NPP cannot claim undue credit for John Mahama's projects in Savannah Region - NDC

NPP cannot claim undue credit for John Mahama's projects in Savannah Region - NDC

The Savannah Regional wing of the National Democratic Congress has called out the ruling New Patriotic Party and the Nana Addo - Bawumiah government for what they describe as the penchant to always claim undue credit for projects initiated and completed by former president John Dramani Mahama in the region.

In a news release copied to blogger, Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham, the Regional Communications Officer of the party, R.A Jalil said the recent attempt by the failed NPP led administration to accuse president John Dramani Mahama of turning the Damba festivals organized across the Savannah Region in recent times to political platforms falls flat in the face of logic.

According to him, projects such as the Mpaha Community Day S.H.S,Buipe Accident and Emergency Centre, Ntereso Water Plant, Buipe Savacem among others have been made possible through the effort of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama.

He said John Dramani Mahama is a royal son of the Savannah Region with a very solid track record in the areas of health, education, infrastructural development, livelihood empowerment among others and reserve the right to any social event in Gonjaland.

Read full statement below:

For Immediate Release.

10th October, 2023.

RE-JOHN MAHAMA’s CONTINUES POLARIZATION OF GONJA CULTURE: A RECIPE FOR BAD PRECEDENCE AND A SIGN OF DESPERATION.

My attention has been drawn to a statement authored by the regional secretary of the NPP S/R, lamenting on why H.E John Dramani Mahama the incoming President of the Republic of Ghana honoured the invitations to the 2023 Damba festival organised across the entire Gonja kingdom.

The regional secretary of the NPP S/R accused the NDC of turning the events into political platforms. The secretary did not specify how the NDC politicized the festival, raising questions about the criticism.

Excitedly, the reignited show of support and love for Mahama in his home region has caused unease within the NPP, but the question remains: why does honoring festival invitations lead to discomfort for others?

Mr. Issah Mohammed should focus on reconciling with his chairman instead of making unnecessary and unfounded statements.

Regarding their "tramadol" induced statement:

Firstly, the NDC and John Mahama attended all major Damba invitations without violating any agreed terms with political parties. Vice President Bawumia was also invited to the Yagbon Damba but declined due to 10 questions posed by the NDC that required his response.

Furthermore, H.E. Mahama was invited as a respected Prince in Gonjaland, and during his speech, He addressed national issues as a statesman. Similarly, if Bawumia had attended, he wouldn't have sung his childhood methodist hymns but discussed national concerns. Why then criticize Mahama for speaking responsibly?

Without reservation, if any political party owes Gonjalanders an apology for disrespecting our chiefs, it is the NPP. They shamelessly branded calabashes used in the 2019 Damba at the Jakpa palace with NPP-branded apparel, a clear sign of disrespect and desperation. Have they issued an apology for this? It seems the NPP conveniently forgets their actions.

Let me dive into the raised issues! It's astonishing that despite increasing our public debt from 120 million to nearly 600 million in just seven years, the NPP has little to show for it. Instead, they seize every chance to claim credit for projects initiated by H.E John Mahama.

MPAHA MAHAMA E-BLOCK

The Mpaha community day SHS affectionately called Mahama E-block will continue to be one of Mahama’s legacies across the breadth and length of this country and the NPP cannot take that away from him. This facility after its completion was left at the mercy of the weather and a breeding habitat for grass cutters and squirrels. It took same Mahama to move to the premises of the school and called on government to operationalized the abandoned facility.

E-blocks were promised by John Mahama and delivered by him. Facts are sacred and sacrosanct!

BUIPE ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY CENTER 

On 1st January 2017, President John Mahama cut sod for the construction of five new ultra-modern district hospitals and a Polyclinic in Ghana. The loan facility was secured on March, 2016. The sod-cutting ceremony took place at Weta in the Ketu North District of the Volta Region.

Report of the finance committee on the export credit facility agreement between the government of the Republic of Ghana and Raiffeiseeen Bank international AG of Austria for an amount of up to Seventy Seven Million, Nine hundred and Thirty Five Thousand Euros (77,935,000.00 Euros) for the design, construction, equipping and furnishing of five new district/ general hospital in Somanya, Buipe, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba, Weta, Toulon and one Polyclinic at Bamboi.

The apostles of reading can’t just goggle for this simple information. Mr Issah should tell us when the NPP government secured a loan for those facilities.

NTERESO WATER PLANT CLAIMS:

Mr. Issah admitted in his statement that the facility was actually constructed by John Mahama but it took the irresponsible attitude  of the NPP when they allowed floods to destroy the facility. On 17th August 2015, H.E John Mahama commissioned 4 water plant communities which includes Ntereso, Nyawuripe, Fufulso Junction and Yapei-Yapala.

This plant pumps 100,000 gallons of water daily to the communities.

This was part of the Peri-urban rural and small town water and sanitation project being implemented across the country at a cost of 21 million euros. The propaganda to claim the Ntereso water project has fallen flat!

THE SO CALL MPAHA-SALAGA ROAD:

John Mahama in his statement chastised government for neglecting the Mpaha junction to Mpaha road and that of the Salaga-Makango road. These are roads that were under construction under his regime till Nana Addo took over power and abandoned them completely. The claim that NPP is tarring roads in the district capitals is a figment of his imagination, absolutely nothing is happening in the district capitals of Savannah. It’s a fallacious statement from the secretary.

I dare him to mention a single district that is seeing such tarring.

THE BUIPE SAVACEM

The Savannah cement enjoyed a number of tax waivers during the importation of some equipments of the factory under the leadership of the NDC and has every right to be part of the establishment of the factory. Has the NPP not included in their list of none existing factories companies that were built in the 70s?

Issah Mohammed and his party should apologize unreservedly to Jirah Buipewura Jinapor II for the embarrassment caused his person when the NPP connived with the Dj of the occasion to turn off one of the microphones during the presentation of H.E John Mahama's speech. 

The NPP is by this reminded that HE John Mahama will continue to be the greatest asset and human resource the Gonja Kingdom and all people of Northern extract has ever had in recent times, and as such, no amount of name calling and character assassination will take that away from him.

I want to conclude with a warning to the NPP in Savannah: we are prepared to confront them whenever they resort to their usual verbal attacks against our incoming President.

Signed;

R.A. Jalil

Communication Officer

NDC- Savannah Region

0240998279/0249808911

Source: Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham

CRIS trains 120 rural farmers in sustainable land use and livelihood empowerment

CRIS trains 120 rural farmers in sustainable land use and livelihood empowerment

As a part of effort to empower rural farmers, especially women, in sustainable land management practices and livelihood empowerment, the Centre for Rural Improvement Services (CRIS) has provided empowerment training for 120 farmers in agroforestry.

The farmers, consisting largely of 80% women, were drawn from Dakompilayiri and Kunkuya in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region and taken through series of sustainable land use and livelihood interventions.

With full funding from UNDP GEF SGP, the project, launched on 4th August, 2023, has an overall goal of providing sustainable livelihood empowerment opportunities to the rural farmers, whilst making effort to conserve the fast fragile environment within the Savannah ecological zone.

The Executive Director of the Centre for Rural Improvement Services (CRIS), Amos Mahama Seidu, emphasized the importance of sustainable land management towards the future prospects of rural farmers, especially women, since a depletion of the land means these groups of vulnerable people will be totally cut off from possible sources of livelihood - farming, hunting and gathering.

He stressed on the need to sustain the project beyond the implementation window.

The farmers were registered into groups of 20 members during the inception training of the project, comprising six women VSLAs, two Widow's VSLAs,two men groups and six existing VSLAs cooperatives.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to this reporter on the sidelines of the training program expressed profound gratitude to the donors UNDP GEF SGP)for the intervention.

They believe it will go a long way to empower them to be self relient whilst adopting measures to conserve the common environment for future farming and other purposes.

Source: Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham

CRIS organises farmer field schools and trains 90 farmers in climate smart cashew Plantation in Dakompilayiri & Kunkuya

CRIS organises farmer field schools and trains 90 farmers in climate smart cashew Plantation in Dakompilayiri & Kunkuya

Centre for Rural Improvement Services(CRIS), a Non-Governmental Organization based in Damongo in the West Gonja Municipal of the Savannah Region has trained 90 farmers in Climate smart Cashew Plantation Strategies under its Farmer Field schools( FFS) program.

The beneficiary farmers who were drawn from the two communities in Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region also received support under the project to invest in Integrated Climate Smart Cashew Plantation.

Under the Farmer Field School which is a farmer-centered and participatory approach to learning various farming practices, farmers are organized into groups to meet regularly with their facilitators to observe, talk, ask questions and learn together.

It is sometimes called, "School without Walls" geared towards equipping the farmers with a lot of practical experiences and also used in Non Farm Income Generation activities such as handicraft.

A total of 1600 cashew seedlings were supplied to the farmers with full ploughing cost for 15 hectors of farm land under the project to empower the farmers into more production.

The Zonal Agric Extension Officer, Mr. Hakim Seidu who led the training took the farmers through various stages of Climate Resilient Strategies and good Agroforestry practices and encouraged them to take advantage of the support package provided under the project to increase their production and promote climate resilience.

The Executive Director for the Centre for Rural Improvement Services (CRIS), Mr.Amos Mahama said the farmers must be smart in exploring the various climatic conditions towards sustainable cashew production and livelihood enhancement.

He stressed the importance of Cashew production in enhancing the economic livelihood of the people of the area, adding that, Cashew production has become a viable alternative for climate conservation and livelihood improvement in rural areas. 

The enthusiastic farmers, who were elated about the intervention thanked CRIS and its partners(UNDP), Small Grants Global Environmental Facility  (SGP GEF) for coming to their aid with such a timely project.

They said the project in the long run, was going to change the economic and livelihood fortunes of farmers in the beneficiary communities, whilst conserving the climate for sustainable future use

Source: Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham

Small holder farmers receive training on groundnut production and VSLA concept at Sawla

Small holder farmers receive training on groundnut production and VSLA concept at Sawla

Small holder farmers in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region have received intensive training in groundnut and cowpea production under the Climate Smart Agroforestry System. During the training, new members were registered into cooperatives with an indepth review of their constitutions.

The Climate Smart Agroforestry System, initiated by Centre for Rural Improvement Services (CRIS) with funding from UNDP also saw rural farmers receive empowerment training in beekeeping and apiary management under Agro Forestry Farms.

Drawn from Kunkuya and Dakompilayiri in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District, the farmers received a lifetime boost with many pledging to go into commercial cashew production and beekeeping.

At the end of the training, 2,400 cashew seedlings and 60 beehives were supplied to the farmers by way of aiding them to start effective production. 

The Executive Director for Centre for Rural Improvement Services (CRIS), Mr. Amos Mahama encouraged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the project to improve their livelihoods, whilst making effort to protect the environment through climate smart practices.

He said the sustainance of the project will depend on how the farmers utilize the existing interventions towards self empowerment and community development, adding that, "there is more in the pipeline Small holder farmers receive training on groundnut production and VSLA concept

According to him, Cashew production and beekeeping are becoming viable economic ventures capable redefining the destinies of communities and empowering the rural farmers to be self dependent.

Beneficiary farmers expressed gratitude to UNDP for funding the interventions, which they describe as timely and worthwhile.

They pledge to make effective and good use of the project to enhance their livelihoods whilst encouraging UNDP to expand the intervention to reach more farmers.

Source: Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham

NDC Savannah Regional Communications committee holds maiden stakeholder engagement with call on members to rally towards victory 2024

NDC Savannah Regional Communications committee holds maiden stakeholder engagement with call on members to rally towards victory 2024

The Savannah Regional Communications Committee of the National Democratic Congress under the Chairmanship of the Member of Parliament for the Yapei-Kusawgu Constituency and Ranking Member on Mines and Energy Committee,John Abdulai Jinapor, has held its maiden stakeholder dialogue with a call on members to effectively rally all energies and synergies towards delivering a resounding victory for the party in 2024.

The dialogue series, which took place at the John Abdulai Jinapor Conference Hall in the Central Gonja District of the Savannah Region, saw members of the Communications Committee in the region and Constituency Communication Officers and their deputies coming together to contribute rich ideas and experiences towards shaping and positioning the communications wing of the party as a necessary tool for the task ahead of 2024. 

Chairman of the Regional Communications Committee and former Deputy Minister of Power, John Jinapor, in a welcome address graciously congratulated members of the committee on their well deserved appointment and successful swearing in and used the occasion to commend all members of the communications wing of the party in the region for the many years of dedication and loyal service in branding the party.

He pledged his unalloyed resolve to effectively resource the committee and by extension, the communications arm of the party with the necessary logistics and resources to execute their mandate of keeping the party alive in the region and securing the much anticipated victory in 2024.

In his strongest conviction, former president John Dramani Mahama, from the general crave of the Ghanaian people, has already won the presidency ahead of the 2024 elections, stressing that, "the task for Savannah Region now was to win all the seven seats to consolidate the victory".

The Savannah Regional Chairman of the party, Alhaji Imoro Seidu, affectionately known as 'Man Blessing' commended the Regional Communications Team for the good works so far and emphasized the importance of research in modern day communication.

He was deeply thankful to the Yapei-Kusawgu Member of Parliament, who doubles as the Savannah Regional Communications committee Chairman for all the support he has been rendering to the party in region and beyond.

He called on all party members in the region to remain united in order to write down the failed Akufo-Addo-Bawumiah government as the worst ever in the history of the fourth Republic come 2024.

The 1st Deputy National Communications Officer of the party, Malik Basintale added his voice to the need for a stronger coordination and synergy among the various wings of the party to achieve the collective goal of rescuing Ghana from the shackles of mismanagement and corruption experienced under the current regime.

He said national was committed to effectively resourcing the communications wing and indeed, all the structures of the party towards the execution of their mandate in 2024.

The Savannah Regional Communications Officer, R.A Jalil thanked all participants for availing themselves for the dialogue session and making useful inputs towards the execution of the communications strategy for the region.

On behalf of members of the Communications Committee, he expressed profound gratitude to the chairman of Regional Communications committee for facilitating the stakeholder dialogue and expanding the meeting to include Constituency Communications Officers and their deputies.

He said the committee has just commenced its work and the region should expect more from his outfit.

Source: Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham

Damongo : Court instructs popular businessman to vacate disputed land & remove properties;threatens force eviction for noncompliance

Damongo : Court instructs popular businessman to vacate disputed land &  remove properties;threatens force eviction for noncompliance

A District Magistrate Court at Bole in the Savannah Region has in a five paged judgement instructed popular businessman based in Damongo, Gyimah Ibrahim (Keshenteng Bo Afe) to vacate disputed land housing his workshop and remove all properties thereon by 17th August, 2023.

The court further directed the West Gonja Municipal Assembly to remove all nuisance and properties belonging to the bussinesman from the disputed land should he fail to comply with the ruling of the court by the set date and charge the full cost on him.

Presided over by Mr. Edward Essel, the District Magistrate,the court upheld after a long period of trial that the land in dispute was found to be the property of the plaintiff,the Ghana Highways Authority, which had enjoyed undisturbed possession of the parcel of land for over 25 years.

A cost of Ghc2,000.00 was entered for the plaintiff.

Plaintiff institution, the Ghana Highways Authority was in court for a declaration that the disputed parcel of land measuring 1.40 acres lying and situated at Block "A" Ext. East Attributo, Damongo, was a bonafide property of the Ghana Highways, Damongo, in the Savannah Region.

The plaintiff sought an order of ejection of the defendant, Gyimah Ibrahim from the said land and an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, his agents, representatives and workers from interfering with the quiet enjoyment of the said land by the plaintiff. 

The defendedant,a professional welder, has been operating his steel factory on the disputed land for several years now and has established other landed property on the said site.

Defendant pleaded not liable to the claims of the plaintiff and counter claimed seeking declaration that the parcel of land measuring 0.50 acres situated and lying at Block "A" Extension, Attributo East, Damongo, was his property.

He further sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the plaintiff,its agents, assigns, workmen and all persons claiming through it from interfering in whatever manner with the ownership, use and possession of the said plot of land.

According to the defendant, he acquired the disputed piece of land from the late Damongo Wura Tutumba 11 in 2013 and has since been paying ground rent to the office of Administrator of Stool Lands. This he proved with documentary evidence.

Both parties gave evidence to support their claims.

The court went on 'Locus in quo on the land with the parties. The physical planning Department filed an extract of the existing Planning scheme of Damongo with the court.

Facts:

The court established that, Damongo is a zoned township with a planning scheme dating back to, at least, 1979.

That, there is a piece of land known and called Ghana Highways Authority land in Damongo.

Also, Ghana Highways Authority is an offshoot of Public Works Department (PWD).

Judicial notice was taken of the fact that Gonja/Dagbon lands, Damongo lands inclusive, were Skin lands.

Ruling:

The court upheld that the disputed parcel of land is a known demarcated area of the Ghana Highways Authority of which the authority is in active possession as depicted in the approved planning scheme in use for Damongo township.

According to the court, the late Damongo Wura was not cloth with the authority to alienate the disputed parcel of land to the defendant, since it was a known piece of land in possession of the Ghana Highways Authority for a long time and the presence of the institution on the land is captured in the 1989 Master Plan of the Damongo township.

"It cannot be said that the Skin was not aware of the presence of the GHA on the land. It is rightly presumed that the skin had alienated the land to the said state institution.

The skin cannot approbate and reprobate," the court noted in its ruling.

In the view of the court, the Skin as at the time of the purported alienation of the said parcel of land to the defendant did not have the land to alienate and what one does not have one cannot give as in the maxim, "nemo dat quod non habet."

Information available to this reporter indicates that the defendant,Gyimah Ibrahim is dissatisfied with the judgement of the District Court on grounds that Mr. Daniel Amarlai Quarcoo, a non lawyer, did not have the capacity to issue a writ and conduct the case on behalf of the Plaintiff/Respondent among others. 

He has since filed an appeal through his lawyers.

The defendant has also filled a motion for stay of execution, praying the court to stay the execution of its judgement pending the hearing and determination of the appeal lodged against same upon the grounds as contained in the supporting affidavit.

Source: Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham

Executive Director of CRIS launches re-entry policy for teenage mothers and non pregnancy related girls in Savannah Region

Executive Director of CRIS launches re-entry policy for teenage mothers and non pregnancy related girls in Savannah Region

As part of efforts to get teenage mothers and non pregnancy related girls back to school, whilst working to equip them with employable skills for life,  the Executive Director of Centre for Rural Improvement Services (CRIS) has announced the introduction of a re-entry policy for teenage mothers in the Savannah Region. 

Making the pronouncement on the floor of the house during the first Ordinary General Assembly meeting of the Fourth Session of the Eight Assembly of the West Gonja Municipal Assembly in Damongo,the renowned Executive Director, Amos Mahama Seidu, encouraged Assembly Members to embrace the policy as their own and see to the realization of its objectives in the collective interest.

He said the one year project being funded by DKA, Austra and implemented by Centre for Rural Improvement Services(CRIS) will in the end see to an increased re-entry of drop outs teenage mothers and non pregnancy related girls in schools, their retention and completion in the entire Savannah Region.

According to him, the project will be implemented across some selected districts in the Savannah Region particularly, West Gonja Municipal and Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District with a window of extension of the initiative beyond the one year implementation period depending on the success stories and patronage.

He said under a previous project implemented under the same policy, 140 female school drop outs were returned to school.

In responding to a question from the honorable Assembly Member for the Canteen Electoral Area on the nature of the intervention, the Executive Director indicated that the policy comes along support packages for the young girls, ranging from school uniforms,bags, sanitary pads, books among others.

The entire members of the Assembly lauded the initiative as a worthy one for the infant region.

The Assemblyman for the Canteen Electoral Area, honorable Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham urged his colleague Assembly Members to lend the Executive Director and his team the necessary support in their various electoral areas for the realization of the policy objectives.

He indicated that he was privileged to be part of the implementation of the policy some years back, where he acted then as a media liaison person and can attest to the many success stories and life changing opportunities associated with the re-entry policy.

According to him, he was able to encourage most young girls through the project to go back to school and most of them have now successfully completed SHS and further progressed successfully into various tertiary institutions in the country.

The honorable member for Yipala/Nabori Electoral Area and the Assemblyman for the Dass Electoral Area sought for clarifications and described the project as timely and worth supporting.

The Presiding Member of the West Gonja Municipal Assembly, honorable Mumuni Mohammed, pledged the commitment of the Assembly towards the implementation of the project.

Source: Ananpansah Bartholomew Abraham