participate in ICT training course has again been accused of defrauding his farmers of a colossal sum of Ȼ45, 000.

This amount is said be a deposit of Ȼ4,500 each handed over to him as part payment and in fulfillment of the requirement to acquire tractors through the ministry of Food and agriculture high purchase scheme by some ten farmer groups in the district.

Information however gathered by the Enquirer from the ministry of Food and Agriculture indicated that a farmer who wish to purchase a tractor and its accessories is supposed to deposit 50% of the total cost of the implement while the balance is spread through within three years. The cost of a tractor and its accessories is now between Ȼ24,000 and Ȼ28, 000, according to the Enquirer information.

This implies that this group of farmers or individuals who wish to obtain a tractor(s) under the ministry’s high purchase scheme would have to deposit 50%.

The farmers who are peeved with the president’s representative have appealed to the presidency to impress upon the DCE to refund their money with interest.

Some of the supposed farmer group members alleged that the DCE was adamant to demand for refund saying “he verbally pour “venom” on them and threatening them with arrest” anytime they appear before him to discuss the matter.

“That is why we want the public to know about this deal so that we can at least recover our money mobilized through our daily toil if he is not able to supply us with the tractors”, a frustrated farmers told theEnquirer during interaction in Yendi.

Though the DCE allegedly promised to deliver the tractors to the said farmer groups within the shortest period, it has however taken him two years now to supply them with a single tractor, they said.

The farmers alleged that Mr. Wahab who could not produce receipts to individual farmer groups as evidence of payment to the ministry’s tractor service account alleged that they were being “bully” by the president’s representative when they approach him on the matter.

According to the frustrated farmers, the DCE could not also direct them to the ministry or agency he was working with to get the tractors supply to them but always flares up.

“We are suspecting that he used the money to buy some shares so it is difficult for him to access it again”, they said.

The farmers who are planning to hit the streets to demonstration again the president’s representative called on the president to look into th matter.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Enquirer, some members of various farmer groups who want to remain anonymous for fear of intimidation and harassment complained that their wards recently lost huge amount of money to the DCE who promised to train them in ICT but failed.

“The DCE will always burst out with anger anytime we demanded receipts as evidence of payment. This gave us a clue to suspect that something is wrong somewhere”, the farmers said.

The farmers who described the DCE as “highly cunny” said that they have lost confidence in him and appealed to the president to intervene.

The actions and inactions of the DCE, according to a top NDC guru within the district were provoking the people against the government.

He said that this may have some repercussions of the performance of the party during the 2012 elections if nothing was done about it.

“Section of the people in the district has been complaining about the conduct of the DCE, from one allegation to the other this is not good enough for the party development”, he said.

The top NDC member also alleged that the DCE takes decisions without consultation.

The DCE when contacted confirmed taking money from some group of farmers to help them acquire these tractors through the ministry of Food and Agriculture high purchase scheme.

He however refused to disclose the amount he collected and the number of farmer groups involved but only to say that the groups had paid Ȼ4,500 each to him.

He also claimed to have in his possession a receipt backing the deposit for the tractors but could not tell this reporter which ministry or agency account he paid this money into for verification purpose but promised to show the receipt covering the deposit to the Enquirer when he had recovered from malaria and had made a journey back from Accra later within the month.

Mr. Wahab who sounded very disturbed on phone told the Enquirer to direct those farmers who were not interested in the deal to come for their refund disclosing that somebody had already indicated to him that he had seen a used tractor and was interested in it “so I told him to look for the money elsewhere to pay for it so that anytime I travel to Accra I can bring his money to him”, 

On consulting party members, the DCE said that he does not need to consult party when taking decisions.

Stay tune.

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.

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