PASS CO-OPERATIVE DRAFT BILL INTO LAW (PAGE 56)

PARTICIPANTS at a workshop on the Co-operative Draft Bill have entreated Parliament and other partners to facilitate the early passage of the bill into law.
They noted that, when passed into law, it would regulate and sanitise activities of co-operatives in the country and ultimately help address the numerous socio-economic and poverty problems facing people in the rural communities.
The participants further maintained that the inability of Parliament to pass the bill into law since the process was initiated in 2001 was a major source of worry to co-operative societies in Ghana.
The participants, who were mainly members of the Ghana Co-operative Council (GCC) from the three northern regions, expressed their determination to evolve strategies such as lobbying, media encounters, peaceful demonstrations and community sensitisation programmes to facilitate the process.
The workshop was organised by the GCC in Tamale, to collate views from the participants and formulate effective strategies that would ensure the early passage of the bill.
The bill re-enacts the Co-operative Societies’ Decree, 1968 (NLCD 252) and modernises it in line with the current liberalised economy.
Co-operative societies were formally introduced in Ghana in 1928 in an attempt to improve the quality of cocoa for export. They were so successful that in 1960, the co-operatives were marketing about 40 per cent of the entire crop.
According to the participants, they would lobby with support from parliamentarians, assembly members, chiefs, religious and opinion leaders, to ensure the early passage of the bill.
They urged the leadership of the GCC to do follow-up visits to trace wherever the bill was sent and facilitate its passage.
The participants noted that all annual general meetings of co-operative societies should discuss the process as a way of promoting advocacy on the passage of the Bill.
The Project Manager of the GCC, Mr Samuel Addo-Newton, expressed regret that members of co-operative societies were not committed enough to the process, hence the delay in the passage of the bill into law.
The Administrative Manager of the GCC, Mr George Gyimah, observed that lack of funds had been hampering the smooth operation of his outfit.
He, therefore, appealed to the participants to “sacrifice a little” to enhance the fortunes of the GCC.

HELP ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT OF TAMALE (PAGE 29)

THE Deputy Commandant of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) in Accra, Brigadier General Adjetey Annan, has challenged development partners and residents of the Tamale metropolis to use the technical know-how available to them to accelerate the development of the area.
He said the metropolis had enormous potential, including vast arable stretch of land that was yet to be fully developed to improve the quality of life of its citizens.
“I would be happy to retire and stay here in Tamale, because I have seen the potential of this area. Those who have negative perception about the place will later discover that they made a mistake for not investing in the area,” Brigadier General Annan further pointed out.
The commandant stated this in an interview with journalists in Tamale when he led a 17-member delegation from the GAFCSC to undertake a week-long study tour of the region.
The delegation was made up of students and staff of the GAFCSC as well as some officers from the army in Nigeria, Rwanda, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone.
The tour enabled the delegation, particularly the students to acquaint themselves with the challenges facing the region. The students are expected to use such knowledge to produce their research work as part of their training.
The delegation was briefed on the security situation in the region, the impact of guinea worm and malaria on the people, the government’s poverty intervention measures, flooding, among other issues.
I promise you that Tamale and northern Ghana, for that matter, will forever not be a land of conflict as is the perception of some people. That trend will certainly change in the years ahead, the commandant observed.
“The most important thing now is for the people to use dialogue to settle their differences and to be committed to accelerating the development agenda of the area”.
He explained that the tour was an annual affair on the academic calendar of the GAFCSC and was aimed at exposing the students to the socio-economic and political challenges facing the regions they visited.
“We are training our students for middle-level appointments in the Ghana Armed Forces; we are also training them to take up similar appointments in our neighbouring countries,” he stated.
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, told the delegation that the region’s major challenge was security, but stressed the need for the negative perception about the region to change.
He expressed optimism that the elections would be peaceful in the region.
The Deputy Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Jacob Mahama, stated that the region had only 20 doctors at post, which, he noted, did not augur well for effective health care service in the area.
According to him, last year, 532 died of malaria, adding that poor management and inadequate funds at the district level had also hindered effective health care in rural communities.
Touching on guinea worm, Dr Mahama said there were 450 cases of the disease in the region.

HELP INCREASE INVESTMENT FLOW AT TAMALE (PAGE 29)

A group of Accra-based musicians has urged media practitioners in the Tamale metropolis to let their reportage portray the positive issues in the metropolis and help increase investment flows into the area.
The musicians, who had visited the metropolis for the first time, made the call during an interaction with this reporter at the Jubilee Park in Tamale where a musical show dubbed: “Believe in Ghana” (BIG) was held for residents of the area.
According to the musicians, most of whom were from a gospel musical group called “No Tribe”, they had been surprised when they roamed the streets of Tamale at night and discovered that the area was well lit with streetlights which beautified the city.
They said that they never believed the metropolis could have beautiful and good roads, which they claimed were far better than those in Accra.
“My brother, living in Accra is like hell. Now that I have found Tamale, I will think of relocating to this place,” they noted.
According to them, when people in the south heard stories about disturbances in the area, it was usually portrayed as if the whole of Tamale “is burning”.
One of the musicians particularly said because he wanted to travel and see things for himself, he decided not to tell his family members where he was going for fear that they might discourage him from going to Tamale.
“In fact, you have a lot of work to do away with the bad image about the place. This is because the perception about the place down south is not good enough,” one of them advised.
They said they were surprised to see that there were Internet cafes located at strategic areas of the central business district of the metropolis.
Indeed, these musicians are not the first people to express misgivings about the negative publicity Tamale has gained over the years.
About a year ago, a group of journalists who went for a workshop in the area also expressed similar sentiments about the bad perception that people had of the area in southern Ghana.
One nagging question bothering residents of Tamale, however, is, how long will this bad perception about Tamale last? But time will certainly tell.

DON'T RENEGE ON PROMISES — REGENT OF DAGBON (PAGE 16)

THE Regent of Dagbon Kampakuya-Na, Yakubu Abdulai Andani, has advised politicians not to renege on their promises when the electorate vote them into power.
“As you are aware, the electorate of today are very sophisticated and enlightened; they would keep track of all the promises made to them before the elections, hence I would advise politicians to fulfil their promises when they are given the nod” the regent stated.
The Kampakuya-Na gave the advice in Yendi when the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and his entourage called on him at his palace.
The visit formed part of the flag bearer’s latest campaign tour of the Northern Region as the date for the December general election draw nearer.
Nana Akufo-Addo also called on the Bolin-Lana, Mahamadu Abdulai, at his residence.
The Kampakuya-Na equally acknowledged that politics was fraught with “so many obstacles hence politicians could make it if they avoid listening to detractors”.
He told Nana Akufo-Addo that the Yendi town lacked social amenities like potable water and motorable roads, noting that he could provide them for the town if he remained focussed
“We are happy about your visit to Yendi and this palace and I want to assure you that we will never forget about this,” the regent further pointed out.
He advised the flag bearer to be patient as a leader and to focus on what God would direct him to do when he was elected as President of the country.
Nana Akufo-Addo for his part thanked the Kampakuya-Na for the advice and assured Ghanaians that he had too much respect for them to make promises and not fulfil them stressing that “I would make sure I fulfil them”.
According to him anytime he visited Yendi it brought back to him both sad and happy memories and thanked the chiefs and people of the area for according him the warm reception.
The flag bearer said that the Dagbon chieftaincy problem still brought back sad memories and entreated the people to forge ahead in unity despite the crisis to help restore peace and stability in the area.
“Our Nation Ghana is always stronger when Dagbon is stronger and united; therefore all well-meaning Ghanaians are hoping that all outstanding issues with regard to the chieftaincy problem would be resolved” he stressed.
The NPP Presidential hopeful also assured the people that “you have in me a true friend and I would ensure that in whatever capacity I find myself I would promote peace and unity in Yendi and for that matter in Dagbon”.
He told the Kampakuya-Na that he was a friend to his father and would always be a friend to him.
The Bolin-Lana on his part, wished the flag bearer a successful campaign tour and expressed the hope that Yendi would remain peaceful after the December 7 poll.
The NPP Vice-presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumiah, Messrs Alan Kyeremanten, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Prince Imoro Andani, former Northern Regional Minister, Ben Bukari and Miss Gloria Akufo, Ghana’s Ambassador to Ireland, accompanied him.
The others include Alhaji Malik Yakubu Alhassan, the Member of Parliament for Yendi and Madam Grace Omaboe (Maame Dorkunu).A large number of residents in the area lined up the streets to welcome Nana and his entourage and also trooped to the two palaces as he paid separate courtesy calls on the Kampakuya-Na and Bolin-Lana.

STUDENTS URGED TO SPEND TIME READING BOOKS (PAGE 11)

THE Northern Regional Director of Education, Mr John Hobenu, has expressed concern about what he described as the alarming rate at which some students and pupils spend time on modern electronic gadgets such as the computer, the Internet and mobile phones.
He said by so doing, most children neglected to read books to enrich their vocabulary in the English language, adding that “they rarely make conscious efforts to read books which accounts for their abysmal performance in examinations.”
Mr Hobenu stated this at the inauguration of a book fair for the region in Tamale on Wednesday. The fair, among other objectives, was aimed at bringing together producers and end-users of books for interaction among themselves as well as providing a platform for publishers to showcase their books (past and current) for the benefit of students and pupils.
The fair was on the theme “The Child Has the Right to Read” and was jointly organised by the Ghana Book Development Council (GBDC), the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ghana Book Publishers Association (GBPA) and the Children’s Literature Foundation (CLIF).
The regional director emphasised that “students must understand that they can only enjoy the fullest benefits of this technological development if much time is devoted to books at the libraries which will eventually push them to greater academic heights.”
According to Mr Hobenu, the falling standards of languages (both local and official) is a major source of worry to educationists.
“The problem is even worse for English language; that is why a lot of efforts are being made to improve upon readership in our schools and indeed this book fair is one of the solutions to this embarrassing situation”, he pointed out.
Mr Hobenu acknowledged that the poor performance of pupils and students respectively in the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) over the years was quite worrying and that concerted efforts were needed to reverse the trend.
“The reasons for the abysmal performance in the BECE and WASSCE obviously include lack of understanding of examination questions. This is because our children are not exposed to library facilities, hence have very limited store of vocabulary”, he lamented.
The Executive Director of the GBDC, Professor Samuel Boateng, said the fair was geared towards getting pupils and students, as well as teachers and parents to get to know first hand, the group of people behind the books published.
“Most importantly, the book fair is premised on the grounds that students, pupils, parents, philanthropists and other members of our society will take advantage of the fair to buy books at reduced prices”, he stated.
The Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, for his part, urged the youth to spend much of their time reading instead of watching films and visiting nightclubs.
The minister also entreated parents, teachers and educationists to help inculcate the habit of reading in children to broaden their knowledge and enrich their vocabulary in the English language.

PARTIES CAN'T MANIPULATE ELECTION RESULTS (PAGE 14)

THE Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Safo Kantanka, has entreated political parties not to buy into rumours suggesting that any of the parties could manipulate the electoral process to alter the election results.
He noted that the EC had formulated strategies that made the processes so transparent and difficult to change stressing that “nobody should disturb you with rumours and strange stories about rigging the elections since they are all fantasies”.
Mr Kantanka stated this at a forum in Tamale on safeguarding the integrity of the ballot. The forum was aimed at, among other objectives, sensitising parliamentary candidates to the electoral process as part of preparations towards the December Polls.
The forum discussed issues such as inbuilt integrity of Ghana’s electoral process vis-à-vis the last lap of the 2008 election calendar as well as the importance of polling agents.
It was organised by the EC with support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and KAB Governance Consult (KGC).
“It is not true that the results are tampered with in Accra; people who peddle such rumours do not understand the electoral processes and that is why we are encouraging all parties to engage the services of people who are knowledgeable in the electoral process”Mr Kantanka stressed.
He intimated that the EC did not “direct anybody to cheat as the commission is taking concrete steps to make the election very credible”.
The deputy chairman equally urged political parties to resist the temptation of giving money to some people to change the results.
“We know that even presiding members cannot manipulate the system because we have our own ways of checking the loyalty of presiding members” he further explained.
Mr Kantanka advised political parties to engage the services of good party agents who should have adequate knowledge about the electoral process.
“It is necessary that political parties do not allow their followers to vandalise any electoral materials such as ballot papers and boxes; such negative tendencies are a recipe for violence and can further cause delays in declaration of the results where such incidents occurred” he cautioned.
Touching on the issue of minors, Mr Kantanka reiterated the resolve of the EC to prosecute those who engaged in double registration before the elections.
The Regional Director of the EC, Mr. Sylvester Kanyi, noted that the issue of double registration and minors were perpetrated by some political parties who turned round to blame the EC for those negative tendencies.
Some of the parliamentarians suggested to the EC to make known to the public, people found to have engaged in multiple registrations during the recent limited registration exercise as a way of safeguarding the elections.

APRM OVERSIGHT COMMITTEES INAUGURATED (PAGE 16)

AFRICAN Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Oversight Committees for the Tamale, Tolon-Kumbungu and Savelugu-Nanton districts have been inaugurated in Tamale, with a call on district assemblies to be more proactive towards the implementation of the APRM to further deepen democracy at the grass roots.
The committees, with nine members each, have been tasked with the responsibility of monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the APRM in the three districts to help address some of the shortfalls and weaknesses identified in the country’s self assessment reports.
So far, 88 of such committees have been inaugurated nationwide under the auspices of the National African Peer Review Mechanism Governing Council (NAPRM-GC).
The Executive Secretary of the NAPRM-GC, Dr Francis Appiah, in an interview with newsmen, stressed the need for the members of the committee to sensitise people in their respective communities to the APRM.
Touching on the sustainability of the APRM in communities, Dr Appiah noted that the committees would be expected to administer questionnaires, collate them, analyse them and present them to their respective communities for validation every six months.
He further explained that the committees would also produce a progress report to be presented to the President for submission to the African Union (AU).
Dr Appiah intimated that “the committees would participate in regional and national validation processes depending on the extent of freedom enjoyed by the people at the grass roots vis-à-vis the extent to which the rule of law is working in the communities”.
“In other words the critical role of the committees is to give democracy full meaning in terms of its content and not just the rhetoric” he explained.
According to him, it would be unfair and improper for “us to sit in Accra and judge what is going on in the districts that have the committees”.
The Chairman of the NAPRM, Rev. Professor Samuel Adjepong, observed that the APRM was “a people centered process that is to promote a sense of ownership among the various communities”.
“Essentially, the committees would be involved in the education of the people in the district on the APRM as applied in Ghana”Rev Prof. Adjepong stressed.
The Public Affairs Officer of the NAPRM-GC, Mrs Cornelia Amoah, for her part stated that it was a policy that four out of the nine-member committee for each of the district should include women as a way of ensuring gender parity in the composition of the committees.

TAMA TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY NOTICE BOARDS (PAGE 29)

THE Waste Management Department of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TAMA) is to erect community signboards on which event organisers would post their programmes for a fee, at vantage points in the metropolis
The measure is to help check the indiscriminate posting of bills on street lights, road signs and buildings located in the central business district (CBD) of the metropolis, particularly during the electioneering period.
The head of the department, Mr Abubakari Zakari, explained to the Daily Graphic in Tamale that the indiscriminate posting of bills marred the beauty of the city.
Mr Zakari also said but for the commitment of the department and other stakeholders to the maintenance of a clean environment in the metropolis, the city would have been unsightly as a result of the posting of bills by some unscrupulous individuals.
“Event organisers are mostly culpable of that offence, which creates a lot of nuisance in the metropolis. When they commit such acts we don’t see them so they go scot-free”, he stressed.
Mr Zakari also expressed regret that those who posted the bills did not remove them after they had served their intended purposes and that created a lot of problems for sanitary inspectors and sweepers of the city.
The waste management official, however, indicated that the department would leave no stone unturned to ensure that the right thing was done.
The Tamale Metropolitan Works Engineer, Mr Stephen Tecku, for his part, said that some political parties had also engaged in such negative acts.
He alleged that some of the parties posted bills on their political activities on road signs.
“When they do these things it looks so ugly that my heart bleeds any time I see such things; but unfortunately we are unable to trace and arrest the perpetrators,” the engineer added.
He, therefore, suggested to the TAMA to take the initiative to ensure that event organisers did not take things for granted.
Some residents have also condemned the act and urged event organisers to stop posting bills on houses of individuals to help keep the metropolis clean.

WORSHIP ON EVE OF ELECTION DAY (PAGE 13)

THE Northern Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana has directed its members to put in place the necessary arrangements that will ensure that they conduct their worship on the eve of the Election Day or close their services before 10:00 a.m. on voting day.
The directive was part of measures by the leadership of the church to ensure that all eligible members within their fold voted.
“All preachers in our local congregations should make it a point to preach peace and pray for peace whenever they come before the face of the Lord” it further indicated.
The Chairman of the Northern Presbytery of the Church, Rev. Dr Martin Bugri Nabor, gave the directive at a press conference in Tamale.
The conference formed part of the church’s programme to promote interaction between it and the media in the north.
Rev. Dr Nabor entreated the members to “leave the polling stations immediately after casting their votes and continue to pray for their preferred candidates and for peace”.
He stressed the need for members to “avoid grouping around the polling stations for discussion, which may result in arguments that have the potential for violence”.
The Chairman equally called on churches in the country to be “vanguards of peace” and also appealed to the Electoral Commission to conduct the elections in such a way that both losers and winners would be happy with the results.

NPP CANDIDATE RALLIES FOR SUPPORT (PAGE 16)

• At Tamale Central

Story: Vincent Adedze, Tamale

THE vice-presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has said the NPP government would “never renege on its promises to the electorate when it is returned to power”.
He has, therefore, assured the electorate that a vote for the NPP would ensure a brighter future for the country and reflect in all sectors of the economy.
Dr Bawumia said this when he addressed supporters of the party at the Jubilee Park in Tamale shortly after he arrived in the metropolis to embark on a two-week campaign and familiarisation tour of the Northern Region. A significant number of NPP activists in the metropolis lined up the streets to welcome him.
Dr Bawumiah said “this year’s election is about the future of our dear nation, which is bright and so you need a party with a future to

NDC CANDIDATES RALLY FOR SUPPORT (PAGE 16)

Story: Vincent Adedze, Tamale

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central, Mr Inusah Fuseini, has advised supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) not to be complacent but to translate their unflinching support for the NDC into votes to ensure the victory of the party in the December polls.
He noted that over the years, NDC activists had rallied behind the party's leadership but stated that such support would be meaningless unless the activists exhibit their love for the party by voting massively for it during the elections.
Mr Fuseini stated this at a rally to inaugurate an Action Youth Group for the Tamale Central Constituency of the party. Members of the group would, among other things, serve as traffic wardens to ensure safety during the political campaigns to help reduce accidents in the area.
Similar rallies were held in the Tamale South and North constituencies of the NDC. A good number of party sympathisers, most of whom were draped in NDC colours, thronged the three constituencies to take part in the events.

ELECT ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, DCEs ...Along partisan lines — Candidates (LEAD STORY)

THE four leading presidential candidates in the December 7 polls were yesterday unanimous in the need to elect district, municipal and metropolitan chief executives (DMMCEs) as well as assembly members, along partisan lines.
They said the present arrangement where district elections were conducted along non-partisan lines was a mockery because political parties influence the election of assembly members and the confirmation of DMMCEs.
They also identified corruption as a major national issue against which they would wage a relentless war if elected into office.
Pitting their strengths against one another in the second edition of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) live television debate in Tamale yesterday, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Prof John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and Dr Edward Nasigre Mahama of the People’s National Convention (PNC) also outlined measures to deal with the canker.
The debate, which was attended by dignitaries from the country’s political spectrum, lived up to its billing as an exercise involving guts and wits as the four candidates sold out their policies and programmes in a bid to win the minds and hearts of the electorate as they approach the home stretch in the race to the Golden Jubilee House.
The Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Studies (GILLBT) Hall in Tamale where the event was held came alive on many occasions as some of the candidates, particularly Dr Mahama, Dr Nduom and Prof Mills, made hilarious comments that made the audience break their ribs with laughter.
The questions posed by the two moderators, Prof Ivan Addae-Mensah, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, and Israel Laryea, a broadcast journalist with Joy FM, covered a wide range of issues, including constitutional reforms, the deepening of the decentralisation process, the election of district assembly members, measures to deal with corruption, asset declaration, rural transformation, waste disposal and management and addressing poverty in the three northern regions.
Responding to the issue of corruption, Prof Mills said there was the need to first admit that corruption was rife, adding that when elected President, he would lead the fight against corruption and let the law take its course.
He said he would also strengthen institutions that dealt with corruption, adding that he would lead the crusade against corruption because it had a very harmful effect on national development.
“You must be seen to be biting and not just barking,” he added.
Prof Mills said corruption was breaking the society because people were getting away with it.
“We are not showing the right signals; when people are fronting with corruption, leadership must crack the whip,” he stated.
For his part, Dr Mahama said he would offer leadership by example and separate the Attorney-General’s Office from that of the Ministry of Justice.
He said corruption could be controlled and that there was the need to put in place conflict of interest laws to help check the menace. Additionally, he said under his presidency he would he would ensure that the Whistleblower Law was passed.
Nana Akufo-Addo intimated that fighting corruption required more than just rhetoric, noting that it required strong leadership.
He said he did not have any difficulty prosecuting corrupt Ministers of State and made reference to the fact that when he was the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, he had the occasion to prosecute a colleague minister on corruption charges.
He, however, admitted that much more needed to be done for the institutions mandated to deal with corruption, such as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
In all of that, he noted that “leaders of government must show example”.
Commenting on the issue, Dr Nduom largely agreed with the sentiments raised by his colleagues but pointed out that there was the need to deal with the perception associated with corruption.
He said there was the need to introduce efficiency in fighting corruption by utilising technology, as well as strengthening institutions, including the Police Service, to deal with the issue.
On asset declaration, Dr Mahama said he would declare his assets publicly at the beginning and the end of his term in office as President and also require his ministers to do likewise.
He said Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Dr Hilla Limann in the First and Third Republics, respectively, “did not own hotels and they went about governance demonstrating leadership by example”.
“This is what I will do if elected President,” he stated.
For his part, Nana Akufo-Addo said he did not have any difficulty in declaring his assets publicly.
He, however, said the assets declaration system Ghana was currently operating had a lot of problems and that he would ensure a legislative framework that allowed that a law for fighting corruption was passed.
Dr Nduom said the situation was not acceptable and wondered why assets declaration remained a secret.
“It should not remain a secret at the AG’s Office”, he stated, stressing that the Right to Information Bill must be passed.
He said it was a constitutional anomaly that the President did not pay tax and said under his Presidency he would reverse the trend, saying, “Leaders must be honest and let seriousness prevail.”
Prof Mills said asset declaration must be verifiable, saying that at the end of everything it should be declared and verified.
He pointed out that the exercise must be extended to surrogates and not just spouses.
On constitutional reforms, Nana Akufo-Addo said he would initiate the processes for amending the Constitution, considering the various concerns expressed on the subject.
Dr Nduom said he would also initiate a process for a constitutional amendment in the first 100 days of taking office, adding that he would pursue the separation of the Attorney-General’s Office from that of the Ministry of Justice.
Prof Mills agreed that there were areas in the Constitution that needed amendment and that there was the need to collate views so that at end of the day we would learn from our mistakes.
Dr Mahama, for his part, noted that the Constitution was not the problem but that the issue had to do with good governance.
“Tampering with the Constitution is not the problem; what matters is the effective strengthening of institutions to work effectively,” he stated.
On the deepening of decentralisation, Dr Nduom stressed the need to put power in the hands of the people and ensure the devolution of power.
By so doing, he said, we must ensure that more revenue and resources went to the local level for its rapid development.
Prof Mills said appointing DCEs had some inherent challenges. However, he agreed that there was the need to ensure that district assemblies were accountable to the people.
Dr Mahama said there was too much concentration of power in the hands of central institutions and also agreed that all DCEs must be elected.
Nana Akufo-Addo stressed the need to put in place structures to begin the process of transferring power from the centre to the districts.

TAMALE TRADITIONAL HEALERS ASSOCIATION INAUGURATED (PAGE 30)

A branch of the Ghana Traditional Healers Association has been inaugurated in the Tamale Metropolis with the primary objective of complementing the efforts of public health institutions to cure diseases in the area.
The association, which has a 13-member executive with Alhaji Fuseini Alhassan as its chairman, is also expected to help cure epilepsy and mental illness in the entire Northern Region.
The Regional Co-ordinator of Psychiatry, Mr John Abdulai Ibrahim, said from 1981 to date the region had recorded a total of 1,358 cases of epilepsy and mental illness.
He further explained that 848 cases were recorded for epilepsy and 510 for mental illness.
Mr Ibrahim mentioned insufficient provision of psychotropic and anticonvulsant drugs, stigmatisation of the mentally ill and epileptic patients as challenges to curing such patients and integrating them into the society.
He also expressed concern about the lack of logistics such as spare parts, fuel and adequate funds to facilitate periodic visits to patients at home as a way of monitoring their state of health and conditions.
The Administrator of the Basic Needs Ghana, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Mr Matthew Pipio, stated that the organisation was very much committed to the work of traditional healers.
“My outfit has since 2002 always worked closely with traditional healers; studies have shown that most people who fall sick first approach traditional healers for cure,” he pointed out.
Mr Pipio, therefore, stressed the need for the association to work in collaboration with other groups and bodies, as well as the mother association in Accra to facilitate the smooth running of the association in the north.
The administrator urged traditional healers to avoid all forms of negative practices that abused the human rights of patients who came to them to seek cure for their various illnesses.
“You must avoid acts like beating up the mentally ill persons, chaining them, as well as confining them in a place for long time, thereby making it difficult for them to be integrated into the society,” he advised.
The Programme Co-ordinator of the Gub-Katimali Society, Shiekh Yakubu Abdul-Kareem, said there was a correlation between the increasing number of kayayei and the prevalence of such diseases as HIV/AIDS, mental illness and drug addiction among people from Northern Ghana.

INTENSIFY EDUCATION OF ELECTORATE (PAGE 32)

THE Director-General of Operations at the Ghana Police Service, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Mr Patrick Timbillah, has called for the intensification of education of the electorate on the electoral laws to enable them to know their responsibilities during the polls.
“Are people aware for instance that they have to leave the polling stations immediately after voting?” he asked.
DCOP Timbillah was addressing security personnel in the northern sector at the launch of; “Exercise Peace Angel” to harmonise their operations to ensure maximum security during and after the December polls in Tamale.
The exercise would also serve as a platform to brainstorm on how best to anticipate incidents during and after the elections, taking into consideration flashpoints that had been identified in the area.
Mr Timbillah further called on the personnel of the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) and the Ghana Immigration Service to be vigilant and beef up security at the country’s borders as a way of contributing to the conduct of peaceful elections.
“You must know the electoral laws yourselves and be firm, fair, neutral and resolute in the performance of your duties” the Director-General advised.
He urged the media and political party activists not to engage in acts that would inflame passions during and after the elections.
According to him, the inauguration of the national, regional and district electoral security task forces were among measures being put in place to ensure peaceful elections.
He stated that 1,399 flashpoints had been identified in the country and stressed that the security services would leave no stone unturned to nip in the bud any political violence that might occur in any part of the country.
“This election is a real test case for our democracy and the whole world is watching us; although the elections would be tough we are also going to be tough to ensure successful elections” DCOP Timbillah promised.
The General Officer Commanding the Northern Command of the Ghana Armed Forces, Brigadier General J.N. Adinkra stressed the need for the electorate to know the difference between criminality and politics.
The Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Mr Ofosu-Mensah Gyeabour, assured the electorate that the police would remain impartial, resolute, fair and neutral in the performance of its duties,
“I also want to assure the public that we the regional electoral security taskforce have put in place effective measures to ensure peaceful elections” he said.
The Deputy Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Bruce Ayisi, told security personnel to be punctual when assigned to their respective duties as a way of ensuring smooth take off of the elections.
He further cautioned the security personnel against interfering in the voting processes.

MORE ROADS TO BE REHABILITATED IN TAMALE (PAGE 29)

THE road sector in the Tamale metropolis is to undergo another face-lift next year.
Currently, the Metropolitan Roads Unit of the Department of Urban Roads under the Ministry of Transportation has earmarked a total of 12 roads to be rehabilitated at the cost of GH¢5.7 million in the metropolis.
With a total road network of 15.06 kilometres, the roads would, among other things, improve on the traffic situation in the fast growing metropolis as well as commercial activities that have seen tremendous improvement in recent times.
Already, the metropolis has been acknowledged nationwide as having some of the best roads in the country. The well laid out bicycle and pedestrian lanes coupled with the excellent road network partly contribute to making the city the cleanest and most beautiful in the country.
According to the Maintenance Engineer of the unit, Mr Abraham Danquah, work on the projects included the upgrading of the Tishegu area, Old Karaga road, Vitting-Target road, Choggu Low Cost main road, Village water road-second ring road.
The others are the Naluro-NOBISCO-Kumbungu roads, Gumani-Kanvilli road, Relax Lodge-Ward K road, Radach Memorial-Industrial area, Nyohini link, Fuo main road and the Moshi-Zongo area roads.
Mr Danquah further explained that the completion of the second ring road that stretched from the Taysec junction, through to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) junction to the Agricultural traffic light through the Choggu roundabout to the New stadium roundabout, Nyohini and industrial area roundabout back to the Taysec junction would soon be completed.
He pointed out that from last year to date, his outfit had spent GH¢4 million to rehabilitate a total of 12.1 kilometres stretch of roads, including the construction of culverts and routine maintenance works on some of the roads in the metropolis.
He said the Sakasaka road, Iranian, Radach Memorial, new stadium road, Seventh-Day Adventist road had been completed while the Yapei- Builpela, Russian Bungalow-Kukuo roads were nearing completion.
“During the period we also procured a number of road signs while pedestrian guard roads were constructed to avoid pedestrians crossing unauthorised roads; most of our traffic lights are also functioning properly, ” he further stated.
The engineer also expressed concern about negative practices by some motorists and residents that destroyed the roads.
He said for instance that the washing of vehicles on the roads by some residents and washing bay attendants was not the best as such practices weakened the roads.
“When water seeps onto the roads it will weaken the strength of the pavements and thereby deteriorate the roads faster; repairing of vehicles and motorbikes on our bituminous surfaces destroys the roads as oil seeps onto the roads and dissolves the bitumen thereby damaging the roads, ”Mr Danquah observed.
He reminded residents that the government was using the tax payers' money, in this case their money, to construct the roads for them at a very high cost so they must take good care of the roads.
“Motorists must also maintain their vehicles properly and respect road traffic regulations since it will ultimately enhance the lifespan of the roads” the engineer stressed.
He said the unit had received petitions from a good number of suburbs for the erection of speed rumps because of the frequent accidents and loss of lives in those areas.
He said the unit was seriously considering such petitions and would respond appropriately.
Investigations conducted by the Daily Graphic, however, indicated that work on the 2.5 kilometre stretch of access roads to the Tamale Polytechnic had incurred the displeasure of students of the polytechnic, who took to the streets last week to protest against what they described as slow pace of construction of the road.
The GH¢890,000 project started in February 2007 and was expected to be completed within 19 months.
The Metropolitan Road Unit authorities, however, explained that the contractor, Mola Construction Company, would soon move to the site to continue the work as all the necessary materials had been procured for the completion of the job.

TAMALE CHILDREN'S HOME CRIES FOR SUPPORT (PAGE 29)

THE Supervisor of the Tamale Children’s Home, Madam Augustina Quainoo, has said the increase in expenses made at the home was a big challenge to the management.
She said the 29 inmates of the Home, most of whom were babies, needed extra care including medical attention and feeding, and these expenses kept rising.
“Babies for instance need to take at least four cartons of lactogen in a month because their mothers were not available to breast feed them, while we are also grappling with the problem of school fees and other expenses for the children,” Madam Quainoo lamented this in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Tamale. The supervisor acknowledged that although a significant number of public-spirited organisations and individuals had made donations to the home, the truth of the matter was that they were still inadequate.
She said all cash donations were paid into the home’s account at the Barclays Bank in Tamale and that if the authorities had not used the resources judiciously, the home would have collapsed.
“Our major challenges here include lack of funds, inadequate feeding grants, poor access roads, lack of transport, fence wall, rampant defecation around our premises, poor lighting system and lack of potable water supply,” she stressed.
She further emphasised the need for the staff strength of 19 to be augmented to include more childcare givers, labourers and night watchmen.
Madam Quainoo expressed regret that most of the used clothing that were donated to the home were not good enough to be worn by the inmates.
She, however, thanked all donors and volunteers for supporting the home.
“Sometimes things get so tough that I have to go about begging for lactogen for the babies and these items are so expensive to buy these days; please help us, ” she pleaded.
Established in 1969 by the government, the home serves as a foster home to the 29 inmates who are between the ages of three weeks and 17 years.

TAMALE ICT CENTRE PROJECT COMPLETE BUT... (PAGE 29)

WORK on the GH4¢100,000 modern Information Communication and Technology (ICT) centre project in Tamale has been completed but the facility is yet to be furnished.
The project, which begun in July last year, was executed by the Dagban Construction Works Limited based in Tamale. It was funded by the Ghana Community Network Services Limited (GC-NET), a private ICT soft and hardware company.
The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, performed the sodcutting ceremony for the project in December 2006, witnessed by a cross section of residents in the metropolis.
The facility will, among other things, help to train the youth in ICT skills and empower them to fit into the job market.
The site Foreman, Mr Alhassan Damba, told the Daily Graphic that the project was redesigned to provide toilet facilities for the physically challenged in the metropolis.
“We are also happy that the project has finally been completed and we hope it will go a long way to equip the youth to face the challenges ahead,” he said.
The Northern Regional Co-ordinator of the National Youth Council (NYC), Mr Ziblim Shaibu, commended the Tamale Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, the Vice President and the GC-NET for their commitment to the execution of the project.
Mr Shaibu said the project was now ready for inauguration and that a date was yet to be fixed for the ceremony.
He made a promise to ensure that the facility was put to good use, but entreated the government to help adequately resource the NYC to enable it to perform its mandatory roles effectively.
The co-ordinator also urged Parliament and the government to “promulgate the National Youth Policy”.

MURDER SUSPECT IN CUSTODY (PAGE 19)

THE Tamale District Court on Monday remanded in custody Awal Abdulai following his alleged involvement in the murder of one Gazal Fuseini.
The suspect, who had been on the wanted list of the police for years, was arrested by the Northern Regional Police Command at the weekend.
Awal together with seven others is suspected to be behind the murder of Fuseini.
He, however, escaped arrest in 2003 while his alleged accomplices were arrested, prosecuted, acquitted and discharged by the Tamale High Court.
Briefing newsmen in Tamale on the case, the Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Ofosu-Mensah Gyeabour, said the other suspects were acquitted and discharged for lack of evidence.
They are Yakubu Alhassan, Rufai Yakubu, Awal Mustapha, Musah Razak, Iddrisu Musah and Jafaru Abdul-Rahman.
The commander further explained that in April 2003, there were some disturbances around the vicinity of the Assemblies of God Church in Tamale where the deceased lived.
He said this later led to the attack of the deceased by his assailants compelling him (the deceased) to lock himself up in his room, which was later set ablaze by the attackers leading to his death.

5 REMANDED FOR POLITICAL ASSAULT (PAGE 14)

FIVE persons alleged to have been involved in an assault case at Yendi following a misunderstanding between supporters of an independent candidate and a New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate in the area, have been remanded in prison custody by the Yendi Circuit Court.
The suspects who include four campaign executive of the independent candidate, were expected to reappear in court scheduled for yesterday.
The Yendi Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Patrick Adusei Sarpong, who made this known to the Daily Graphic in a telephone chat, said the incident occurred last weekend, when both parliamentary candidates organised rallies in the area.
According to him, after both rallies had closed, an argument ensued between supporters of the two candidates who were coming from opposite directions.
This led to a misunderstanding and two persons were attacked in the process. He asserted that the police did not receive notification from the organisers of the rally for the independent candidate but that the NPP candidate notified the police they would hold a rally that weekend in consonance with the Public Order Act.
“There has never been an occasion when we refused to grant permit to independent candidates to hold rallies; we encourage them to just inform us and we would grant them the permit to go ahead with their rallies”, Mr Sarpong added.
The commander explained that anytime the situation became critical due to possible clash of rallies, the police met with the parties involved and a new date would be fixed in order to promote peace in the area.
“Yendi is a small town and we do not want to encourage parties to hold rallies on the same day, to avert any possible disturbances”, Mr Sarpong stressed.

VRA DONATES TO DISASTER VICTIMS (PAGE 20)

THE Volta River Authority (VRA) has donated a cheque for GH¢10,000 to alleviate the suffering of disaster victims in northern Ghana.
It is also envisaged that the gesture would help rehabilitate the victims, most of whom had lost their means of livelihood through the floods that occurred during the latter part of last year.
The Director in charge of Special Duties of the VRA, Mr Kofi Asante, who made the presentation in Tamale, expressed his outfit’s determination to partner the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other institutions in managing flood situations in the three northern regions.
“We also want to demonstrate that we care for the communities that suffer from disasters,” the director stated.
He called for long-term strategic framework, including intensive public education campaigns to minimise the effects of floods.
Mr Asante stressed the need for the development of early warning mechanisms as a strategy to curb the devastating effects of floods.
According to him, the VRA and its counterpart in Burkina Faso, Sonabel, had evolved a long-term strategy to exchange information and intelligence on the rainfall pattern and its impact on the water level in dams.
Mr Asante observed that the effects of the spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso had not been devastating on communities in the north this year because of early warning mechanisms and the intensive public education on the exercise in communities in flood-prone communities.
Earlier on, the director led a seven-member delegation from the VRA, including the Northern Area Manager of the Northern Electrification Department (NED), Mr Bukari Danladi, to call on the Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris.
Alhaji Idris who received the cheque on behalf of the beneficiaries, thanked the company for the gesture.
He commended the VRA for taking keen interest in ameliorating the suffering of the victims, and urged other public-spirited individuals and organisations to emulate the gesture.

FARMERS SCHOOLED ON EFFECTS OF LAND DEGRADATION (PAGE 20)

THE quest for the creation of a conducive environment to mitigate land degradation and promote sustainable land management in northern Ghana depends to a large extent on the capacities of farmers in the area to understand and appreciate the nitty-gritty of land issues.
For that reason, agricultural scientists and researchers have teamed up and evolved effective strategies aimed at updating the knowledge and skills of farmers in the north as a way of building their capacities to help address land degradation so as to impact positively on agricultural biodiversity in the area in particular and the country at large.
It is gratifying to note that farmers in the northern part of the country have been given that opportunity to help address the challenges of land degradation through the implementation of the Sustainable Land Management for Mitigating Land Degradation (SLAM) project that was started in the country in 2005.
To date, the SLAM project has developed a methodology based on joint farmer-scientist perceptions for identifying and prioritising threatened lands, and criteria for identifying sustainable land management.
Other strategies developed under the SLAM project was educating farmers on good and best land management practices applied to recover degraded lands, protect those lands under threat, and enhance their ecological functions, agricultural production capacity and improve on rural livelihoods.
Major training for farmers in the north under the project include composting, weed management, nursery and plantation management, soil and water management, catchments protection and the identification of contours and construction of buns on the contours.
This training was followed by the planting of several thousands of seedlings in the Tolon-Kumbungu and Garu-Tempane Districts of the Northern and Upper East regions.
It is worthy to note that in the four years of its existence, SLAM has contributed significantly to sustainable ecosystem-based integrated land management for greater ecosystem stability, enhanced food security and improved rural livelihoods.
The project was based on research work in Ghana’s major agro-ecological zones.
It was funded mainly by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) executed by the government and implemented by a United Nations Development Programme-supported consortium of scientists from various institutions led by the University of Ghana, Legon in Accra and the University for Development Studies (UDS) in the northern Ghana.
At Nyankpala in the Tolon-Kumbungu District recently, farmers were sensitised to the best sustainable land management practices as part of the SLAM project.
The aim was, among other objectives, to discuss best land management practices identified by scientists, researchers and farmers.
The beneficiary farmers admitted at the end of the interaction that they had had fruitful discussions that enabled them to understand the issues involved in land management and pledged to contribute meaningfully to the realisation of the objectives of the SLAM project.
Undoubtedly, land degradation threatens the global environment and humanity, especially through deforestation, biodiversity loss and climate warming.
In Ghana, 70 per cent of the land experiences severe heat and gully erosion, which have become the major constraint on agricultural productivity.
Biodiversity lost through deforestation and land degradation amounts to four per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
At the national and local levels, accelerated degradation threatens livelihoods, especially through soil erosion.
Explaining the benefits of the SLAM project on northern Ghana vis-a-vis farmers’ role in reducing land degradation, the National Project Co-ordinator, Professor Edwin Gyasi, stated that it was imperative for farmers to plant more trees by applying such farm practices as mixed farming and mixed cropping.
He stressed that farmers must avoid applying the same practices every planting season as they had the tendency of degrading land resources.
“Climate change poses a lot of threat to the survival of mankind; that is why the natural ecosystem must be improved as well as modifying the way we manage land resources,” he noted.
Professor Gyasi further explained that improvement in the quality of land regarding soil fertility, bio-diversity, water condition and general vegetative cover would ultimately enhance agricultural productivity, increase income levels for farmers and improvement in their quality of life.
“The expected reduction in the loss of bio-diversity should also help make available more fuel wood, wildlife, medicinal plants and improvement in the aesthetic quality of the land,” he noted.
The co-ordinator indicated that the extreme dry season, excessive rainfall patterns, tidal waves and other extreme weather conditions could be reduced to the barest minimum if farmers and other stakeholders took land degradation issues seriously.

LIFE BOUNCES BACK AT NPP/NDC OFFICES AT SABONDJIDA (PAGE 15)

Life has bounced back at the offices of both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) located at Sabondjida in Tamale after the scenes of suspected arson in September.
The two political parties have refurbished their offices, thanks to their respective party sympathisers. Sympathisers of both the NPP and NDC, used to gather at the two offices to interact with one another until that unfortunate incident occurred.
However, after the offices were put in shape by both parties, activities at both offices have returned to normal with members of both parties interacting as usual.
One fascinating thing about the offices is that they are places where sympathisers of both parties gather to eat together, chat, play Oware, draughts and super card, among other games.
Sympathisers of both parties go as far as supporting one another financially as brothers and not as enemies. So the pertinent question one could ask is, Why the arson on the offices?
The Chairman of Colba House and an NPP activist, Mr Nabal Abdulai, said all political parties often came to the NPP office to interact with them.
He alleged that the unfortunate incident that occurred was not perpetrated by people from the vicinity where the party’s office was located.
“This is where we all gather to take decisions to help turn around the party’s fortunes, but at the same time, we also interact with our brothers from all the other parties including the NDC”, he added.
According to Mr Abdulai, the party office had been in existence many years before the country’s democratisation and that socialisation among them, no matter their political affiliation, had been the status quo for a very long time.
“For me there is nothing wrong with people belonging to different political parties because it is their right but the issue is how best to comport ourselves so that we do not allow our emotions to override our reasoning”, he further asserted.
Touching on the renovation work, the chairman said that so far the party had spent GH¢3,500 to refurbish the office. He said they were able to raise the money through donations from party sympathisers in London as well as in Tamale. He made particular mention of the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, who, he said, equally supported efforts in putting the office in good shape.
“We are left with the laying of carpets, tables and chairs, the ceiling work and extension of power to the office as well as procurement of a television set”, Mr Abdulai said.
The NDC office which was once the Northern Regional office of the NDC had virtually been turned into a warehouse for some of the market women who keep their wares there at the end of the day for safety.
However, after the incident activities there had returned to normal with people from all other political parties gathering there to interact and play various games. The office is now being used as an office for NDC Youth Coalition activities.
The NDC is putting finishing touches to its office and the embossment of party symbols on the building is yet to be done.
According to Alhaji Abukari Chendiba, an elder and overseer of the office, some of the building materials were procured on credit. He further stated that because both the NDC and NPP activists are “brothers and not political enemies”, some NPP activists extended a hand of support to them donating bags of cement.
Alhaji Chendiba said the NDC had procured a new 21-inch television set after the old one at the office got burnt in the suspected arson.
The arson at both offices left in its trail destruction of property running into several thousands of Ghana cedis. Twelve sewing machines, two deep freezers, a television set, chairs and tables, spare parts and other valuable items were damaged in the process.
No casualties were recorded in that incident and no arrests had been made in connection with the disturbances.
Both parties had accused each other for allegedly perpetrating the arson.
Activists of both parties have expressed optimism that the election would be peaceful in Tamale.
The beauty of such interaction among all political party sympathisers at the offices must be encouraged and translated into peaceful elections in the December 7 polls.

STUDENTS AND MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOL OF HYGIENE CLASH ...Over non-payment of fees (PAGE 11)

THERE is a rift between final-year students and management of the School of Hygiene in Tamale over the non-payment of fees for the 2008/2009 academic year by the students.
In view of this, some students are alleged to have attempted to break into the dormitories to pack their belongings, because the management had prevented the affected students from gaining access to their respective dormitories when school re-opened.
It took the timely intervention of the police to bring the situation under control. The police also managed to prevail on the students to rescind their decision to embark on such illegal acts and rather make known their grievances.
The management, among other punitive measures, also prevented the students from writing their end-of-semester examinations and stopped processing forms for the payment of allowances to the affected students.
The Director of the school, Mr Philip Zori, told the Daily Graphic that the students who were expected to pay GH¢345 as their fees allegedly failed to do so, hence the management’s action.
According to him, the students were earlier informed through a letter, to pay their fees into the school’s account number 3943 at the Tamale branch of the National Investment Bank (NIB) on or before October 24, 2008.
Mr Zori said the continuous failure of students to pay their fees was affecting the smooth running of the school.
He noted that payment of allowances to students had delayed due to some problems, hence the management’s decision that parents and guardians should assist in the payment of the school fees, particularly the feeding fee of GH¢200 per semester.
“I printed letters and carried them to the regional offices of health administration; majority of the students got the letters but they still failed to pay their fees,” he stated.
As a result of the stringent measures put in place by the management, about 30 students had paid the fees.
The director further expressed regret that some of the students went to some FM stations in the metropolis and accused him of being unfair in his dealings with the students.
According to him, the school admitted 300 fresh students for the 2008/2009 academic year, adding that there were 402 final-year students in the school.
A final-year female student who pleaded anonymity said she was not aware of the said amount of fees they were required to pay and she had not received any letter from the school’s management on the deadline for the payment of such fees.
She, however, admitted that some of her mates had refused to pay their feeding fees for the past one year.

SCRAP DEALERS APPEAL FOR CREDIT (PAGE 29)

THE scrap industry in the Tamale metropolis is one sector that has the potential to address youth unemployment in the metropolis.
However, those in that industry have little or no support to help boost the sector to address the unemployment challenges facing the youth in the area.
Majority of the residents who are into that business claim that they have not regretted for having ventured into that industry although some of them complain of lack of credit facilities from the banks and other financial institutions to boost their business.
For one thing, scrap dealers in the metropolis have indicated that there is the need for a factory to be located in Tamale to recycle the scrap materials into useful items like iron rods and burglar-proof materials.
This, according to the scrap dealers, would help expand the sector, offer employment to many of the youth and also avoid the reported cheating by their customers in Accra anytime they transact business with them.
Some of the scrap dealers also called on the government to promulgate laws that would regulate the activities of scrap dealers and help the industry to grow rather than allow a few people to destroy it.
Forty-year-old Mr Iddrisu Mohammed is one of the scrap dealers in the metropolis who has been in the business for the past 15 years and he admits that it is lucrative.
His business is located along the Water Works road in the metropolis and has six people working under him. His team comprises steel benders and welders who perform other related jobs.
Scrap dealing was not Mr Mohammed’s main profession. He started as a blacksmith and with time decided to venture into the scrap dealing business as well, since he saw that as more rewarding. He, however, combines his two jobs effectively.
What makes Mr Mohammed unique is the way he uses some of the scrap materials to produce cooking utensils, coal pots, iron rods, metal beds, buckets, watering cans, dustbins and rain water harvesting pipes.
Mr Mohammed told the Daily Graphic that he was living comfortably but stressed that one needed not less than GH¢10,000 to start scrap dealing business, as it is capital-intensive.
“The business has been good and over the years our sales have been increasing. I was selling my aluminium cooking bowls, for instance, for 6Gp each last year but now I sell one for GH¢1.00,” he said.
According to him, patronage of the scrap materials including the products he makes himself has been encouraging in the metropolis.
He said he spent between GH¢1,000 and GH¢1,200 to transport a full load of scrap materials on articulated trucks from Tamale to Accra.
On how he obtained his scrap materials, Mr Mohammed said he bought them from mechanics, construction firms, petrol stations and sometimes he travelled to villages to procure them.
“We do not have the requisite machines and factory here in Tamale to recycle the scrap materials into other products”, he bemoaned.
Mr Fatau Imoro, who is affectionately called “Busy Man”, is an assistant to Mr Mohammed who complained bitterly about the alleged cheating of scrap dealers by their customers in Accra during transactions.
“We therefore entreat our colleagues in this business to join hands with us to form a formidable association that would champion our cause and ensure that we have a fair deal on the job market”, he said.

RESIDENTS SENSITISED TO EFFECTS OF VIOLENCE (PAGE 29)

THE Global Prayer Force, a non-governmental organisation, has inaugurated a public campaign on peace in the Tamale metropolis. It took the form of a video show depicting the negative impact of violence and wars on the development of communities and countries on the African continent.
A good number of residents converged on the central taxi ranks for the campaign that lasted close to two hours.
The founder and executive director of the organisation, Pastor Matthew Osei, called on residents, particularly the youth, to eschew all forms of violence in order to promote peace in the metropolis.
Pastor Osei entreated traditional rulers and residents to make the metropolis a safe haven for investment. He observed that the much talked about power sharing is not the best for our country’s democracy and peace.
According to the pastor, the organisation was made up of both Christians and Muslims and was established in the year 2000.
The founder said that the fact that Christians and Muslims worked harmoniously within the organisation was enough proof that residents could also co-exist peacefully no matter their political and religious backgrounds.
Pastor Osei further appealed to the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TAMA) and the Information Services Department (ISD) to formulate effective strategies to intensify the campaign on the need to promote peace in the sprawling metropolis.
“This city is so beautiful that we have to ensure that we protect it so that it develops rapidly,” he advised.

AUTO MECHANICS IMPROVE THEIR COMPETENCIES (PAGE 29)

THE automobile industry is one vital sector that propels the economy of any society.
The Tamale metropolis is no exception to this development.
The sprawling city has for the past five years experienced rapid growth in the automobile industry with a growing passion for the latest and sophisticated vehicles among residents. Name any latest model of car found in Accra or Tema and you would be surprised that such vehicles are on the streets of Tamale although they are fewer in number compared to Accra.
Is it the stylish Murano or the VW Tuareg? The new Sports Utility Vehicle (SUVs) like the Ssangyong Actyon and the Toyota RAV4s are all conspicuous on the streets of Tamale. So also are the compact Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) like the diesel-powered Opel Zafira, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Primera, and Opel Astra, which all make up a significant number of the saloon hatchback and caravan types of vehicles owned by residents in the metropolis.
However, before the automobile industry can effectively drive the economy, much depends on effective maintenance and good motor mechanics.
For one thing, just as residents are now purchasing more and more sophisticated vehicles so are the car mechanics in the metropolis also updating their knowledge to be abreast of the rapid technological advancements in the automobile industry.
Indeed, a significant number of car mechanics in the metropolis have updated their knowledge more effectively now than they were doing some five years ago, but some of them too are lagging behind in keeping pace with the modernisation of the automobile industry.
Some customers and residents have admitted that a significant number of mechanics in the metropolis are now updating their skills in consonance with the rapid modernisation of the automobile industry.
They also acknowledged that some of the mechanics need to update their knowledge and skills to be able to repair some of the sophisticated vehicles owned by residents.
A car mechanic is one who specialises in the maintenance, repair and sometimes modification of automobiles. A mechanic may be knowledgeable in working on all parts of a variety of cars or might specialise either in a specific area or make of a car.
Before he repairs a car, the mechanic gives the customer a quotation or does so after inspecting the damaged part.
Preventive maintenance is also a part of the mechanic’s job but this is not possible in the case of vehicles that are not regularly maintained.
With the rapid advancement in technology, the mechanic’s job has evolved from purely what is mechanical to include electronics.
Because vehicles today possess complex computer and electronic systems, mechanics need to have a broader base of knowledge than was the case in the past.
In Tamale, a good number of mechanics have specialised in working on one part of a vehicle or another. There are mechanics who are specialists in repairing only the braking system of a vehicle, while others have specialised in fuel injector. Some of them have modern equipment to detect fault on injector systems.
Mechanics who specialise in the repair of diesel engine vehicles are also available while others specialise in the repair of petrol engine vehicles only. Another category of mechanics that can be found in the metropolis are those who specialise in Japanese made vehicles like Toyota and Nissan while others specialise in German cars like Benz, Opel and VWs.
There are yet others who do repair works on any model.
It is heart-warming to note that some mechanics in the metropolis have in their own small way been browsing the Internet to learn new things and broaden their knowledge on a wide range of vehicles, particularly the highly sophisticated ones.
A mechanic at Jisonayili, a suburb of Tamale affectionately called Dan by his customers, is one of the seasoned mechanics in the metropolis who repairs all kinds of vehicles, be they petrol engine or diesel. In other words this mechanic is “technologically alive”.
Recently, some of the customers told the Daily Graphic that they had impressed upon Dan to name his shop “The Last Stop Workshop”.
No matter the extent of damage on one’s vehicle this mechanic has the time and the know-how for diagnostics of very complex car problems and making sure they are resolved once and for all.
Dan told the Daily Graphic that anytime he had jobs he ensured that he completed all of them on schedule to enable him to have time for research.
“As for me, no matter the level of damage to your vehicle l will ensure that when l repair it you don’t keep coming back to my shop within a few days but to enjoy your driving for months,” he said.
One fascinating thing about this mechanic is that he takes his time to systematically assess the problem and not resort to “trial and error” as is usually the case with some mechanics.
There are mechanics who can tell when something goes wrong in an engine by simply listening to its sound. Sule, another mechanic whose shop is located around the Next Door Drinking Spot on the Kalpohini road, is very good at that. He has specialised in the repair of Opel cars. Those who patronise his services in the metropolis say he is sharp in detecting faulty engines by listening to the sound.
In spite of the significant strides made by most mechanics to be abreast of automobile engineering, others have been found wanting in this regard.
At present the greatest challenge facing most mechanics is the repair of diesel-powered vehicles.
Some mechanics have therefore suggested to public-spirited individuals and non-governmental organisations to organise workshops and other programmes to update their knowledge, since that would enable them to be more efficient in the repair of such vehicles to contribute their quota to the growth of the economy in the metropolis.
With residents now acquiring more and more sophisticated vehicles, the mechanics need to update their knowledge to make them more competitive on the job market as residents will keep changing their taste and preferences for as long as the manufacturers keep changing car models and technology.

GCGL SENSISTISES REPORTERS TO ELECTORAL CHALLENGES (PAGE 16)

THE management of Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) has expressed its determination to ensure fair and balanced reportage in the run-up to the December 7 polls.
It has therefore charged all regional correspondents and reporters to ensure that they meet those requirements as a way of contributing the company’s quota to a successful and peaceful election this year.
The General Manager (GM), Newspapers of the GCGL, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, stated this during an interaction with the editorial staff of the company from the three northern regions in Tamale on Saturday.
The interaction formed part of management’s decision to sensitise the editorial staff to emerging issues in the political landscape as well as the need to adopt pragmatic strategies to deal with them.
Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh said it was imperative for journalists in the region to uphold and promote multiparty democracy.
He noted that this year’s elections posed enormous challenges to regional correspondents and reporters since there were eight flag bearers vying for the presidency.
Mr Boadu-Ayeboafoh further entreated the editorial staff to focus on balanced and fair reportage.
“This therefore requires that we relate fairly to all the political parties and activists without pandering to the interest of any”, he further stressed.
According to him, much as political parties provided the needed platform for linking social groups with the government they must also be kept on their toes.
“Therefore, the electorate must be well-informed since an ill-informed, mal-informed or mis-informed electorate cannot hold their representatives accountable to their mandate,” he stated.
He equally advised the staff to ensure that they minimised the use of adjectives and colouring of stories, particularly describing the crowd and attendance of party rallies.
According to him, such reportage could give the journalist away and risked being tagged as biased or sympathetic towards a particular political party.
The Political Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Kobby Asmah, urged reporters and regional editors to contribute more meaningfully to the growth of the paper by reporting accurately and ensuring timeliness in the delivery of stories.
‘We must work with a sense of urgency and commitment to maintain our leading role in the newspaper industry not only in the country but also in the sub-region,’ he advised.
He equally stressed the need for reporters to report on issues that were peculiar to their respective regions in order to boost the circulation of the paper as well as attract front pages.
Mr Asmah indicated that henceforth regional reporters would be required to link up with the Editorial Department in Accra on their daily itinerary in order to meet set targets.
He entreated them to update their respective telephone directories as well as strengthen their news sources to facilitate their work.
“In view of the proliferation of newspapers we must adopt pragmatic attitudes towards our work in order to stay ahead of our competitors,” he stated.

POLICE ARREST WANTED MAN (PAGE 3)

A SUSPECT who has been on the wanted list for the past one and a half years in connection with the alleged murder of one Gazal Fuseini has been arrested by the Tamale Police.
Awal Abudulai, the suspect, was among seven others who were believed to be behind the murder.
He was said to have, however, escaped arrest in 2003 while his alleged accomplices were arrested, prosecuted, acquitted and discharged by the Tamale High Court.
The Northern Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ofosu-Mensah Gyeabour, who made this known to newsmen in Tamale yesterday, said the suspect would be arraigned soon.
According to Mr Gyeabour, the other suspects were acquitted and discharged by the court for lack of evidence. They were Yakubu Alhassan, Rufai Yakubu, Awal Mustapha, Musah Razak, Iddrisu Musah and Jafaru Abdul-Rahman.
Mr Gyeabour explained that in April 2003, there were some disturbances around the Assemblies of God vicinity in Tamale where the deceased lived.
He said that later led to the attack on the deceased by his assailants, compelling him to lock himself up in his room.
His attackers, however, set the room ablaze, leading to his death.
Mr Gyeabour indicated that the suspect would be charged depending on the evidence on the ground.

ADZAGBA GRANTED BAIL (PAGE 71)

Kwame Adzagba, the player at the centre of controversy between Real Tamale United (RTU) and Zaytuna United FC over his alleged ineligibility to play for the former has been granted bail by the Police in Tamale.
Police sources say he was arrested and released a few days ago to report at the Police headquarters in Accra tomorrow to assist them in their investigations.
Last August, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Disciplinary Committee dismissed a protest by Zaytuna against RTU over fielding Adzagba who allegedly played in their crucial last match of the One Touch Premier League without a valid international Transfer Certificate (ITC), residence and work permits as required by the GFA regulations.
Zaytuna further claimed the player was a Togolese national. RTU won the controversial 30th week fixture 2-1 at the Sunyani Coronation Park.
The disciplinary committee held that the player possessed a valid Ghanaian passport which proves that he was a Ghanaian and did not require an ITC as was contended by Zaytuna’s legal team at the hearing.
Zaytuna also claimed the player allegedly registered for two different national associations within the same season with forged documentation and illegal nationality switch.
The Chairman of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of RTU, Mr Kasim Abdallah, in a telephone chat with the Daily Graphic confirmed the story and said he would accompany the player to Accra for further investigation into the matter.
“Last Friday we were informed that Adzagba should be arrested, he was subsequently arrested by the Police but was bailed to appear in Accra on Tuesday for further investigations” Mr Kasim stated.

MAN COMMITS SUICIDE (PAGE 30)

AN UNIDENTIFIED man believed to be in his early 30’s was on Monday found hanging on a tree at Kalpohini, a suburb of Tamale.
Residents in the neighbourhood claimed they saw the body around 4:00a.m. when they woke up.
Some of the residents who had gathered around the body told the Daily Graphic that they had never seen the deceased in the area and neither did they know his friends or relations.
As of the time of filing this report, the deceased had still not been identified and the police in Tamale were still investigating the matter.
The Assemblymember of the Kalpohini-Fuo area, Mr Mohammed Awal, told the Daily Graphic that he and residents were still at a loss as to what could have made the man to hang himself.
According to him, he was earlier informed that a woman had claimed the deceased to be her son but when he (the assemblymember) asked her to accompany him to the police station to make a report the woman declined.
Mr Awal said he was later informed that the woman had denied being the deceased’s mother.
The assemblymember, however, observed that the deceased probably came from another area.

GOVT URGED TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE FUNDING ...To improve research in polytechnics (page 11)

THE Ghana Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) has called on the government and the private sector to provide adequate funding to improve research and general development of polytechnics in the country.
The union said this would help bridge the technological gap between the country and developed ones in this “rapid scientific era”.
The President of the GNUPS, Mr Abass Salifu, made the call at the 31st annual national congress of the union in Tamale.
It was on the theme “Election 2008: The role of the polytechnic”.
The five-day congress discussed such issues as students leadership and politics, time management of polytechnic graduates, tribalism, nepotism and the effect on the country and an assessment of the quality of the Higher National Diploma (HND).
GNUPS is the legitimate mouthpiece for polytechnic students. With a student membership of 45,000 nation-wide, the union had a mandate to contribute meaningfully to issues of national concern.
Mr Salifu observed that improvement on infrastructure in the polytechnics without a corresponding adequate human resource base was not the best.
“While we appreciate the efforts of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) in providing infrastructure in the polytechnics, we also call for greater attention of the government towards the provision of adequate resources for the institutions,” the president stressed.
Mr Salifu indicated that GNUPS had developed a five-year strategic plan for the union.
The plan, according to him, would review the approach of GNUPS to its challenges from strikes and demonstrations to negotiations and dialogue.
He said the plan also sought to pursue quality education in the polytechnics, adding that “We will also collaborate with external bodies in tackling global warming”.
The president intimated that efforts to dialogue and negotiate for the reinstatement of seven dismissed students from the Takoradi Polytechnic seemed to have proved futile and as such relations between the GNUPS and management of Takoradi Polytechnic were not encouraging.
The Rector of the Tamale Polytechnic, Alhaji Dr Seidu Yakubu Peligah, noted that products of polytechnics provided the needed middle level manpower for national development.
The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, in a speech read on his behalf, called on the leadership of GNUPS to collaborate with the polytechnic authorities to flush out students who engaged in all forms of social vices.
He observed that the Tamale Polytechnic had benefited from nine GETFund projects including an administration block, a library and a four-storey girls hostel.

METRO MASS TRANSIT SACKS 400 CONDUCTORS (BACK PAGE)

FOUR hundred conductors of the Metro Mass Transit Limited (MMT) have been dismissed for misappropriating funds of the company over the past one year.
The dismissals were part of management’s intensive campaign to halt such negative practices and other undisciplined behaviour among members of staff and management that were impacting negatively on the MMT’s image, revenue generation efforts and general operations.
The Managing Director (MD) of the MMT, Mr Hens Visschers, made this known to newsmen at a press briefing in Tamale yesterday as part of his duty tour of the Northern Region to acquaint himself with the challenges facing the sector in the area.
Mr Stephen Yeboah, the Human Resource Manager of the MMT, as well as Sheila Hammond and Patience Adaworoma, both at the communications department of the company, accompanied Mr Visschers on the tour.
He, however, could not tell so far the amount of money involved in the scandal but stressed that management would continue the “onslaught on theft until we nip these negative practices in the bud”.
According to the MD, as part of measures to halt “ticket malpractices in our operations, we have introduced mystery guests and inspectors and we have realised that theft has reduced to the barest minimum”.
Mr Visschers also enumerated some plans the company had drawn up for the Northern Region, which he said included the introduction of new buses, the development of a new bus terminal in Tamale, as a way of reducing the “tension between the Ghana Private Road Transport Union and my outfit”.
He explained that between now and next year, the company hoped to ensure, among other things, road safety, fuel efficiency, halt in theft cases, construction of destination bill boards, and reducing loading times.
He announced that management had introduced a Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) where the destination and speed of buses would be known by station managers through a computerised system, adding that for now the system had been installed in only three of its buses.
He further explained that management would soon introduce the system in 621 buses nation-wide as a measure to check speeding and other negative practices by both drivers and conductors.

STUDENTS MUST NOT ALLOW POLITICIANS TO USE THEM (PAGE 17)

Story: Vincent Adedze

A Lecturer at the Animal Science Department of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Dr Herbert Dei, has called on students not to allow politicians to use them for their parochial interests.
He said the country’s body politic had, over the years, been polarised, at the detriment of fostering national cohesion, adding that students must not be part of that divisive tendency.
Dr Dei made the call during a special ceremony at Nyankpala in the Tolon-Kumbungu District of the Northern Region to welcome 40 fresh students into the UDS branch of the Volta Region Students Association of Ghana (VORSAG).
The occasion was also used to raise funds for the activities of the association.
Established in 2000, the UDS branch of VORSAG currently has a total membership of 220.
The lecturer pointed out that students who were the future leaders of the country must avoid “the politics of divisive tendencies” that was not good for the country’s democracy.
Dr Dei further stressed the need for residents of the Volta Region to unite for the accelerated development of their respective communities and the nation at large.
“The most important resource we have in the Volta Region is human and so I urge you to make use of every available opportunity you have and strive for excellence,” he stated.
A senior researcher at the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Dr Kwasi Atokple, urged students to avoid apathy and ensure that they co-existed peacefully with students from other ethnic backgrounds.
The Patron of VORSAG, Mr Paul Adraki, entreated the students not to be discouraged in life, no matter the circumstances in which they found themselves.
The President of UDS-VORSAG, Mr Amekli Yayra, observed that VORSAG was the first regional association to initiate inter-campus week celebrations, saying this year’s event would be hosted by the Wa campus of the UDS.
He mentioned the refusal of members to attend meetings and programmes, as well as their failure to pay dues, as the major challenges facing the association.

USE LOCAL DISHES TO ATTRACT TOURISTS (PAGE 29)

IT has been observed that operators of restaurants in the Tamale Metropolis can increase their daily sales and help boost tourism in the area, if they prepare more local and northern dishes.
Typical local dishes like Tubani (cooked bean flour cake), Tuo Zaafi, porridge (made from millet) with kose, guinea fowl and other dishes are potential sources of tourist attraction.
The Ghana Tourist Board (GTB) in the Northern Region identified the preparation of local dishes as critical to the development of tourism in the sprawling metropolis.
The Regional Manager of the GTB, Mr William Ayambire, told the Daily Graphic that tourists were not looking out for mighty structures depicting tourist attractions but little things like typical local dishes.
According to him, the tourists enjoyed local dishes more than the residents could imagine and so restaurant operators should capitalise on that opportunity to make more money for themselves and help boost the tourism industry.
Mr Ayambire further indicated that the hospitality of residents towards visitors, including tourists in the area, was a " in itself tourist attraction ".
He expressed gratitude that in spite of the numerous negative publicity about the metropolis, some tourists had, against all odds, ventured into the area only to realise that the situation was not as bad as it was portrayed in the media.
But come to think of it, some restaurant operators in the Tamale Metropolis have indicated that they are now facing stiff competition from wayside food vendors.
Although they contend that they prepare palatable and hygienic dishes that should attract high patronage, they are sometimes disappointed about their daily sales.
Madam Esther Konadu, a restaurant operator, who had been in the business in the metropolis for the past 15 years, told this reporter that all was not well with her and her colleagues in that industry.
According to her, operators in the business faced such challenges as high taxes compared to their income levels, high rent charges, utility tariffs and other commitments that had a negative impact on their businesses.
She denied that the discouraging patronage of their services was due to the fact that their dishes were too expensive to meet the pockets of some residents.
"Our businesses are taking a nosedive due to stiff competition; but we are trying to manage and keep our heads above water," Madam Konadu intimated.
Some food vendors, for their part, noted that the issue of attracting high patronage was not about how expensive the dishes were but how delicious the meals were.
They contended that most of the restaurants preferred preparing more intercontinental dishes for which Maggi cubes are used as spices, while the wayside food vendors used "dawadawa" to prepare their food, which they claim gives the food a natural and better taste.
"In any business endeavour, there is the need for healthy competition, which brings about efficiency," one of the vendors stressed.
Some residents, for their part, noted that there was no need for the restaurant operators to argue over that matter in a free market economy.
"I should be able to buy what I want at any given time; I must not be forced to eat food from the restaurants, whether I have enough money or not," one of them stressed.
According to the Ghana Tourist Board, there were 30 restaurants in the metropolis as of last year.
At a recent workshop on business management for women’s groups including restaurant operators, entrepreneurs and businesswomen, which was organised in Tamale, the participants admitted that they needed to update their knowledge and skills in their respective businesses.
The workshop was organised by the Department of Women (DOW) .The participants were taken through such topics as “What is business”; Business purpose and operations; Characteristics of a successful business owner; Basic record keeping; Costing; Pricing; Marketing; Working capital management; and Management in a small business environment.
The Regional Director of DOW, Mr Issahaku Patrick Seidu Zakari-Saa, told the participants to exhibit a high sense of discipline and commitment to enable them to achieve the desired results in their respective businesses.
He told them to consider failures as part of successes and that they should apply what they had learnt in their respective businesses.

RENT CONTROL DEPARTMENT NEEDS SUPPORT (PAGE 29)

THE Department of Rent Control of the Ministry of Works and Housing in Tamale has expressed concern about the alleged refusal of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the metropolis to support its activities including a proposed public education campaign on rent issues in the area.
It has also expressed regret that a proposal by the department to some NGOs for sponsorship to complement the government’s efforts at educating the public on rent issues earlier this year had not received any response.
The officer in charge of the department, Mr Mohammed Dawuni Abdallah, told the Daily Graphic that the situation had affected their quest for an intensive public education on the Rent Act 220 of 1963.
According to him, a significant number of residents were still ignorant about rent laws and the activities of the department.
"My outfit is doing a lot to foster peace between tenants and landlords in the metropolis but because we lack funding we are not able to publicise our activities," he lamented.
Mr Abdallah further expressed disappointment at the inability of the department to raise GH¢2,200 to help refurbish its offices and provide the necessary facilities like fans, office furniture and rewiring of the office building.
He said the lack of co-operation between some landlords and the rent control department, non-registration of vacant premises, disregard for the law on the part of some landlords and inadequate public education on the activities of the rent control department were some of the major challenges facing the department.
The officer cautioned landlords against "harbouring tenants who might turn out to be criminals in your houses without knowing their respective backgrounds including the jobs they do".
He further stressed that under the regulations, landlords were supposed to collect rent advance for a maximum period of six months and a minimum of three months except in cases where the tenant had agreed to pay more than the stipulated six months.
"However, rent advances are paid for newly constructed houses but that should be the first time a tenant is occupying a room after which the tenant should pay the rent on a monthly basis", the officer stated.
According to him, "if a landlord wants to take back his rented premises it must be based on the failure of the tenant to pay his or her rent or where a tenant engages in immoral acts and abuses the privileges given him or her.

NDC WILL AVOID SELECTIVE JUSTICE (PAGE 17)

THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale Central, Mr Inusah Fuseini, has said a government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will avoid all forms of “selective justice” in its bid to eliminate the polarisation of the country’s body politic.
He noted that effective justice delivery had been relegated to the background for far too long, stressing that the December polls would be a test case for the country’s security agencies to either undermine or justify the confidence reposed in them by Ghanaians.
Mr Fuseini stated this in an interview with media practitioners shortly after he addressed a rally on Sunday to inaugurate the Tamale Central Constituency campaign of the NDC for the 2008 general election.
Teeming supporters of the party took to the streets along the Tamale Central Mosque area where the rally was held, chanting party songs while others rode on their motorbikes and cars draped in NDC paraphernalia.
The MP, who had filed his nomination on the NDC ticket. is contesting the parliamentary seat with six other candidates, including the Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, who is also contesting on the NPP ticket.
He noted that the NDC would win in at least 130 out of the 230 constituencies in the forthcoming general election.
Mr Fuseini intimated that said the party would fight poverty head-on and reduce it to the barest minimum while ensuring that there was peace and harmony among all Ghanaians, irrespective of their political affiliations.
He, therefore, urged the electorate not to do anything that would disrupt the forthcoming elections as their contribution towards a peaceful election. “We have struggled to bring peace to the Tamale metropolis; we are one people with a common destiny, let us all acknowledge that it does not pay to disturb the peace,” the MP stressed.
According to Mr Fuseini “the development projects that the NDC undertook during its tenure in office are there for all to see. The NDC believes in justice and the people know that when we come to power we would deliver effective justice as a prerequisite for peace”.
Touching on alleged stockpiling of weapons by some political parties in the area, the MP emphasised that as far as the NDC was concerned they had been co-operating with the police to nip in the bud such negative tendencies, adding that a lot more depended on the police.
The Northern Regional Propaganda Secretary of the NDC, Alhaji Oumar Farouk, called on the electorate to vote massively for the party’s flag bearer, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, in the general election.

140 CANDIDATES FILE IN NORTHERN REGION (PAGE 15)

ONE hundred and forty-one parliamentary candidates in the Northern Region have filed their nominations to contest in the 26 constituencies in this year’s election.
Out of that number,13 who are females, are contesting in ten out of the 26 constituencies.
The ten constituencies are Bole-Bamboi, Nalerigu, Damongo-Daboya, Chereponi, Gushiegu, Savelugu, Tamale North, South, Central and Walewale.
In the Kumbungu Constituency where there was an earlier misunderstanding among supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regarding the alleged decision of the party’s hierarchy to field former vice presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, the issue was resolved and the incumbent MP, Alhaji Imoro Yakubu, filed to contest on the ticket of the NDC.
The Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Sylvester Kanyi, made this known to newsmen in Tamale on Sunday.
According to him, 16 of the aspirants filed as independent candidates.
Parties that fielded parliamentary candidates were the NDC, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the Convention People’s Party(CPP), the People’s National Convention (PNC), the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), the New Vision Party (NVP) and the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP).
He further indicated that Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo and Savelugu constituencies each recorded the highest number of eight aspirants, and added that the Yendi, Yapei-Kusawgu and Kpandai constituencies recorded seven aspirants each.
Mr Kanyi described the whole filing process as peaceful and called on the various political parties and their supporters to translate that into making the elections generally peaceful.

NALERIGU BAPTIS MEDICAL CENTRE COMMENDED (PAGE 20)

THE chief of Mamprugu, Nayiri Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga II, has commended the management and staff of the Baptist Medical Centre (BMC) at Nalerigu for the selfless services it is rendering in the area.
He pointed out that their dedication to duty had helped to save the lives of many patients within and outside the country.
The Nayiri made the commendation after paying his maiden visit to the hospital since he was enskinned about four years ago.
He toured the maternity, female, male surgical, medical and paediatric wards where he made cash donations and gave a quantity of smoked fish to the nutrition unit of the facility to supplement the feeding of children on admission.
Naa Sheriga also visited the Public Health Department of the hospital and wished patients on admission a speedy recovery.
The Nayiri’s visit was also in commemoration of the 50th anniversary celebration of the BMC.
He told the management of the hospital that it was the responsibility of God to give life while that of the BMC was to save lives.
The Nayiri, who is also the President of the Northern Regional House of Chiefs, noted that the hospital had contributed immensely to the improvement in the health status of people in its catchment area.
The Medical Superintendent of the BMC, Dr George Faile Junior, on behalf of management and staff, welcomed the Nayiri and his elders.
According to him, his outfit was happy to have the King and his elders as its guests, especially at a time when the hospital was celebrating its golden jubilee.