Explosion: 42-yr-old farmer,wife and three children burnt in flamed petrol

Explosion: 42-yr-old farmer,wife and three children burnt in flamed petrol

A 42-year-old farmer,Alhassan Musah,his wife and their three children are currently in a critical condition at the West Gonja Catholic hospital in the Northern region of Ghana after they got burnt in flamed petrol.

The incident happened in Kotito Number II, a small farming community in Damongo in the West Gonja District of Northern region Monday morning.

Musah Alhassan, identified to be a branch youth organiser of the opposition National Democratic Congress in Kotito Number II, aside farming,retails petrol to community members.

He usually buys the petrol in drums from Buipe in the Central Gonja District and retails to customers in a bid to put body and soul together.

Luck however eluded Alhassan Musah and his family when a lit pot of charcoal flamed uncontrollably.The situation aggravated when spilled petrol inundated the entire room and the fire spread throughout the room,worsening the situation.

Narrating the incident,an eyewitness disclosed that,it all started when Alhassan Suraya,12-year old daughter of Alhassan Musah who was involved in a motor accident the preceding day to the unfortunate event complained of severe cold at around 3:00am.

The mother of little Suraya,30-year-old Sala Alhassan was compelled to set fire that night in a coal pot to palliate the cold of her daughter.She decided to pour some petrol onto the charcoal from a gallon and struck a match to lit the fire.It skipped madam Sala to close the gallon containing the fuel which was just few meters away from the lit fire in the coal pot.

At this time,the entire family,aside Sala and her daughter were fast asleep.The lit fire gradually 'travelled' to the gallon unknown to Sala and out of dread she attempted to throw the flamed gallon outside the room, but unfortunately ended up closing the door.

The petrol inundated the entire room and the fire flamed uncontrollably...There was no escape route for the family of five as the closed door was flaming as well.It took the prompt intervention of neighbours to demolish part of the room to rescue the victims.Properties worth thousands of Ghana cedis got burnt in the process.

None of the family members escaped the fate, as all five, got severely burnt in the flamed petrol and rushed to the West Gonja hospital.

The man and his wife who are worst hit by the incident,have been referred to the Tamale Teaching hospital after hospital staff handling the cases indicated that their situation was beyond the hospital's management.

Mr.Alhassan Braimah,who is in charge of the Emmergency Unit at the hospital confirmed the Incident to Ghanwebs' Ananpansah B Abraham,stating that,the three children(Mohammed Alhassan-16, Alhassan Suraya-12 and Samed Suraya-8) would however be on admission at the West Gonja hospital.

He said they have placed a request for ambulance support from Sawla to assist in conveying the victims to the Tamale Teaching hospital, since the hospital has only one ambulance which could not serve the purpose.

He disclosed that,the initial cost of treating the five patients, including the ambulance fee stands at Ghc2,500.00.

Source:Ananpansah B Abraham(AB)//ghanaweb.com

21-year-old student dead after being shot in the abdomen by armed robbers

21-year-old student dead after being shot in the abdomen by armed robbers

It can be reported that,21-year-old Mohammed Talhatu who was battling for her life at the West Gonja Catholic hospital after being shot in the abdomen by armed robbers has passed on to glory.

Talhatu,a second year student of Bole Secondary School in the Bole District of the Northern region of Ghana was shot in the abdomen and had her liver and intestines badly destroyed, after some unknown gunmen besieged sections of the Sawla-Fulfulso-Tamale road and attacked passengers.

The incident occurred at Janukura along the Sawla-Fulfulso road in the Central Gonja District of the Northern Region of Ghana at about 7:00pm,after the robbers blocked about 11 buses from moving.

They shot sporadically at the buses in an attempt to stop movement injuring five people on the spot and made away with valuable properties of victims,an eye witness has said.

The driver of a Kia Rhino truck carrying passengers from Buipe market was shot on the arm after he attempted to swerve the robbers.

The robbers however fled before the police and community members could arrive at the scene.

Little Talhatu was rushed to the West Gonja Catholic hospital where she was receiving critical care until her death.

Doctors and nurses of the hospital tried in vain to rescue her life.The public also responded promptly to calls to donate blood to save her life.

Talhatu finally gave up the ghost Tuesday morning at the West Gonja hospital.Her mortal remains has since been moved to Busunu her home town for burial.

The "Operation Calm Life" SWAT team is currently under intense public criticism as to the kind of lives the team was actually calming.
Many out of anger are calling for the dissolution of the body.

It is a very sad moment for the people of Busunu and Northern region at large as Talhatu finally  meets her creator.

The wrath of God and the soul of this innocent girl will surely descend heavily on the perpetrators of this dastardly act, some have started cursing the wind as they lament.

Source:Ananpansah B Abraham (AB)

5 shot as robbers attack passengers on Sawla-Fulfulso-Tamale road

5 shot as robbers attack passengers on Sawla-Fulfulso-Tamale road

At least, five(5) people have been shot after unknown gunmen,numbering six besieged sections of the Sawla-Fulfulso-Tamale road Monday night.

The incident occurred at Janukura along the Sawla-Fulfulso road in the Central Gonja District of the Northern Region of Ghana at about 7:00pm,after the robbers blocked about 11 buses from moving.

They shot sporadically at the buses in an attempt to stop movement injuring five people on the spot and made away with valuable properties of victims,an eye witness has said.

The driver of a Kia Rhino track carrying passengers from Buipe market was shot on the arm when he attempted to swerve the robbers.

The robbers however fled before the police and community members could arrive at the scene.

The injured persons are currently receiving treatment at various health facilities in the region.

Three are currently on admission at the Tamale Teaching hospital, one is at the Busunu clinic and the firth person is at the West Gonja Catholic hospital in Damongo.

Checks by Ghanaweb's Northern Regional Bureau Chief Ananpansah B Abraham,at the West Gonja hospital reveals that,Doctors and Nurses are currently battling to save the life of 21-year old Mohammed Talhatu, one of the victims,after she was shot in the abdomen destroying her liver and intestines.

The hospital has since placed an immediate appeal to the general public to donate blood to help rescue her life. About five pints have been collected already, but that is not enough considering the situation at hand.

The DCE of West Gonja District, hon.Saaed Jibreal,has appealed to the communities around the 'scene of happening' to assist the police with relevant information that will lead to the arrest of the culprits,especially by reporting suspicious persons to the appropriate quarters.

The patrol team he said,were trying their best but have a very vast area to contend with...The Patrol area of the team spanning from Sawla to Fulfulso is about 149 km, which is too much for one patrol team.

Source:Ananpansah B Abraham (AB)

West Gonja DCE extends electricity to communities,hints of 120-seater multipurpose library

West Gonja DCE extends electricity to communities,hints of 120-seater multipurpose library

The District Chief Executive(DCE) of West Gonja District in the Northern Region of Ghana,hon. Saeed Muhazu Jibreal has said that his office has procured 300 poles to extend electricity to some communities in the District.
The beneficiary communities include:Busunu,Laribanga, Sabon Zongo and Abinga Kura.

Speaking with PAD FM's Ananpansah B Abraham,host of a weekly political analysis programme,'Within the issues' Saturday morning,the DCE disclosed that the extension exercise has become necessary due to the many concerns he received from these communities,since assuming office,adding that,the situation of six houses connected to one metre was not pleasant.

The contract which is fully funded from the District Development Fund(DDF) he disclosed,comes in two parts,thus:the supply of electricity poles and stringing of the cables for people to be able to easily tap electricity into their homes.
The poles would be mounted up to points where individuals can easily tap into their homes,instead of going to buy the electricity poles on their own which can be expensive.

"...So,the contract is in two parts; supply of electricity poles and also,stringing of the cables for people to be able to receive their electricity.Then also,we also looking at how other people,because the money is soo small,we can't string the whole town or areas that we have agreed on to string.So,what we are going to do is that,We are going to mount or put up the poles up to points where transformers or the citizens can easily tap the power on their own,instead of going to buy the poles.You know the poles have become expensive...So what we are going to do is that, we are going to mount those poles,so individuals can easily buy cables in connection with the VRA so that they can get lights into their areas,"he said.

In responding to a question from the host,as to whether areas in Canteen Electoral Area,specifically Sabon Zongo and St.Anne's  were captured,he said some parts of Canteen were due to benefit from the extension exercise.

He revealed that,the reason why the Busunu police station got burnt was due to lack of electricity to the facility,and so the police refused to occupy the building,stating that,electricity would be extended to the facility so Busunu can have a police station on their own.For Laribanga,the extension would be targeted at the new settlements and the area council which is not connected to the national grid.

He brought to bare the unwillingness of the VRA workers to mount some of the electricity poles in the District when there is a problem because, the poles are substandard and could easily break.These poles he said,were procured under previous regimes and are not too good and so,VRA has refrained from touching those poles anytime there is a problem.About 200 of such poles have been counted and 100 will be replaced for a start.

The next under DDF projects he disclosed,are still the electrification and the construction of a library.The library he said,is going to be a multipurpose library of 120-seater capacity with an office of about 20 computers to be located around the GES District office hopefully...
The existing District library due to its remote location receives very low patronage.

Panelist on the programme agreed unanimously with the host that,there should be considerations to connect all the computers to Internet service so as to enhance research work.

Source:Ananpansah B Abraham (AB)

N/R:"Operation Calm Life" Highway Patrol Team mercilessly flogs civilian,extort Ghc200

N/R:"Operation Calm Life" Highway Patrol Team mercilessly flogs civilian,extort Ghc200

A civilian has been severely flogged by "Operation Calm Life" highway patrol team plying the Damongo to Sawla road.

The men in black, numbering seven(7) whipped the hell out of the victim, Mohammed Osman after he lamented in silence that the patrol team van was wrongly parked.

He received the lashing of his life until he sustained injuries on his back.The action of the police has since received wide condemnation from the discerning public with many calling for justice to be served the victim.

The incident happened in Damongo township Friday Morning,between the hours of 9am to 10am,when the victim was riding from Canteen,a suburb of Damongo in the West Gonja District of Northern Ghana to his workshop.

Low spirited Mohammed,a well know glass manufacturer in Damongo narrated his ordeal on PAD FM in an interview with Ghanaweb's Ananpansah B Abraham. He explained that on that faithful day, he was on a motorbike to his workshop with one of his workers,Nuhu Rauf,who was the pillion rider.

On reaching a T- junction few meters away from the District CHRAJ office,he noticed that the police patrol van was parked wrongly,almost across the junction with the tendency of causing mischances.Concerned Mohammed spoke in a whisper to his pillion rider that,the police van was wrongly parked considering that the said spot was a narrow junction.

The police who misinterpreted the whispers of Mohammed to mean he was trying to teach them how to park ,commanded him to stop and demanded to know what he was saying.Startled mohammed spurred his way to his workshop.But the infuriated police followed him up to his workshop few meters away from the scene and flogged him to injuries with sizable rods.

Mohammed who spoke in Dagaare said,"Yesterday in the morning,whilst I was returning from Canteen between the hours of 9am and 10am...On reaching the junction were the women sell maize,I notice it would be difficult to negotiate my way through,because a police van was parked at the curve....I told my worker that where the van was parked was not good and if one does not ride carefully,it could led to an accident.We stopped whilst other cyclist manoeuvred their way through a narrow space.I was still pointing my fingers to the wrongly parked car.When the road was a bit clear,I also attempted negotiating my way through the narrow space.The police shouted on me to stop and ask what I was saying from afar.Frightened, I replied that I was not saying 'anything'...I spurred my way through to my workshop"....

"They followed me up to my workshop and and started flogging me with sticks.They ask what I was saying.I told them I was complaining to my friend that the van was not well parked.They ask whether I was the one to teach them the law and how to park.Thay commanded me to remove my safety boot and bungled me to the police station."

He further chronicled that,on getting to the police station,he was detained for almost two hours.The NPP chairman, hon. Nana Kwame and the witness who was the pillion rider,Nuhu Rauf immediately moved to the police station to intervene.
The police explained to the chairman that the victim insulted the police officers, a position he sharply debunked.

After a close door meeting at the police charge office,Gh200 was given to the police officers before Mohammed was released.

Nuhu revealed that the incident,which was witnessed by over 50 people had the police passing comments to the effect that the people of Damongo they have noted are very "stubborn."And that they were aware that,people are hiding under chieftaincy to fuel disturbances in the town...That they the police where waiting for the day such people would try such nonsense of sparking chieftaincy conflict and they would show the people their meter insofar as policing is concerned.

When contacted about the development,the District crime officer,SS Gbeve said the matter has not been brought to his attention.He directed that the station officer should be contacted...The station officer however,declined comments on the matter and indicated that his boss,the District Police Commander was the best person to respond to the matter.
Efforts to get the District police commander to comment on the development at the time of filing this story has since proved fertile.

Mohammed said all he prays for is for the perpetrators to be brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.
It can be recalled that a business man, Jyimah Ibrahim, popularly known as Kashinteng was brutalised in a similar fashion last three months by some armed military men currently standing police trial in Tamale.

"Operation Calm Life" was launched on Monday February 5 ,2018, in the Northern Region to combat criminal activities.About 300 security personnel were drawn from all the law enforcement agencies for the initiative.

Source:Ananpansah B Abraham

Reviving Communal Labour:Youth of Sabon Zongo in perspective

Reviving Communal Labour:Youth of Sabon Zongo in perspective

....And the youth of Sabon Zongo in the Zongo/Langbonto Electoral Area joined the bandwagon.

The youth led by hon.Zomnura Adamu Shaibu the Assembly Man for the area,moved in a combined energy and synergy to clean round the vicinity of a mechanised borehole in the electoral area.

The youth responded promptly to the campaign bearing in mind,the cost of treating diarrheal diseases such as Cholera,and other illness in the range of Typhoid and Dysentery borne out of drinking contaminated water.

The joy in communal toil was unending as the youth chanted sanitation and godliness as they engaged in the communal labour.The vicinity of the machanized borehole was cleared and sprayed and the waterside litters were picked and burnt.

The clean up campaign was aimed at sensitising the local community on the need to keep the environment clean in order to avert diarrheal diseases.

The Assembly Man,hon.Adamu Shaibu who spoke on the sidelines of the exercise emphasized the need for us to revive the seemingly lost spirit of communal labour,adding that,they were motivated by what the youth of Canteen started.He echoed on the need to emulate good examples of others and inculcate the spirit of communal labour in our people.

He further stressed on the need for us as a people to sacrifice our growing spirit of individualism for the spirit of  communism and communal labour.

The youth who joined in the exercise saw it as a complete joy to engage in communal toil, since they were contributing their quota to the development of their community.

It can be recounted that, for the past weeks, the youth of Canteen embarked on series of communal labour and reiterated the need to revive the lost days of communal labour.They encouraged the entire District and beyond on the need to wake up the sleeping days of communal labour.

It is widely held that,Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable and a little rain each day will fill the rivers to overflowing.As Jeff Bridges rightly reiterated,"The way to change the world is through individual responsibility and taking local action in your own community."

Communal labour is when members of a community or an organised group come together to embark on a course of action which inures to the benefit of the entire society.

Partisan politics seem to be a bane on the ability of community members to mobilise such energies for community activities in time past.

Source:Ananpansah AB (Village Writer)

Reviving Communal Labour:NASPA in perspective as they embark on a Cleanup campaign along principle streets of Damongo

Reviving Communal Labour:NASPA in perspective as they embark on a Cleanup campaign along principle streets of Damongo

In an attempt to revive the spirit of communal labour,the West Gonja District branch of the National Service Personnel Association of Ghana (NASPA) in a combined energy moved to clean round the principal streets of Damongo.

The clean up campaign was aimed at sensitising the local community on the need to keep the environment clean in order to avert diarrheal diseases such as Cholera,typhoid and dysentery.

Led by the District president who doubles as the Northern regional secretary of the association,Suburu Kantama,the association believes the power of the community to create health is far greater than any physician, clinic or hospital.

The campaign also saw the District Director of National Service,Mr.Abutu Yahaya joining the exercise together with some employees of Zoomlion.The service personnel were present in their numbers.

Speaking on the sidelines of the activity,the president emphasized the need for us to revive the seemingly lost spirit of communal labour,adding that,the days of always relying on zoomlion and cursing the wind when the streets are not swept and the gutters desilted should be over in the District.

According to him, communism and communal spirit should replace individualism in our today's societies and as personnel, they are ready to join in championing the course in the District.

Most of the personnel who joined in the exercise saw it as a complete joy to engage in communal toil, since they were contributing their quota to the development of the District and country at large.

It can be recounted that, for the past weeks, the youth of Canteen embarked on series of communal labour and reiterated the need to revive the lost days of communal labour.They encouraged the entire District and beyond on the need to wake up the sleeping days of communal labour.

It is widely held that,Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable and a little rain each day will fill the rivers to overflowing.As Jeff Bridges rightly reiterated,"The way to change the world is through individual responsibility and taking local action in your own community."

Communal labour is when members of a community or an organised group come together to embark on a course of action which inures to the benefit of the entire society.

Source:Ananpansah AB (Village Writer)

Part 2 of reviving the spirit of communal labour:Canteen youth in perspective

Part 2 of reviving the spirit of communal labour:Canteen youth in perspective

There is indeed,joy in communal toil, yes!
Our part two (2) of reviving the spirit of communal labour tour took us to the Hospital Junction Drive.That spot,which is a 'T Junction' leading to the West Gonja Hospital and Canteen avenue has been a death trap for years.It has received wide public outcry following the many accidents which have cost lives and damage to property (motorbikes, cars ad infinitum).

The bandwagon to fix that portion of the road which started on a small note,as usual got the Canteen Wura and his subchiefs,and elders of Canteen participating effectively.The outturn was overwhelming and unexpected.All thanks to our revered chiefs/elders and my fellow youth(Canteen Yaara)....
Many thanks to all cash and kind contributors.We have noted your disposition to do good to society and have a special way of thanking you.God richly bless and multiply your benevolence...

Before the start of the communal labour,we had the intention of only one (1) bag of cement, 30Ghc diesel support,1 trip of stones and sand, motorking and tractor support,but the support we received during the process was overwhelming and worth the effort to start...

When next you are negotiating that junction or driving along that stretch/spot,slow down,roll your glasses,tell me the difference then and now, and thank the youth of Canteen later.
The seemingly undulating bridge has been levelled and the submerged gutter resurrected to direct water and liquid waste.The reanimated gutter and bridge would stop any further eroding away of that portion of the road thanks to the youth of Canteen.We nearly lost that portion of the road leading to not less a place,than the only hospital in the District to erosion.

We have not entirely completed the work....The community volunteer who did the masonry work whispered in my ears after the exercise that,we would need not less than 10 bags of cement and at least,a trip of stones to do the stone pitching to secure the trough along the eaves(gutter).

We wish to appeal to the general public particularly,the District assembly,the member of parliament, philanthropist and indeed, anyone who is touched by this spirit to revive communal labour to come to our aid to ensure a completion of what we've started for God, country and community. Next coming Friday is another day.We are out again!

The power of community mobilization and the seemingly lost days of communal labour:
I hearken back to a poem I wrote months ago and a wave of nostalgia swept over me strongly.
The repeated rhymes of the poem were driven by a drunk desire to see a return of the good old days.see: https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Tales-of-the-good-old-days-635397... http://ananpansah-ab.blogspot.com/2018/03/tales-of-good-old-days.html?m=1.

When I talk about the good old days in this written account, I mean to say the days of communal labour.
I write of communal labour in a personal coinage as a joint action of community members accomplishing a task for the benefit of the entirety of society.Such labour leads to the achievement of a common goal, thus improving the quality and standard of living of community members and the provision of social amenities.

Today,instead communal labour,we would curse the wind and flood the airwaves with cacophonous chaos over what we call "it is someone's duty".Diminishing marginal returns seem to have set in on the ability of the women to carry water,whilst the men mix mortar and put up the buildings.The politics of coloring development and clothing same in partisan politics is the order of the day.

Individualism has fast substituted communism and communal spirit.
Let's revisit and renew the spirit of communal labour.Canteen youth is clearly showing the way.
I entreat the West Gonja District assembly to localise the now-defunct National Sanitation Day to what I will christen "Communal Labour Day".
Let's identify and set aside a day in every month,where we can mobilise the power of the youth for community work. We look out for special challenges in our individual communities, and move in to fix same.

Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable and a little rain each day will fill the rivers to overflowing.I end with a quote from Jeff Bridges,"The way to change the world is through individual responsibility and taking local action in your own community."
I am a proud Canteen Yaaro!
Shalom!

Source:Ananpansah B Abraham (AB)//Village writer
               (0241129910/0200704844)

No youth association has remained united and focused since the collapse of NSU-Dr.Clement

No youth association has remained united and focused since the collapse of NSU-Dr.Clement

A peace and development expert,Dr.Rev.father Clement Aapegnua has asserted that,since the collapse of the Northern Student's Union(NSU), which existed in the 1969s,no youth association in Northern Ghana has stood United and focused for a long time.

The union in his view,was a very strong and respected youth group present in all secondary schools and institutions of higher learning.The northern and upper regions at the time formed the north.The formidable student front eventually broke down.

He enumerated three issues,thus:politics,chieftaincy and ethnicity as major manacles to the survival of youth associations thereafter.

"In the 1969s,the Northern Student's Union, NSU was a very strong and well respected youth group.This front was broken and since then, no youth association in the north has stood united and focused for a long time.Three issue have always threatened a united front;politics, chieftaincy and ethnicity!I dare anyone to show me one youth association or group coming together for development that has survived 10 years!"he lamented.

Commenting on the motion,"the recent ban on charcoal burning in Gonjaland and matters arising" in a parliamentary forum held by Damongo Youth Parliament (DYP),he disclosed that,he became sad when he saw the ban on commercial charcoal burning and logging being linked to the Damongo chieftaincy issues,adding that his spirits fell immediately.He believes upon sober reflection that, conflict entrepreneurs will do whatever it takes to create conflict so they can continue to plunder and loot our natural resources.

He challenged the youth not to allow some few people who are benefiting from these "twin evils" to hold the rest of society to ransom by using chieftaincy and indigeneity to mask their heinous activities.
" Why are a few people benefiting from community property and holding everyone to ransom. Leave chieftaincy out of this. Let us identify those benefiting from this plunder of our natural resources and call then out. Let us not allow them to use chieftaincy and indigeneity to mask their CRIMINAL actives.Do our chiefs really understand the harm that is being caused? Who are their spokes persons?"he charged.

The youth and particularly, DYP according to him are the new generation leaders.And that any blame of leadership failure is squarely on the laps of the youth.
He called on the leadership of Damongo Youth Parliament(DYP), CSOs and NGOs to start thinking of wider forums, talk shows and others for public education and sensitization, and that true leaders take decisions by looking at the past, the present and 50 years from now before embarking on any cause of action. .

Other youth bemoaned the extent to which the recent ban on commercial charcoal burning is fast becoming a traditional and chieftaincy issue.

In a letter sighted by Ghanaweb's northern regional correspondent, a local radio station(PAD FM) has been banned by DISSEC from discussing any chieftaincy related natter in the West Gonja District.

The youth of Damongo recently protested against commercial charcoal burning and rosewood harvesting,prompting the Gonja Traditional Council to issue a letter banning same from the traditional area.
The banning which is in full force now,has since taken a path many describe as "politics of traditional power play".

Source:Ananpansah B Abraham(AB)

Reviving the spirit of communal labour:case study of Canteen youth

Reviving the spirit of communal labour:case study of Canteen youth

....And the youth of Canteen in a usual fashion,moved with synergy in a combined energy to clean round the recently fixed broken-down mechanised borehole.
The bandwagon which started on radio got the Canteen Wura,Nyeribe Wura (youth chief),and several elderly members of the community actively participating in the cleanup campaign.

The community responded promptly to the campaign bearing in mind,the cost of treating diarrheal diseases such as Cholera,and other illness in the range of Typhoid and Dysentery borne out of drinking contaminated water.

There is joy in communal toil, yes!The youth were there in their numbers and within a matter of two (2) hours,it was a done deal and the vicinity of the machanized borehole was as tidy and plain as a white garment.The grasses were cleared and sprayed,the waterside litters were picked and burnt.What else?

"The power of community to create health is far greater than any physician, clinic or hospital,"Mark Herman once remarked.
Indeed,I personally hold the conviction that the impetus for creating change may just be to act locally and take compassionate actions in our communities....

The power of community mobilization and the seemingly lost days of communal labour...
I hearken back to a poem I wrote months ago and a wave of nostalgia swept over me strongly.
The repeated rhymes of the poem were driven by a drunk desire to see a return of the good old days.see: https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Tales-of-the-good-old-days-635397... http://ananpansah-ab.blogspot.com/2018/03/tales-of-good-old-days.html?m=1.

When I talk about the good old days in this written account, I mean to say the days of communal labour.And probably,the days sanitation officers(they were called 'Samasama') use to effectively enforce sanitation laws.
I write of communal labour in a personal coinage as a joint action of community members accomplishing a task to the benefit of the entirety of society.Such labour leads to the achievement of a common goal, thus improving the quality and standard of living of community members and the provision of social amenities.

Today,instead communal labour,we would curse the wind and flood the airwaves with cacophonous chaos if what we call Zoomlion fail to sweep the street and desilt the gutters.Diminishing marginal returns seem to have set in on the ability of the women to carry water,whilst the men mix mortar and put up the buildings.The politics of coloring development and clothing same in partisan politics is the order of the day.

Individualism has fast substituted communism and communal spirit.

Let's revisit and renew the spirit of communal labour.Canteen youth is clearly showing the way.

Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable and a little rain each day will fill the rivers to overflowing.I end with a quote from Jeff Bridges,"The way to change the world is through individual responsibility and taking local action in your own community."

I am a proud Canteen Yaaro!
Shalom!

Source:Ananpansah B Abraham (AB)//Village writer
               (0241129910/0200704844)