20th Anniversary of Christ Frontier Mission International CFMI

The Christ Frontiers Mission International (CFMI) has launched its 20^th Anniversary in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional capital. 

This year’s anniversary was under the theme “Manifesting of the Glory of God in our season of growth”. The Regional launch was to herald the national one scheduled to take place in April to celebrate this year’s Easter.

The launch began with a route match from St John’s Park through the principal streets of Bolgatanga Township and ended at Yikene, one of their branches. In an interview with our Correspondent, Emmanuel Akayeti in Bolgatanga, the Regional overseer of CFMI Apostle Moses Atiiga said the church’s mission is to carry the gospel to the less privileged, the vulnerable in society, the conflict-prone areas, and to those hungry for the word that the gospel has not yet reach them.

    The Upper East Regional Overseer of  CFMIApostle Moses Atiiga 

He indicated that the church started on the 18^th of February 2001 in the Upper West Region and got to the Upper East in 2002 with four branches in Bawku and in the Bolga area. By the grace of God, he added the church can now boost 19 branches across the Upper East Region with 16 pastors.

Apostle Atiiga stated that with the support of their donor partners Germany, they are sponsoring 9 orphans in schools food, and shelter, they sunk 13 boreholes as part of the church cooperate social responsibility in their operational areas, means of transport for some pastors to get to hard to reach areas as well as the provision of schools and bullocks for smallholder farming to help increase food production for families.

      The Bolgatanga District pastor of CFMI Apostle Hilliah Albright

The Bolgatanga District pastor of CFMI Apostle Hilliah Albright stated that from a humble beginning, the church is now prominently visible and strongly operational in the Upper West Region, the Upper East Region, Northern and the Greater Accra Region as well as the neighboring countries such as Burking Faso and Niger.

He however explained the social role of the church in developing the well-being of the people in the communities they operate is an integral component of their ministry and that the vision of the church is the continuous propagation of the word of God to the far ends of the world

UER: 12 Young People Trained in Mobile App Development-DANSYN ISO

DANSYN Innovations Social Organization (DANSYN ISO), a Non-Profit ICT hub has organized a 6 weeks training dubbed “Bolgatanga Start-up Summit” in mobile application development for 12 young people in the Upper East Region. It was organized by Dansyn ISO in partnership with Ghana Tech Lab and supported by MasterCard Foundation Young Africa Works, Ministry of Communications, and the World Bank.

Trainner of the Bolgatanga Start-Up Summit Louise Marie Atoluko Ayariga

Speaking in an interview with our Correspondent Emmanuel Akayeti in Bolgatanga, the Training Officer, a Computer Engineer and a fellow of the African Union Digital Information Field Louis Marie Atoluko Ayariga stated that, the penetration of mobile application is on the ascendency and mobile phones abound with a lot of Job opportunities for mobile App developers, yet such skills are low in this part of our world, adding that there is the need to equip the youth with such skill for them to be self-employed, create jobs and to also be relevant in solving societal problems in terms of ICT. 

Mr. Atoluko said they had earlier on in September last year trained 20 young ladies on mobile application development for 3 weeks and the just ended one was 6 weeks and participants were given skills on mobile app development.

A cross section of participants at the Bolgatanga summit

He added that the ideas generated after the pitching by the trainees, if well carried out, will in the end help solve the problems of our society.

He stated that they will be taken through business development training which some of them could make a business out of mobile applications while others too will go into an
internship to get a feel of work before they are they then move into society.

 

The NEPP TEK Group that pitched first at the Bolga Start -up Summit

Nancy Avam Afelik who studied accounting in school took part in the training, her group came first in the pitching with the prototype app M-Ward a mobile application that will help parents and teachers monitor their wards out in school.

With this, Ms. Afelik said the app will enable parents to monitor their ward as they are in school, what they are learning, assignments and attendance. Their group code name NEPP TEK intends to do more research into the area to ensure that the app becomes more viable in the future.

UER: A Fight against Bushfire a Collective Efforts- GASIP

     Maize on the farm not yet harvested

The Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Programme (GASIP) has urged Ghanaians, especially people of the Savanna belt, to make bushfire fighting a collective responsibility.

This came to light during an exclusive interview with the Climate Change Adaptation Manager GASIP, Dr. Edmund Kyei Akoto-Danso, by our gbcuraradio.com Correspondent in Bolgatanga in the wake of the harmattan season.

Dr. Akoto-Danso said, GASIP pride in Conservation Agriculture, which seeks to promote maintenance of a permanent soil cover, minimum soil disturbance, and diversification of plant species adding that our fight against bush fires is paramount on daily basis.

It is in line with this he said,  GASIP is calling all partners, especially you, to do the little one can, through Community-Based Groups Sensitization Schools, Churches, Mosques, Market ground, and radio sensitization, leading farmers and volunteers to create fire belts around their farmlands, formation of volunteer guards, to help in the crusade against bush fires.

Dr. Akoto-Danso stated that it is key that everyone must first understand the major causes of bush fires, before talking about curbing or managing them.

He indicated that the actions or inactions of some groups of people such as herdsmen, farmers, hunters, and children are some of the major causes of bush fires. Dr. Akoto-Danso added that what he has gathered throughout his operational areas in the northern part of Ghana is that, travelling through Kintampo to Page from November upwards is often engulfed with fire not only by the roadside but even in the hinterland.

It is therefore imperative he said that all and sundry must contribute their quota so that together we can help fight against bush fires and conserve our land for green Agriculture and for posterity.

UER: Tax Defaulters to apply for Waivers- GRA

   The Manager of the Bolgatanga Taxpayer Service Centre (BTSC) Bismark Shaibu Mahama

The Manager of the Bolgatanga Taxpayer Service Centre (TSC) of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Bismark Shaibu Mahama, has urged tax defaulters to apply for waivers as the 2022 budget has offered a window of opportunity to redeem their indebtedness.

This came to light in an exclusive interview with our Correspondent Emmanuel Akayeti in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Region. Mr. Mahama disclosed that the Penalty and Interest Wavier Act, 2021 (Act 1065) referred to in this act as the “Principal enchantment”, is amended in section one by the substitution for subsection 1 of 1 where a person on or before 30^th June 2022, pay tax arrears to the Ghana Revenue Authority, files outstanding returns in respect of the previous year up to December 2020, the Commissioner-General shall not recover assessed penalty and interest of the tax arrears paid in respect of the relevant period.

Mr. Mahama indicated that the budget this year has rather given taxpayers relief in terms of their individual taxes or the income they earn from their individual businesses or as employees of organizations. He said the marginal relief threshold for all individuals has been increased from GHC 319 a month to GHC 365.

What this means Mr. Mahama explained further that as a registered member, whatever income earned either from employment or from business, after SSNIT deduction of 5.5 percent, there is a relief of up to GHC 365 that will not be taxed on the remaining amount. He added that this element of the relief used to be GHC 319 but has now been raised to GHC 365 a difference of about GHC 46 disposable income to the individual who earns less.

Regarding the waiver of penalty and interest, he said the period has also been extended from last 30^th September 2021, now one can apply for the waiver up to 30^th June 2022, this year.

Mr. Mahama stated that for all defaulters of incomes tax law up to the period 31^st December 2020, the law has also given them a window of opportunity to file their applications for waiver up to June 2022.

He admonished tax defaulters especially in the Upper East Region to take advantage adding that, they should try to redeem themselves by filing their returns within the set period and pay what is due or make sufficient arrangements to file their returns and GRA will waiver the penalties and interest for you.

UER: Private Sector participation in Maternal and New Born Health in Rural Areas -Dr Bogee

Dr. Gillian Bogee

The Executive Director of the Ayire Clinic and a Senior Paediatric resident, Dr. Gillian Bogee says the private sector plays a key role in delivering sexual and reproductive health services. 

This was disclosed in an interview with our Correspondent Emmanuel Akayeti on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Ayire Clinic in Bongo-Soe.

Dr. Bogee indicated that the role of the private sector in improving maternal and newborn health in achieving the Universal Health Coverage and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) goal 3 cannot be overemphasized. She indicated that the private sector contributes immensely to improving sexual and reproductive health services of the nations through the provision of family planning services for women of reproductive ages.

In line with this, Dr. Bogee indicated that there has been considerable progress in lowering the maternal mortality rate in Ghana over the past 25 years. However, there is still much progress left to make: the country still experiences an alarming rate of 308 deaths per 100,000 (2017), whereas the global rate stands at 211 deaths per 100,000. According to Ghana Health Service, a total number of 875 maternal deaths in 2018 and 838 in 2019. 

       Ayire Clinic

This figure further decreased to 776 in 2020 despite the increase in total deliveries while institutional maternal mortality ratio reduced from 117 in 2019 to 106 in 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and all its associated impact. She added that Neonatal Mortality Rate is 25 per 1000 live births making up 68% of infant mortality and 48% of under-five mortality. Antenatal clinic attendance (at least 4 visits) is 89% with a skilled attendance at birth being 79%.

A board member from the United States of America, Jeffrey Scott Witty said the facility is a hospital complex that will solve the problem of highly trained professionals refusing to postings to the five northern Regions. When completed he stated, it will feature medical school and training programs, giving the opportunities and education for the local communities, bringing home Ghanaians professionals abroad.

 Another Executive Director of the Ayire Clinic also resident in the US expressed joy and readiness to support the facility to deliver health care services to the rural communities.  She said, “I’m also contributing my quota towards helping to improving quality health care and providing wellbeing for all at all ages, in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3”.  

She is steering the facility towards achieving its vision in the coming year she said, and she is certain, that the facility will go a long way to help save lives and improve the livelihood of the people in the community as well.

 

UER: 178 Teachers and Health workers Trained in Child Protection NBD

Some participants  at the three-day training workshop on Child Safeguarding and protection of Vulnerable Adults

About One hundred and 78 teachers drawn from 356 Catholic Schools, from the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese (NBD), have been given a three-day training workshop on Child Protection and Vulnerable Adults.

The workshop which was participated by ten health workers from Catholic Health Centres was organized by the Diocese with sponsorship from Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) This was disclosed by the Acting Regional Manager of Catholic Educational Unit, Rev. Sister Bernadine Permi, in an interview with gbcuraradio.com in Bolgatanga, on the side-lines of the efforts being made by the Catholic Church to promote safeguarding and child protection within our schools and communities.

She said
the aim of the workshop was to train each teacher per school as a safeguarding representative in that particular school which will a point of contact for a child or vulnerable adult.

She added that, in case of anything within the school, a report must first be reported to the representative in the school before it gets to the child protection team and finally to the child unit of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

 

Rev Permi indicated that, the participants were taken through the concrete steps of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, shared real stories they encountered in their various schools and communities.

Some the participants also expressed their joy of the things they learnt from the workshop and lauded the Diocese for organizing such an insightful programme for them.

The General Manager of the Catholic Educational Unit, Araba Bentum, who was present at the workshop expressed joy that it was full of insight and charged teachers to take care of children entrusted to them in their various schools both Catholic and non-Catholic schools and as well spread what they have learnt to all stakeholders so as to create the awareness that, “children are to be seen and not heard is a thing of the past”.  She added that corporal punishment should also be avoided in training our children both in schools and at home.

 

The General Manager advised parents to try and provide for the needs of their children and the vulnerable so that they will not fall into temptation, for the child protection and safeguarding the Vulnerable Adults starts from the home.

 

Mrs Bentum recommended that the training workshop be replicated in all the dioceses across the country, she concluded. 

GBC URA Radio Lauded for good work- UE Regional Minister

     Hon. Stephen Yakubu Upper East Regional Minister

The Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, has lauded the staff of GBC URA for working collaboratively with the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) in executing the development agenda of the Upper East Region and Ghana at large.

This was contained in the Regional Minister’s New Year message to the good people of the Region, during an interaction with our gbcuraradio.com in Bolgatanga.

The Minister seized the opportunity the thank the good people of the Upper East Region for hard work and cooperation throughout the year and URA RADIO in particular for its immense contributions using both radio and television to propagate the development of the agenda of the government.

He cautioned residents to be peace-loving people and also conform to the rules and regulations of the country so that no one finds his or herself culpable of the law for no one is above it. Mr. Yakubu added that his desire is that everyone should be able to go about their daily activities peacefully without any hindrance.

He said, he has, therefore, tasked all the security agencies to ensure that the law is abided by all in the region and that anyone who defaults will be dealt with accordingly.

Mr. Yakubu further urged residents of the Upper East to bury all their political and ethnic sentiments differences to allow peace to prevail to enable us to work together for the development of the Region as efforts are being made to bring in investors to invest to create jobs for the youth.

The Regional Minister said in the execution of the Region’s development agenda, toes might have been stepped on, that notwithstanding, he operates an open-door policy and would not hesitate to dialogue with any aggrieved person for the sake of peace.

  

 

UER: A 25 Bed Capacity Hospital Commissioned at Bongo-Soe

Ayire Clinic, a 25 Bed Capacity Hospital Commissioned at Bongo-Soe

A 25-bed capacity hospital has been commissioned in Bongo-Soe in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region. The hospital which termed as Ayire Clinic was constructed at the cost of ten million Ghana Cedis (GHC 10,000,000.00), has a 25-bed capacity, Outpatient Department (OPD), 4 consulting rooms, pharmacy unit, an injection room, ICT, and general administration units, a Doctor’s bed resting room, three wards, and two washrooms.

The aim of the facility is to help increase access to effective and quality health care for the community members and Ghana as a whole. In an interview with our gbcuraradio.com in Bongo-Soe, the Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ayire Adongo indicated that the facility is the brainchild of the Savannah Cultural Foundation, a local organization the seeks to conserve and promote indigenous knowledge through active participation of rural people in identifying and preserving their political, cultural and indigenous practices in livelihood security in Northern Ghana.

The Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Ayire Adongo

Mr. Adongo stated that the Upper East Region contributes greatly to maternal and neonatal mortality in Ghana and improving this sad situation, where a mother in an attempt to give birth loses a life necessitated the construction of the hospital as a contribution to addressing these bad socio-economic development indices.

Fortunately, he added that there are specialist Doctors from home and in the diaspora such as the United States of America, Germany, and Ukraine collaborating in the development agenda of a specialist hospital, a research center, a teaching hospital, and the establishment of a nurses and midwifery training school. All these individuals are contributing their quota immensely to the realization of these development agendas.    

The Medical Director of the Ayire Clinic, Dr. Kofi Asare-Ansah stated that the facility is a dream come through after years of hard work, determination, perseverance, and focus in achieving this noble goal of providing health care for all ages to the people of Bongo-Soe and Ghana at large. Dr. Asaare-Ansah said even though the project is 5 percent complete, it is his prayer that the vision of the facility will come to fruition in the coming years.

                         The Medical Director of the Ayire Clinic, Dr. Kofi Asare-Ansah

Dr. Albert Kitcher Ukraine, and a board member of Ayire Clinic

The Official Consular OF Ghana to Ukraine, and a board member of Ayire Clinic, Dr. Albert Kitcher expressed joy that the facility stands for excellence and for wellbeing its galvanizing diversity of experience from all facets of the health sector to propel on to deliver the health needs of the people.