Forty-one wells have been constructed in remote villages in the Northern Region to improve on water supply to the people in those communities.
The project was initiated last year by two non-governmental organisations (NGOs); the Save the Mothers Trust (SMT), based in the United Kingdom and The Light Foundation (TLF), based in Ghana, to improve the living conditions of the people, particularly widows and orphans.
Other initiatives undertaken by the NGOs include the distribution of sheep, food items, used clothing, stationery and confectionery to widows, orphans and schoolchildren in Tamale and its environs.
The leader of a three-member team from the SMT, UK that visited Ghana to inspect the projects, Mr Mohammed Shahid, noted that the sheep were given to the widows to enable them go into animal rearing as a means of earning a livelihood.
He expressed the hope that with the cooperation of the TLF, more projects would be established in the north.
According to him, the aim of the SMT was to, among other things, provide potable water to deprived communities, as well as help promote self-reliance through education and providing food aid to the vulnerable in society.
The team, upon the request of the Chief Executive Officer of the TLF, Alhaji Ali Abubakar Napari, later visited the Ibn Abass Primary School and distributed cookies to the pupils.
They also visited the Islamic Primary School in Tamale, where the SMT had finalised arrangements with the school authorities to support the school with desks, school uniforms, computers, library books and stationery to make the school more conducive for learning.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
CREATE MARKET FOR FARM PRODUCE (PAGE 39, JAN 4)
THE Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, has entreated stakeholders in the agriculture sector to concerntrate more on creating market for farm produce.
Addressing the Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP) Value Chain Practitioners Forum in Tamale, Mr Ahwoi said efforts must be made to increase the productivity of commodities that are in high demand and for which the markets have already been identified.
The objectives of the forum is to create a platform for stakeholders in the region to interact and share experiences and to adopt common programmes and strategies.
To create more market access, Mr Ahwoi underscored the need for farmers to take comparative advantage of their agricultural produce to increase their competitiveness on the market.
The youth must be encouraged to take up agriculture as a business; to do that, we "The youth must make agriculture attractive in terms of mechanisation and sourcing of markets to make agri-business profitable” he stated.
Mr Ahwoi stated that the sector ministry was bringing in 1,000 more tractors to continue the programme of the Agriculture Mechanisation Service Centres.
He indicated that already, eight combine harvesters had arrived in Northern and Upper East regions to harvest rice which saw a boost this cropping season.
“I have directed the NRGP to expedite the rehabilitation of strategic warehouses under the infrastructure component for the storage of the bumper cereal harvest, especially produce from the block farms sponsored by the ministry for the youth” he stressed.
The minister further stated that the Value Chain Approach was the current focus of his outfit and one of the central pillars of the current Food and Agricultural Sector Development Policy (FASDEP).
“To date, the ministry with technical assistance from the German Development Cooperation (GTZ) under the Market Oriented Agricultural Programme (MOAP) are institutionalising the Value Chain Approach in the ministry by piloting the application of the approach to some commodities” he pointed out.
The Northern Regional Director of Food and Agriculture, Mr Sylvester Adongo for his part, intimated that the NRGP would succeed if stakeholders were committed to its implementation process.
Addressing the Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP) Value Chain Practitioners Forum in Tamale, Mr Ahwoi said efforts must be made to increase the productivity of commodities that are in high demand and for which the markets have already been identified.
The objectives of the forum is to create a platform for stakeholders in the region to interact and share experiences and to adopt common programmes and strategies.
To create more market access, Mr Ahwoi underscored the need for farmers to take comparative advantage of their agricultural produce to increase their competitiveness on the market.
The youth must be encouraged to take up agriculture as a business; to do that, we "The youth must make agriculture attractive in terms of mechanisation and sourcing of markets to make agri-business profitable” he stated.
Mr Ahwoi stated that the sector ministry was bringing in 1,000 more tractors to continue the programme of the Agriculture Mechanisation Service Centres.
He indicated that already, eight combine harvesters had arrived in Northern and Upper East regions to harvest rice which saw a boost this cropping season.
“I have directed the NRGP to expedite the rehabilitation of strategic warehouses under the infrastructure component for the storage of the bumper cereal harvest, especially produce from the block farms sponsored by the ministry for the youth” he stressed.
The minister further stated that the Value Chain Approach was the current focus of his outfit and one of the central pillars of the current Food and Agricultural Sector Development Policy (FASDEP).
“To date, the ministry with technical assistance from the German Development Cooperation (GTZ) under the Market Oriented Agricultural Programme (MOAP) are institutionalising the Value Chain Approach in the ministry by piloting the application of the approach to some commodities” he pointed out.
The Northern Regional Director of Food and Agriculture, Mr Sylvester Adongo for his part, intimated that the NRGP would succeed if stakeholders were committed to its implementation process.
LOCAL GOVT INSTITUTE DONATES TO SHEKINAH CLINIC (PAGE 22, JAN 4)
THE Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) in Tamale has donated used clothing and assorted drinks to patients at the Shekinah Clinic at Gurugu, a suburb of the metropolis.
The gesture formed part of the social responsibility programme of the ILGS and it was in response to the needs of patients at the clinic, who include mentally ill persons, destitutes, AIDS patients and persons who have been abandoned by their relatives because of their predicament.
The Director of the ILGS, Dr Callistus Mahama, said, “We are touched first by the plight of the patients and then the good work being done by the management of the clinic.”
He intimated that the ILGS would continue to support the activities of the clinic, knowing very well that it would be supporting the poor and needy in society.
According to him, the items were provided through contributions from staff of the ILGS who were equally touched by the activities of the clinic.
Receiving the items, the nurse in charge of the clinic, Mr Emmanuel Majeed, thanked the ILGS for the items and urged other benevolent organisations to emulate the gesture.
The Resident Medical Doctor of the clinic, Dr David Abdulai, thanked the ILGS for the gesture, saying, “I am running two clinics aimed primarily at the poor and destitute; we depend unconditionally on divine providence.”
Established in March 1991 by Dr Abdulai, the Shekinah Clinic has, over the years, served as a home to many poor residents of Tamale, including those who have been abandoned by their families for various reasons.
The clinic also serves as a home and place of healing to some patients and those allegedly abandoned by their relatives from neighbouring countries like Togo and Benin.
Currently, there are 35 destitutes who have found a resting place at the clinic.
On the average, it performs 21 hernia operations in a week and records 120 outpatients attendance in a week.
The management of the clinic has initiated a food programme by which 150 people, including the mentally challenged roaming the streets of Tamale, are fed.
The gesture formed part of the social responsibility programme of the ILGS and it was in response to the needs of patients at the clinic, who include mentally ill persons, destitutes, AIDS patients and persons who have been abandoned by their relatives because of their predicament.
The Director of the ILGS, Dr Callistus Mahama, said, “We are touched first by the plight of the patients and then the good work being done by the management of the clinic.”
He intimated that the ILGS would continue to support the activities of the clinic, knowing very well that it would be supporting the poor and needy in society.
According to him, the items were provided through contributions from staff of the ILGS who were equally touched by the activities of the clinic.
Receiving the items, the nurse in charge of the clinic, Mr Emmanuel Majeed, thanked the ILGS for the items and urged other benevolent organisations to emulate the gesture.
The Resident Medical Doctor of the clinic, Dr David Abdulai, thanked the ILGS for the gesture, saying, “I am running two clinics aimed primarily at the poor and destitute; we depend unconditionally on divine providence.”
Established in March 1991 by Dr Abdulai, the Shekinah Clinic has, over the years, served as a home to many poor residents of Tamale, including those who have been abandoned by their families for various reasons.
The clinic also serves as a home and place of healing to some patients and those allegedly abandoned by their relatives from neighbouring countries like Togo and Benin.
Currently, there are 35 destitutes who have found a resting place at the clinic.
On the average, it performs 21 hernia operations in a week and records 120 outpatients attendance in a week.
The management of the clinic has initiated a food programme by which 150 people, including the mentally challenged roaming the streets of Tamale, are fed.
CANADIAN FUND TO ASSIST TAMALE (PAGE 22, JAN 4)
THE Christian Children’s Fund of Canada (CCFC), an international non-governmental organisation, is currently holding discussions with the Canadian government and United Nations bodies to source for funding to execute more projects in the Tamale metropolis.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CCFC, Mr Mark Lukowski, who made this known during an interaction with media practitioners in Tamale, stated that Canada had been funding programmes in Tamale for the past 13 years, with more than 8,000 children having been supported under various interventions by the organisation in the metropolis.
He intimated that the discussions were at their preliminary stages and expressed the hope that the CCFC would build on its achievements in the Northern Region.
“As the new CEO of the CCFC, I am also here to announce our ongoing commitment to stay in Ghana and continue our support in this region. We are committed to the long-term relationships in Ghana,” Mr Lukowski pointed out.
The CEO commended the CCFC, local NGOs and the media for their support and commitment to the implementation of CCFC’s programmes.
The Communications Director of the CCFC, Mr Philip Maher, observed that its mission was to support children to enable them to realise their full potential.
He pledged the commitment of his outfit to ensure that children in Ghana, particularly those in the north, were well catered for.
He, therefore, entreated the media to highlight more issues affecting children to attract the attention of charity organisations.
The Country Director of the CCFC, Mrs Sanatu Nantogma, observed that her outfit had made significant strides in the socio-economic lives of children in its nine operational districts of the region.
She mentioned water and sanitation, education, health and micro credit enterprises as areas of intervention for its beneficiaries.
Mrs Nantogma explained that before the arrival of the CCFC in its operational districts, there was poor school enrolment, but the situation had improved remarkably, as a more than 200 per cent increase in enrolment figures had been recorded in the areas.
She stated, for instance, that girl-child education had shot up from 10 per cent to 50 per cent, while, in the area of water and sanitation, over 65 communities had been supported with hand dug wells, 64 harvesting tanks and more than 2000 soak-aways.
Mrs Nantogma further noted that the CCFC had constructed a number of classroom blocks and built early childhood centres.
In the area of micro enterprise development, she said 3,000 people, 60 per cent of whom were women, had been supported to improve upon their respective businesses.
She expressed gratitude to the district assemblies and development partners for supporting the efforts of the CCFC to bring relief to children in the north.
Touching on challenges in the educational sector, Mrs Nantogma said the retention of teachers in the area was one of the major problems facing many communities in the operational areas of the CCFC.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CCFC, Mr Mark Lukowski, who made this known during an interaction with media practitioners in Tamale, stated that Canada had been funding programmes in Tamale for the past 13 years, with more than 8,000 children having been supported under various interventions by the organisation in the metropolis.
He intimated that the discussions were at their preliminary stages and expressed the hope that the CCFC would build on its achievements in the Northern Region.
“As the new CEO of the CCFC, I am also here to announce our ongoing commitment to stay in Ghana and continue our support in this region. We are committed to the long-term relationships in Ghana,” Mr Lukowski pointed out.
The CEO commended the CCFC, local NGOs and the media for their support and commitment to the implementation of CCFC’s programmes.
The Communications Director of the CCFC, Mr Philip Maher, observed that its mission was to support children to enable them to realise their full potential.
He pledged the commitment of his outfit to ensure that children in Ghana, particularly those in the north, were well catered for.
He, therefore, entreated the media to highlight more issues affecting children to attract the attention of charity organisations.
The Country Director of the CCFC, Mrs Sanatu Nantogma, observed that her outfit had made significant strides in the socio-economic lives of children in its nine operational districts of the region.
She mentioned water and sanitation, education, health and micro credit enterprises as areas of intervention for its beneficiaries.
Mrs Nantogma explained that before the arrival of the CCFC in its operational districts, there was poor school enrolment, but the situation had improved remarkably, as a more than 200 per cent increase in enrolment figures had been recorded in the areas.
She stated, for instance, that girl-child education had shot up from 10 per cent to 50 per cent, while, in the area of water and sanitation, over 65 communities had been supported with hand dug wells, 64 harvesting tanks and more than 2000 soak-aways.
Mrs Nantogma further noted that the CCFC had constructed a number of classroom blocks and built early childhood centres.
In the area of micro enterprise development, she said 3,000 people, 60 per cent of whom were women, had been supported to improve upon their respective businesses.
She expressed gratitude to the district assemblies and development partners for supporting the efforts of the CCFC to bring relief to children in the north.
Touching on challenges in the educational sector, Mrs Nantogma said the retention of teachers in the area was one of the major problems facing many communities in the operational areas of the CCFC.
LAND IN TAMALE, A HOT COMMODITY (PAGE 22, JAN 4)
ONE phenomenon that seems to be emerging in the sprawling Tamale metropolis is the stiff competition between estate developers and farmers for the vast stretch of land available in the area for the purposes of estate development and for farming.
Undoubtedly, the expansion of the metropolis, owing to its rapid development, is gradually making the availability of fertile land for farming purposes difficult.
The activities of real estate developers, who are mostly engaged in construction work and such activities as gravel winning, particularly for the provision of landed properties like hotels, residential accommodation and other development projects has compounded the problem of lack of farmlands in the metropolis.
Farmers are, therefore, compelled to move into the peri-urban communities to enable them to have access to fertile land to boost food production.
Another challenge facing farming in the metropolis is the issue of land degradation as a result of extensive cropping on land over the years.
At the recent 25th Metropolitan Farmers Day celebration held at Tampei-Kukuo, a suburb of Tamale, farmers and officials of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TAMA), as well as the Metropolitan Directorate of Food and Agriculture, raised concerns over the seeming “struggle” for land between estate developers and farmers.
According to Mr Kwamina Arkorful, the Metropolitan Director of Food and Agriculture, although farmers in the city were into serious farming activities, “they are gradually losing a lot of land to real estate developers and so they now have to travel into the hinterland and peri-urban communities to get fertile land to farm on”.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Alhaji Abdulai Haruna Friday, for his part, observed that “gravel winning due to the activities of contractors and other developers degrades land, without due regard to reclamation and this is greatly affecting fertility of the land on which our survival depends”.
The MCE, therefore, suggested to chiefs and opinion leaders to always liaise with the assembly before releasing land to forestall such problems.
The Overall Metropolitan Best Farmer, Mr Lansah Salifu of Nyerizee, and 18 other farmers in the metropolis also expressed their misgivings about the activities of estate developers.
Some of the farmers entreated the TAMA and other stakeholders to find ways of addressing the problem, since it had a ripple effect on food production in the metropolis.
Indeed, a visit to suburbs like Jisonayili, Gurugu, Tampei-Kukuo, Gumani, Vitting and many others by the Daily Graphic showed that the areas were experiencing massive growth in the building industry. In 2004, the Gurugu area had just a handful of houses, but the story is different today. There are fears that in the not-too-distant future, land for farming purposes will be virtually absent.
A significant number of residents of and visitors to the metropolis are either into the hospitality industry or housing industry, thereby making land increasingly “a hot commodity”.
Owing to the exorbitant rent charged in those suburbs, some residents, including public and civil servants, have decided to go for loans at the banks in order to put up their own houses, although some of them earn meagre salaries.
This and many other activities of investors have made the availability of land for farming purposes quite a difficult task.
Undoubtedly, the expansion of the metropolis, owing to its rapid development, is gradually making the availability of fertile land for farming purposes difficult.
The activities of real estate developers, who are mostly engaged in construction work and such activities as gravel winning, particularly for the provision of landed properties like hotels, residential accommodation and other development projects has compounded the problem of lack of farmlands in the metropolis.
Farmers are, therefore, compelled to move into the peri-urban communities to enable them to have access to fertile land to boost food production.
Another challenge facing farming in the metropolis is the issue of land degradation as a result of extensive cropping on land over the years.
At the recent 25th Metropolitan Farmers Day celebration held at Tampei-Kukuo, a suburb of Tamale, farmers and officials of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TAMA), as well as the Metropolitan Directorate of Food and Agriculture, raised concerns over the seeming “struggle” for land between estate developers and farmers.
According to Mr Kwamina Arkorful, the Metropolitan Director of Food and Agriculture, although farmers in the city were into serious farming activities, “they are gradually losing a lot of land to real estate developers and so they now have to travel into the hinterland and peri-urban communities to get fertile land to farm on”.
The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Alhaji Abdulai Haruna Friday, for his part, observed that “gravel winning due to the activities of contractors and other developers degrades land, without due regard to reclamation and this is greatly affecting fertility of the land on which our survival depends”.
The MCE, therefore, suggested to chiefs and opinion leaders to always liaise with the assembly before releasing land to forestall such problems.
The Overall Metropolitan Best Farmer, Mr Lansah Salifu of Nyerizee, and 18 other farmers in the metropolis also expressed their misgivings about the activities of estate developers.
Some of the farmers entreated the TAMA and other stakeholders to find ways of addressing the problem, since it had a ripple effect on food production in the metropolis.
Indeed, a visit to suburbs like Jisonayili, Gurugu, Tampei-Kukuo, Gumani, Vitting and many others by the Daily Graphic showed that the areas were experiencing massive growth in the building industry. In 2004, the Gurugu area had just a handful of houses, but the story is different today. There are fears that in the not-too-distant future, land for farming purposes will be virtually absent.
A significant number of residents of and visitors to the metropolis are either into the hospitality industry or housing industry, thereby making land increasingly “a hot commodity”.
Owing to the exorbitant rent charged in those suburbs, some residents, including public and civil servants, have decided to go for loans at the banks in order to put up their own houses, although some of them earn meagre salaries.
This and many other activities of investors have made the availability of land for farming purposes quite a difficult task.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
TAMALE RESIDENTS KEEP VIGIL TO USSHER IN NEW YEAR (PAGE 18, JAN 2)
Churches, including the OLA Cathedral and other parishes of the Catholic Church, Assemblies of God Church at Choggu, among others, were filled to capacity with members of the church to usher in the new year
.
They held prayers for the nation and her leaders, and for peace in the Northern Region.
Some of the churches also used the occasion to take stock of their past activities in 2009 and also strategise for the new year.
In a New Year Message, the Archbishop in charge of the Northern Ecclesiastical Province of the Catholic Church, His Grace Philip Naameh, urged Ghanaians, including Christians in the north, to honour their civic responsibilities and surrender themselves totally to God as required by the biblical teachings.
According to him, “many people enjoyed God’s mercies in the past year and needed to be grateful to him by serving him better in the new year”.
The Archbishop equally entreated residents to turn a new leaf in the new year, saying “what is new about the new year when you are still doing the old things you were doing in the past year?”
He appealed to residents, particularly Christians, to be committed to societal and Church growth as a way of reciprocating the mercies that God had showered on his children.
“You must, therefore, avoid procrastination, lateness to all manner of gatherings, absenteeism, apathy towards community development and church growth in order to receive the blessings of our Creator,” Archbishop Naameh added.
Meanwhile, event organisers have outlined a number of entertainment programmes in the metropolis for the new year, during which some accomplished Ghanaian musicians are expected to perform a variety of songs from their respective repertoires to entertain patrons.
.
They held prayers for the nation and her leaders, and for peace in the Northern Region.
Some of the churches also used the occasion to take stock of their past activities in 2009 and also strategise for the new year.
In a New Year Message, the Archbishop in charge of the Northern Ecclesiastical Province of the Catholic Church, His Grace Philip Naameh, urged Ghanaians, including Christians in the north, to honour their civic responsibilities and surrender themselves totally to God as required by the biblical teachings.
According to him, “many people enjoyed God’s mercies in the past year and needed to be grateful to him by serving him better in the new year”.
The Archbishop equally entreated residents to turn a new leaf in the new year, saying “what is new about the new year when you are still doing the old things you were doing in the past year?”
He appealed to residents, particularly Christians, to be committed to societal and Church growth as a way of reciprocating the mercies that God had showered on his children.
“You must, therefore, avoid procrastination, lateness to all manner of gatherings, absenteeism, apathy towards community development and church growth in order to receive the blessings of our Creator,” Archbishop Naameh added.
Meanwhile, event organisers have outlined a number of entertainment programmes in the metropolis for the new year, during which some accomplished Ghanaian musicians are expected to perform a variety of songs from their respective repertoires to entertain patrons.
MILITARY URGED TO KEEP PACE WITH MODERNITY (PAGE 23, JAN 2)
THE Minister of Defence, Lt Gen. Joseph Smith (retd) has charged officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to keep pace with modern trends in their chosen career, particularly in the area of “combat effectiveness”.
He also urged them to adopt a positive attitude to work, be disciplined and punctual.
This he said were critical to maintaining high standards and professionalism among military personnel.
Lt Gen. Smith was addressing officers and men of the six Garrison in Tamale during an official working visit to the area.
The visit was aimed at acquainting himself with the problems facing the garrison and to introduce himself to the personnel as the new defence minister.
“Modernisation of the GAF is critical because we are in the 21st century where nobody waits for anybody; we should therefore, keep pace with the challenges of our time,” he said.
He reminded the officers and men that the institution thrived on certain traditions and practices that made it an enviable institution.
“Those before us struggled to build a strong foundation; let us also make sure we build on what our forebears have done to keep the spirit of the institution alive, ” Lt. Gen Smith stressed.
He reminded them to continue to maintain discipline, saying Ghanaian soldiers were admired all over the world.
He, however, expressed concern about challenges such as inadequate logistics, old armoured vehicles and accommodation which he noted were the top priority of his ministry.
Lt Gen. Smith announced plans to procure “Strategic Aircraft” that could airlift 90 personnel at a time to facilitate the work of military personnel, while orientation in peacekeeping operations would be intensified among the personnel.
“We also need a strong navy for coastal surveillance; we are currently talking to the Chinese Government to support efforts at establishing a tailoring shop to generate income,” he stated.
According to the defence minister, the Government had agreed to help provide mobile clinics for the various military hospitals.
He also urged them to adopt a positive attitude to work, be disciplined and punctual.
This he said were critical to maintaining high standards and professionalism among military personnel.
Lt Gen. Smith was addressing officers and men of the six Garrison in Tamale during an official working visit to the area.
The visit was aimed at acquainting himself with the problems facing the garrison and to introduce himself to the personnel as the new defence minister.
“Modernisation of the GAF is critical because we are in the 21st century where nobody waits for anybody; we should therefore, keep pace with the challenges of our time,” he said.
He reminded the officers and men that the institution thrived on certain traditions and practices that made it an enviable institution.
“Those before us struggled to build a strong foundation; let us also make sure we build on what our forebears have done to keep the spirit of the institution alive, ” Lt. Gen Smith stressed.
He reminded them to continue to maintain discipline, saying Ghanaian soldiers were admired all over the world.
He, however, expressed concern about challenges such as inadequate logistics, old armoured vehicles and accommodation which he noted were the top priority of his ministry.
Lt Gen. Smith announced plans to procure “Strategic Aircraft” that could airlift 90 personnel at a time to facilitate the work of military personnel, while orientation in peacekeeping operations would be intensified among the personnel.
“We also need a strong navy for coastal surveillance; we are currently talking to the Chinese Government to support efforts at establishing a tailoring shop to generate income,” he stated.
According to the defence minister, the Government had agreed to help provide mobile clinics for the various military hospitals.
MILITARY URGED TO KEEP PACE WITH MODERNITY (PAGE 23, JAN 2)
THE Minister of Defence, Lt Gen. Joseph Smith (retd) has charged officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to keep pace with modern trends in their chosen career, particularly in the area of “combat effectiveness”.
He also urged them to adopt a positive attitude to work, be disciplined and punctual.
This he said were critical to maintaining high standards and professionalism among military personnel.
Lt Gen. Smith was addressing officers and men of the six Garrison in Tamale during an official working visit to the area.
The visit was aimed at acquainting himself with the problems facing the garrison and to introduce himself to the personnel as the new defence minister.
“Modernisation of the GAF is critical because we are in the 21st century where nobody waits for anybody; we should therefore, keep pace with the challenges of our time,” he said.
He reminded the officers and men that the institution thrived on certain traditions and practices that made it an enviable institution.
“Those before us struggled to build a strong foundation; let us also make sure we build on what our forebears have done to keep the spirit of the institution alive, ” Lt. Gen Smith stressed.
He reminded them to continue to maintain discipline, saying Ghanaian soldiers were admired all over the world.
He, however, expressed concern about challenges such as inadequate logistics, old armoured vehicles and accommodation which he noted were the top priority of his ministry.
Lt Gen. Smith announced plans to procure “Strategic Aircraft” that could airlift 90 personnel at a time to facilitate the work of military personnel, while orientation in peacekeeping operations would be intensified among the personnel.
“We also need a strong navy for coastal surveillance; we are currently talking to the Chinese Government to support efforts at establishing a tailoring shop to generate income,” he stated.
According to the defence minister, the Government had agreed to help provide mobile clinics for the various military hospitals.
He also urged them to adopt a positive attitude to work, be disciplined and punctual.
This he said were critical to maintaining high standards and professionalism among military personnel.
Lt Gen. Smith was addressing officers and men of the six Garrison in Tamale during an official working visit to the area.
The visit was aimed at acquainting himself with the problems facing the garrison and to introduce himself to the personnel as the new defence minister.
“Modernisation of the GAF is critical because we are in the 21st century where nobody waits for anybody; we should therefore, keep pace with the challenges of our time,” he said.
He reminded the officers and men that the institution thrived on certain traditions and practices that made it an enviable institution.
“Those before us struggled to build a strong foundation; let us also make sure we build on what our forebears have done to keep the spirit of the institution alive, ” Lt. Gen Smith stressed.
He reminded them to continue to maintain discipline, saying Ghanaian soldiers were admired all over the world.
He, however, expressed concern about challenges such as inadequate logistics, old armoured vehicles and accommodation which he noted were the top priority of his ministry.
Lt Gen. Smith announced plans to procure “Strategic Aircraft” that could airlift 90 personnel at a time to facilitate the work of military personnel, while orientation in peacekeeping operations would be intensified among the personnel.
“We also need a strong navy for coastal surveillance; we are currently talking to the Chinese Government to support efforts at establishing a tailoring shop to generate income,” he stated.
According to the defence minister, the Government had agreed to help provide mobile clinics for the various military hospitals.
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