Resurrection Power New Generation Church Donates to Gbeogo School for the Deaf

The Bolgatanga branch of the Resurrection Power New Generation Church RPNGC, has donated some assorted food items to the Gbeogo School for the deaf, in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region. The food items include rice, sugar, cooking oil, bread, toiletries, and used clothing’s among others.  

Pastor Kwame Sefa Frimpong Bolgatanga branch handing over the items to the Hon. Felix Neetegeh Faatah Headmaster of the Gbeogo school for the deaf

The donation was in line with the social responsibility of the church to support the less privilege and also forms part of their 16^th Anniversary celebration country wide, since the inception of the church in 2002 to 2018. 

The Gbeogo School for the deaf was established in 20^th August, 1996 with 10 pupils, 5 boys and 5 girls by the then Headmaster of the School, Kusi Sunny Bawa now late. 

It was later taken over by Francis Aniba also late and the now, the current Headmaster, Hon. Felix Neetege Faatah third in succession. 

According to him, the school was established as a basic school with the aim of educating children with hearing impairment. 

It was first under the Bolgatanga Municipality, later curved out and named under Talensi-Nabdam District and now solely under Talensi District. 

The school which started with only 10 pupils 22 years ago can now boost of three hundred and 45 children, with fifty teaching and non-teaching staff. 

Though a basic school, it is run as semi autonomy like a secondary school. Last year, the school presented 27 students for the Basic Educations Certificate Examination; BECE 10 qualified for the Senior High School, the rest proceeded to Beechen and Wa Vocational schools respectively. 

The school he said is educating the unfortunate children who would have been languishing in the streets and in their various homes and communities to help develop the country tomorow. 

Mr. Faatah used the occasion to appeal to the general public to bring such in their homes and communities to the school in order to unearth their talents for the future.

A cross section of the students and some members of the Ressurction Power New Generation Church

Speaking to Radio Ghana, the Bolgatanga branch of the Resurrection Power New Generation Church, Pastor Kwame Sefa Frimpong, on behalf of the founder and leader of the RPNGC, Dr Anthony Kwadwo Boachie said, as a church it is not only preaching the word, but showing love and almsgiving to others as the Christmas festivities draws nearer, is part of the gospel. 

He added that this was demonstrated by Christ himself in the scripture when he fed the 5000 people with 5 loafs of bread and three fishes. 

This he added underscored the need for Christians to do same in the course of thier evangelization.

He said that, their visit was not going to be a nine day wonder but if God gives the strength; they intend to adopt the school.

Hon. Felix Neetegeh Faatah Headmaster, Gbeogo School of the Deaf

Madam Edith Sefa Frimpong, wife the Bolgatanga branch pastor, commended the staff of school for their effort and called on benevolent organizations to come to the aid of the children.

Edith Sefa Frimpong wife of Pastor Kwame Sefa Frimpong Bolga branch

As we are preparing feverishly for the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us remember that whatever you do to the least of these unfortunate little ones, thus you have done it on to the lord.

Upper East Regional Minister Paid Working Visit to Tono Irrigation Dam

Regional Minister at the control site of the Tono Dam and Sabatian Bagina Ag MD ICOUR

The Upper East Regional Minister, Paulina Patience Abayage, has paid a working visit to the Tono Irrigation site in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality to ascertain the progress of the rehabilitation of the dam. 

The dam since its establishment in 1985 has not seen any major rehabilitation.  The Tono Irrigation Project was constructed to promote the production of food crops in the Municipality. 

The project has a total land area of 3,860 hectares, but currently managing 1,300 hectares under cultivation. 

Currently the project has through the government of Ghana received attention with some funding from the World Bank, to rehabilitate and modernized the Irrigation system. 

  

The visit was on the back of supervisors of the rehabilitation of the dam made up of a nine member delegation including staff of the Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project, GCAP, and the Irrigation Company of the Upper East Region, ICOUR, and managers of the project who paid a courtesy call on the regional minister early this month. 

The government of Ghana has secured an amount of thirty-One million dollars from the World Bank and partly grants from the USAID to rehabilitate the Tono and the Vea dams in the Upper East Region. 

The contract is awarded to Top International Engineering Cooperation TIEC, a Chinese construction firm. 

The contractor is expected to complete the rehabilitation of the Dam within thirty-three months with one year defect liability period. 

Briefing the Regional Minister about the project, the Acting Managing Director of, ICOUR, Sabastian Bagina, indicated that, though the company has under gone restructuring and all benefits due those affected settled, there is still the need for some key technical staff to be engaged to man the new project when completed. 

It is expected that, at the end of the construction, the land area under cultivation will increase from the current 1,300 to 2,490 hectares with two rounds of cropping season a year. As part of the contract the irrigation facility will be fully mechanized when completed. 

Minister and the contractor Joe Qiao of Top International Engineering Corporation

Speaking to Radio Ghana, the Regional Minister was happy with the progress of work so far, describing Tono and Vea Dams as major projects in the region which has over the years enhanced the living conditions of the people in the region. 

She was however, unhappy with the poor culture of maintenance that has bedeviled the scheme over the years and advised that routine repair works be carried out after completion of the project to avert any further damage. 

Ms Abayage explained the relevance of the Irrigation system to the people of the Upper East Region. Interacting with the contractor on site, the Regional Minister charged the contractor to execute the project properly devoid of shoddy works. 

She emphasized that parts of the old Irrigation system that is removed should be forwarded to the ICOUR stores for safe keeping. 

Ms. Abayage urged the contractor to make maximum use of local content regarding labor to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the area. 

Some equipment on site at the Irrigation site-Tono

In response, the Managing Director of TIEC, Joe Qiao said, they have a proven track record and were not going to compromise it for anything, adding that the contract will be completed within schedule devoid of shoddy works. 

Upper East Regional Minister paid visits to three Paramount Chiefs in Kassena Nankana

The Upper East Regional  Minister at Naaga Chief Palace in the Kassena Nankana Municipality 

The Upper East Regional Minister Ms. Paulina Patience Abayage has paid a courtesy call on three Paramouncies in the Kassena Nankana Municipality. 

The call was to thank them for the moral support given her during her vetting. She is the first female to be appointed to steer the affairs of the Upper East Region as a regional minister. 

It was also to announce her plans to the Traditional Authorities and asked for support in her bid to develop the region. She was accompanied by the Deputy Regional Minister, who is also the MP for Zebilla constituency, Frank Fuseini Adongo, the Regional Coordinating Director, Chief Mohammed A Azonko, and the Upper East Regional Police Commander, DCOP Osei Ampofo Doku among others. 

Upper East Regional Minister with entourage at Naaga Chief's Palace 

The Minister’s first point of call was at the palace of the President of the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs, the Paramount Chief of the Naaga Traditional Area, Naba Bosingo Olando Ayamga Awuni III.  Ms. Abayage said she was coming home as daughter of the soil, carrying the mantle of Nana Addo’s vision of development to the region. 

The Paramount Chief of Naaga and President of the Regional House of Chiefs Naba Bosingo Olando Ayamga Awuni III, at his Palace in Naaga  

She outlined a number of the President’s social interventions including the Planting for Food and Jobs, One-Village One-Dam 1V1D, animal husbandry, and guinea fowl rearing among others. 

These policies, she noted, are pro-poor interventions that the region can tap into to improve the living standards of the people. 

She indicated it was heartwarming that, in the budget read, the Navrongo-Kologo-Naaga road has been given out on contract and the contractor will soon be to site.  

Ms. Abayage assured the Paramount Chief her outfit’s readiness to bring home the region’s share of the national cake, adding that all she needed was the support of the traditional rulers in the region. 

In his response, Naba Awuni III was grateful to the President for appointing his daughter as the first female Regional Minister. The chief called on the Upper East Regional Police Command to intensify their patrols on the Bolgatanga-Sirigu-Naaga road. 

His call follows a robbery attack on women traders on the road.  The Paramount Chief assured the Minister of his support and advised her to stay focus on her developmental course and be mindful of detractors.  

The Minister visited the Naaga Primary school upon the Chief’s request where she donated an amount of Five thousand Ghana cedis towards the renovation of the school. 

The Minister shaking with Kologo Paramount Chief Naba Cliford Asobayire Abagna IV at his Palace

At Kologo, the Minister’s massage was not different. The Paramount Chief of Kologo Traditional Area, Naba Clifford Asobayire Abagna IV, expressed his happiness for seeing his former teacher visiting his palace as a Minister. 

Naba Abagna appealed to the Minister to renovate his traditional council which is deteriorating, revealing that when the contractor commerce work of the road, care should be taken of the bridge.

The Regional Minister reiterated the government’s commitment in making all the roads in the country motorable. 

The Minister ended her visits to the Paramount Chiefs in the Kassena-Nankana Municipality at the Navro Pio’s Palace. 

Ms. Abayage re-echoed the need for all the Traditional Authorities in the Region to help President Nana-Addo’s vision of enhancing the living standards of the people come to reality. 

Pe Denis Belinia Aniakwa Adda Asapare II, with his elders at the Palace in Navrongo

Pe Denis Belinia Aniakwa Adda Asapare II, Paramount Chief of the Navrongo Traditional Area advised the Minister to be circumspect in the discharge of her duties and should not forget to call on him for council when the need arises, adding that he and his subjects will support her in every sphere of life to succeed. 

Boaram Festival of the People of Baare Celebrated in Talensi District

A cross section of the people at the celebration grounds

Festivals in those days were celebrated once every year, spanning between 2 to 7 days depending on the locality, with historical perspective that is sacrificing to the gods and the ancestors as thanksgiving for their blessing, bumper harvest and perhaps marry making. 

Today, festivals are celebrated same but have only integrated in it, a developmental component, which benefits the community and society as a whole for the rest of their lives rather than the cyclical annual celebration, after the week long marry making. 

One of such has been observed, known as Boaram Festival celebrated by the people of Baare in the Talenis District of the Upper East Region, where a laboratory has been constructed to augment the services of the oldest health Center in the community. 

Communities that came together to raise the money for the construction of the laboratory are; Baare, Gorog, Sepaat, Kaare and Buun collectively called Gosebka. 

One of the major festivals of the people of Tongo in the Talensi District is the “Gologo Festival” which is celebrated by all to ask for blessings from their ancestors and rains for farming at the beginning of the farming season. 

Boaram on the other hand, is celebrated as a thanksgiving sacrifice to the ancestors after the harvesting the farm produce for granting the good health and strength throughout the farming season. The Boar in Talen refers to all the shrines in Tongo with the over lord shrine as the Tenguik-Shrine.

The ram is the Guinea-Corn Pito being brewed to be sacrifice to the gods or the shrines. The essence of the Boaram sacrifice is to appease the gods to pave way for the new farm produce to be fed on. 

This year’s Boaram Festival is under the theme “Reigniting the spirit of Unity for community development”. The festival was attended by Traditional Authorities, Queen Mothers. Opinion Leaders NGOs CSO, Assembly men and women, sons and daughters in the diaspora".

The Regent of Gorog and his elders at the festival grounds

Speaking to Radio Ghana, Luu Yin an elder of the community said Gosebka stands as one in unity because they own one common ancestry with the family head as Gorog.

Mr Luu Yin spokesperson of the festival

Gorog he indicated was a warrior who migrated with his entire community from China Nawoli in the Kassena Nankana Municipality. Whilest leaving there, he enskined a chief to take care of the china community. 

He passed through vulnerable communities that he felt could be attacked by explorers and settles some worries there. 

He traversed Mirigu in the Kassena Nankana to Yikene in Bolgatanga central through Gambibgo in Bolgatanga East District, where he formed his first alliance because they met them on the way as worries and asked for friendship which they accepted. 

He got to Baare in Tongo they were also worries at the time and formed his second alliance. Proceeding a little further, Gorog settled at the foot of the Tongo Hills, the current place. 

Therefore, Gambibgo and Baare became the first and best allies of Gorog when they arrived and has over the years fought their battles together in times past. 

Luu Yin explained further the settlement of Gorog at their current place as. Well, as the year draws to a close, it’s time for festivals in the three regions of the north and Boaram could not have chosen any theme than Re-igniting the spirit of unity and community development. 

Festivals tell us about mythologies and elevate our faith, giving us lessons from inside those mythologies. We celebrate the good will and teachings we get from them. 

Ever noticing that, when it’s time for the arrival of a festival, the whole aura changes, the whole community gets directed towards a faith, a surrounding full of good hopes, happiness, joy, celebrations is created. 

It simply uplifts our bad moods and fills us with positive energy. It gives us an opportunity to forget all the nots, recall good events of the past and initiate fresh and new beginnings.

Story by: Emmanuel Akayeti

Staff of GBC Ura Radio Paid a Courtesy Call on the Upper East Regional Minister

The Upper East Regional Minister and staff of Ura Radio at RCC

There is the need to change the cultural perspective of our society regarding women and children and step up the education of the girl child. 

An educated girl-child becomes an educated women and an educated woman is an asset to society by all standards. 

Though there is the need for the boy child education, the girl child must go up to the tertiary level. This will help prevent teenage pregnancies and also enable girls to determine which type of cultural practices they should accept or discard. 

This was disclosed by the Upper East Regional Minister, Ms Paulina Patience Abayage, when a 5 member team of GBC Ura Radio staff paid a courtesy call on her at her office, at the Regional Coordinating Council RCC. 

The team was led by the Acting Regional Director of Ura Radio, David Naab. 

The visit was to officially welcome her and to congratulate her for her appointment to the high office as a regional Minister. 

Ms Abayage was once working as a part time staff with Ura Radio for quite some years before leaving for full time politics. 

Her elevation comes as an honor to the station and the Upper East Region as a whole. On her part, the Regional Minister expressed appreciation for the visit saying she had all her media skills from Ura Radio. 

She indicated that, as a media practitioner herself, she knows the role the media can play in her quest to develop the region, adding that, since Ura Radio broadcast in 5 local dialects and English and goes far, it will remain the official mouth piece of the region in addition to the other radio stations. 

Ms Abayage stated that, she is operating an open door policy and therefore welcomes ideas from all and sundry with constructive criticism. 

The staff of Ura Radio assured the Minister their readiness to support her in the development of the Upper East Region. 

She indicated that the region has numerous potentials that can be explore such as rearing of guinea fowls, small and large ruminants, irrigation and Planting for Food and Jobs, for smallholder women farmers which are in line with the President’s vision for the country. 

In reference to the budget, she indicated that the region can tap into the budget for its share especially in the area of Agriculture, education and roads. 

On roads she said work is currently ongoing on the Bongo, and the Balungu Bridge. The Bolga –Bawku road Sandema and Chuchuliga roads will also be worked on. 

Other areas she noted, that need urgent attention are revenue generation, the horrible nature of sanitation and street lights at least in the Municipal and the District capitals to help minimize criminal activities at nights.

She said the best would been to change the entire lighting infrastructure of about 40 kilometers which cost about 40 million Ghana cedis which is a huge cost. 

The Minister emphasized that there is the need for Regional Festival of Art and Culture to show case the region’s rich cultural heritage in the international front to boost the region’s tourism industry. 

Add Organic Fertilizer to Subsidy Programme-Research Finding

Organic farm

 A research conducted by the Coalition for the Advancement of Organic Farming CAOF, a Non-governmental Organization NGO, has advocated the need for the government to   increase the quantity of organic fertilizer into the fertilizer subsidy programme. 

The CAOF which has a membership of 17 Non-Governmental Organizations   working closely with farmers in Ghana to promote organic farming in the country conducted the research on “the Extent to which Organic Agriculture has been considered in current Government’s Agriculture Policies and Programmes in Ghana under the Appropriate Inputs and Certification for Organic Farming Project”, in some selected Districts in the Upper East and Northern Regions.

 The research which was carried out in  some selected Districts in the Northern and Upper East Regions and  funded by the the Business Sector Advocacy Challenged BUSAC Fund , stressed  the urgent need for  Ghana as a country to  implement the African Union Declaration on Ecological Organic Agriculture. 

Among some of the District the research was conducted included the Bongo District, Bolgatanga Municipal. Nabdam District, Talensi District, Bulisa South District, Bulisa North District, Garu/Tempane District, Binduri District, Kasena Nankana East District and Navrongo Municipal in the  Upper East Region. The rest are the Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo District, Tamale Metropolis, West Maprusi District, East Maprusi District and the Gushiagu/Karaga District in the Northern Region. 

The research stressed that, the need for National Policy on Ecological Organic Agriculture is now. It is also time for Organic Desks to be established in all Regional Offices of MOFA and District Departments of Food and Agriculture Majority of the respondents in the research who alluded to the fact that those who grow and eat more organic foods look healthier and live longer and that organic agriculture promote healthy environments and less pollution. 

Organic agriculture promotes sustainable farming and healthy living in Ghana. It is relevant to the extent that mineral fertilizers are gradually degrading our soils. 

Also, organic agriculture is a tool and system for mitigating climate change”, the research pointed out. 

Whilst  also urging the government to ensure that the Planting for Food and Jobs programme cater adequately  for the needs of organic farmers, it also underscored the need   for MOFA to ensure the   proper integration of livestock and crops  to complement  for the  bi-product from animals to be used for organic fertilizer. 

The research which was made known  at  separate  sensitization forums at Walewale in the Northern region, Bolgatanga in the Upper East region and Tumu in the Upper West region to share the findings, it also stressed the  need for organic products to satisfy issues of hygiene, traceability, pesticides and other forms of contaminations. 

It cited the bureaucratic and cumbersome processes involved in certifying organic products in Ghana, inadequate knowledge on the part of farmers on the requirements for organic certification and ignorance on the part of farmers of the risk of contamination of products with insecticides and other chemicals as some of the challenges confronting organic farming. 

The research recommended the need for Private-Public Partnership in the Organic Agriculture Sector and standards certification processes of organic agriculture to be friendlier and accessible to players in the industry.

Story by: GBC's Emmanuel Akayeti