These include the Centre for Active Leaning and Development (CALID), Songtaba, Urbanet, NORSAAC, Grameen-Ghana, Partnership for Rural Development (PRUDA), TradeAID, NORPRA and CODAC.

The Executive Director of ACEPA, Dr. Rashid Draman, on the sidelines in a Citi News interview, said the workshop funded by the French government under its CSOs strengthening programme sought to equip the participants on how to engage Parliament.

“Parliament is a very conservative institution, and we don’t want civil society groups to just get up and go and start making noise and in the process the messages are lost, and so we wanted to ensure that there is a constructive way of engagement.”

“We wanted to ensure that there are proper mechanisms of engagement so that these groups when they get up and they want to engage, at least they know what to say and they know how to focus on the issues that are important and they know how to engage the members of Parliament.”

“We hope that when they go back they will carry the message back to their platforms and be the ambassadors of this innovative programme because this is one of a kind in terms of activities we have done to engage Parliament,” he stressed.

He tasked the participants to take advantage of the workshop to network and form synergies with the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and individual Legislators.

“These are silent voices and they are doing a lot of good work in this part of our country, and most of the time the work that they do ends up just sitting here; it doesn’t get any attention at the national level.”

“So we thought that it was very important to begin to see how we can connect what they are doing to the policy process because at the end of the day you can do a lot of good work here, but those who have to say yes or no to the policy, the budget and the law are not aware of what they are doing, and so we thought these kinds of conversations are very important.”

Dr. Rashid Draman guaranteed that the workshop would be sustained against the backdrop that there were local partners including Care International and NORSAAC on the ground to ensure its sustainability.

He emphasized the need for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs to constructively engage Civil Society Organizations across the country at all levels of the decision making processes.

Some of the participants lauded ACEPA’s initiative and promised to sustain it at the grassroots.

They said the engagement enlightened and re-positioned them to be more proactive in engaging Parliament going forward.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post ACEPA trains CSOs in Northern Ghana on parliamentary engagement appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

These expected rains are projected to affect mainly the eastern part of the north.

The rainstorm is expected to be accompanied by strong gusts of wind running at 10G(Gust) 20KT(Knots)

A statement from the Agency explained that a heavy rainstorm is moving from the mid-border of Togo and Benin.

“A moderate to heavy rainstorm observed today at 0800utc currently over the mid-border of Benin and Togo is expected to propagate westward to produce moderate to heavy rains and cast cloudiness with a thunderstorm over the northern sector (mainly in the eastern part) and parts of the transitional belt of the country,” the statement said.

The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has already warned that the combined effect of the heavy rain, water levels of the White Volta rising and the Bagre dam being opened could leave almost 200,000 persons affected by flooding in northern Ghana.

The Nothern Region, in July, had to contend with severe flooding from rainfall that left two persons dead.

The flooding also destroyed homes, livestock, feeder roads and farmlands in some parts of the region, even cutting off some towns.

According to NADMO, the West Mamprusi, Savelugu Nanton, Tolon, Kumbungu, North, Central and West Gonja districts are the most vulnerable.

NADMO’s “Operation Thunderbolt” is already on the ground in the Northern Region at Wale Wale to ensure its response to possible disaster situations is timely.

Find below a table with the areas likely to be affected.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Dr. Afriyie Akoto said the implementation will start during the start of the 2017 dry season, which normally begins in November.

[contextly_sidebar id=”BUM2xbvGzQvkwNk5vXAgJ6w7CqMTM7a8″]“We have a plan in place that we are going to submit, and hopefully, the implementation will start in the coming dry season,” the Minister said to Citi News.

“Isn’t it a shame that because the northern Savannah has only four months of rain, for eight months, the people there are sitting, folding their arms, waiting for God to bring rain when we have all these big rivers crisscrossing the savannah zone.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto said the government was looking to take advantage of these rivers by diverting them to farmlands in need.

“…We have big plans to try and drain some of these rivers and redirect some of these rivers through huge pipes to reach as many farming communities as possible in the northern sector.”

The One-Village-One-Dam policy is one of the Akufo-Addo administration’s flagship programmes aimed at ensuring all year-round agriculture in the three regions of the north, through the construction of irrigation dams in every village in that part of the country.

Under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme in the 2017 budget, GHc94, 446,132 was earmarked for the One-Village-One-Dam policy.

One-Village-One-Dam policy forms part of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s key policy initiatives which are expected to cost over GHc2 billion.

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By: Sammi Wiafe/Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post One-Village-One-Dam to start in dry season – Gov’t appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

In a Citi News interview, the National Democratic Congress MP said: “I want to assure you that the Minority will go to every length to make sure that we take legal, legitimate and appropriate measures to redeem our image.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”0iWnbjNpvN5nK3m7ONhznU5rDFoZ28Tj”]”He has already put these damaging things in the public domain and many people are going to go away with the impression that we from the three northern regions are a bunch of fraudulent people and thieves so we have to take every legitimate step to redeem that image.”

The Deputy Minister, in an interview on Star FM, suggested farmers in the northern part of the Ghana could not be trusted in their assessment of the destruction brought on by armyworms and that calls for compensation were simply a ploy to fleece the government.

NPP members also upset

Mr. Fuseini further noted that some northerners within the governing New Patriotic Party are also upset with Mr. Quaitoo’s comments.

“Even in the governing party [New Patriotic Party], I have spoken to some of our colleagues who are extremely upset and very angry about that statement… decent members within their ranks, who are northerners, will feel a sense of revulsion about what they are doing now.”

“Every single northerner with dignity will not stand and allow this statement to go without an answer,” the Sagnarigu MP added.

Quaitoo must resign or be sacked

The only thing that will satisfy Mr. Fuseini and the NDC Minority is either the resignation of Mr. Quaitoo from his portfolio or President Akufo-Addo taking the decision to axe the minister.

“We are demanding that he should, immediately, on his own volition resign as a minister and quit from parliament failing which the President must sack him to show his revulsion against such ethnocentric tribal bigotry,” He also stated in the Citi News interview.

This is despite Mr. Quaitoo releasing a statement apologising for his comments. Mr. Quaitoo, in his apology, said he meant to say “some farmers can be difficult.”

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Umaru Sanda Amadu/Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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“We are demanding that he should, immediately, on his own volition resign as a minister and quit from Parliament, failing which the President must sack him to show his revulsion against such ethnocentric tribal bigotry,” the Sagnarigu Member of Parliament, A. B. A Fuseini stated in a Citi News interview.

Mr. Quaitoo has since apologized after suggesting farmers in the northern part of the country could not be trusted on claims about the destruction wreaked by the Fall Armyworm on their farms.

He intimated that the complaints and calls for compensation were simply a ploy to fleece the government of some money.

But in his apology, the Deputy Minister said he meant to say “some farmers can be difficult as it is with all regions” and that the losses by farmers will be needed to be verified before the government could act on their complaints.

A livid Mr. Fuseini said he would not accept the apology as he feels the damage from the minister’s “repulsive” comments has already been done to millions of people.

“The people of the three northern regions have been grossly insulted… he has painted us a bunch of unreasonable people who cannot even understand and appreciate normal discourse then he goes on on the basis of that to say that we are untrustworthy people for perpetrating fraudulent activities, making false claims and stealing monies from state coffers.”

He said this was especially painful because the farmers only complaint “is that their farms have been devastated by fall armyworms and that government, which has a duty to help them must look at their face.”

But their pleas culminated in “a collective insult of the entire region,” Mr. Fuseini lamented.

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By: Umaru Sanda Amadu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Minority to Deputy Agric Minister: ‘Resign for insulting Northerners’ appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

They said, the rise in patronage of shea butter popularly known as “nkuto” occured during every harmattan season, which made it logical to make the prediction.

This was revealed by a survey conducted by the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday.

The survey, which sought to determine the connection between harmattan and the patronage of creams also revealed that, shea butter sold more than any other cream during the dry season.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ZYpuRpAaHeqhqwxSwzlvuStRhHbbLEJJ”]Susana Akua Atta, who sells shea butter at Mallam market in Accra explained that, the cream was more capable of fighting dry skin as compared to its competitors.

She also said, shea butter had some ingredients, which made it effective for fighting some health problems.

Ms Yaa Aboagyewaa Mensah who owns a cosmetic shop at Dansoman, a suburb of Accra, said the cream moisturised the skin and made it look bright.

“We use nkuto for babies, which makes them look beautiful,” she said.

Mr Appiah Kubi, who deals in the wholesale of the nkuto at Lapaz told the GNA that, the cream was the only solution to fighting the harmattan.

Mr Appiah explained that, the cream was strong enough to stand dry air.

“The cream will make you look fresh all time. It makes your skin soft and relaxed,” he said.

Adelaide Akosua Korantemaa, a beautician and skin therapist at Madina said shea butter was better than all other creams as she explained that it had very significant nutrients capable of militating against skin diseases such as pimples, rashes, boils and wrinkles.

She recommended the cream to everyone saying, “it was best fit for all type skin colours”.

Ms Cynthia Appiah, a nurse said Shea butter was normally recommended for patients during the dry season.

She explained that, unlike some creams which contained some chemicals which could cause skin irritation and bleaching, nkuto had natural composition, which made it appropriate for patients.

Shea butter is slightly yellowish or ivory-coloured natural fat extracted from fruit of the shea tree by crushing and boiling, widely used in cosmetics as a moisturiser and an emollient, as cooking oil in West Africa, and sometimes used in the chocolate industry as a substitute for cocoa butter.

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Source: GNA

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The identified districts are Sagnarigu, Nanumba North, Gusheigu, Saboba and Mion.

This is contained in the report of a survey conducted by Songtaba, a Non-Governmental Organization promoting girl-child and women rights in the Northern Region.

The report disclosed that female teenagers of 13 years are being forced into early marriage and betrothal.

Songtaba’s Executive Director, Hajia Lamnatu Adam at a continual stakeholders meeting in Tamale, cited poverty, teenage pregnancy, inducements and girl child insecurity as some of the remote causes of child marriage.

She explained that, the survey was in line with the implementation of a five-year strategic project christened, “Girls Advocacy Alliance (GAA).”

According to her, the GAA seeks to address the root causes of early child marriage and sexual abuse against girls in the identified districts.

“The Girls Advocacy Alliance” (GAA) project, is being implemented by Songtaba with support from Plan International Ghana, and has been rolled out in 40 communities across the districts.”

Hajia Lamnatu said the survey sought to assess the influence of cultural and traditional norms on child marriage and sexual abuse of girls and women in the five districts.

“It sought to gather information on the extent, magnitude and consequences of child marriages in Ghana, as a basis for raising awareness on how children, particularly girls are affected by the practice”, she emphasized.

She blamed duty bearers for the lackadaisical implementation of policy and legal frameworks needed for children’s protection. She thus called for a comprehensive legal framework on child rights going forward.

She also emphasized the need for extra advocacy on the menace in the identified districts. Hajia Lamnatu recognized the role of religious and traditional leaders in combating the menace, and admonished them to support the crusade.

Songtaba’s project Officer, Mohammed Alhassan in a presentation, said the three regions of the north were prone to child marriage.

He narrated that, the three regions put together recorded 27.4 percent prevalence rate against the national average of 27.0 percent.

“Statistically, 95 percent of respondents knew what child marriage means, while 4 percent stated that they did not know anything about child marriage and its effects. The remainder 1% represented missing values”.

Mr. Alhassan further explained that, even respondents who had indicated that childhood ends at 18 years, subsequently claimed that in marital terms, childhood ends after puberty and that always coincides with the completion of primary schooling.

Participants at the forum condemned the menace and called on all stakeholders including the police, chiefs, parents, religious leaders and human right organizations to expose the perpetrators in their localities.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Child marriage rampant in 5 districts of Northern Region – Songtaba appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.