The Youth, believed to be from the Wa East Constituency branch also injured his Special Assistant, who was beaten to pulp.

[contextly_sidebar id=”ChT4lWskC2Ld0dAqf1Kvqw45jNaQiZSS”]The cause of the attack is however not immediately known.

Citi News’ Latif Mahama reported that, although the Police in the area came in promptly to maintain law and order, Isaac Seidu and his Special Assistant had been wounded in the attack.

The Special Assistant is currently receiving treatment at the Upper West Regional Hospital.

Three people were subsequently arrested for their role in the attack, but to the surprise of many, the Regional Minister, Sulemana Alhassan ordered their release with the excuse that it is a party matter.

But the staff of NADMO, at a press conference on Thursday said the conduct of the Regional Minister was worrying.

They have therefore vowed not to return to work until the perpetrators are arrested.

Political vigilantism in Upper West

This incident marks the third major disturbance perpetrated by youth aligned to the NPP in Upper West Region in the last few months.

On January 22, some NPP youth in the Wa municipality vandalized the residence of the Municipal Chief Executive of the area, Issahaku Moomin Tahiru.

The rampaging youth also vandalized the family house of the MCE and two other houses belonging to his supporters.

In November 2017, NPP youth in Gwollu, the capital of the Sissala West District stormed the precinct of the Assembly and locked up the District Chief Executive, Mohammed Bakor in his office.

They had accused the DCE of engaging in “divide and rule” tactics, and failing to address their concerns.

After the Wa incident, seven NPP supporters were arrested and charged with rioting, including the Sissala West Constituency Chairman of the NPP.

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By: Latif Mahama/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post UW/Region: NADMO staff declare strike over attack on boss appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

At about 5:00 pm on Wednesday, the youth from the Wa East district, numbering about 30, arrived in two pickups and a minibus, according to eyewitnesses.

[contextly_sidebar id=”bO5XuINRZ15HQ6Lj64Q2Rgp2o14LY76Q”]Mr. Seidu escaped unhurt, but his personal assistant, Osman Seidu was beaten to a pulp and rushed to the Upper West Regional Hospital.

Mr. Saidu also told Citi News an amount of GHc 5,000 was stolen from his office.

The police got to the scene of the disturbances quickly to quell the situation and arrested three persons.

But the Upper West Minister, Alhassan Suleiman, ordered the release of the three persons.

The youth were subsequently called to a meeting with the Regional Minister, the Regional Director of NADMO, and the NPP Regional Secretary for over 30 minutes in the Minister’s office.

Mr. Seidu commended the police for their swift response to the disturbances, saying “but for the police, the situation would have been different.”

The Director, however, expressed disappointment in the Upper West Regional minister for allegedly preventing the Police from arresting the thugs.

“The Police came and met the boys around my office but when they wanted to make the arrest, the Minister came down and prevented them.”

At the time of filing this report, the irate youth were still at the office of the Upper West Regional Minister, Alhassan Suleiman with heavy security presence.

Political vigilantism in Upper West

This incident marks the third major disturbance perpetrated by youth aligned to the NPP in Upper West Region in the last few months.

On January 22, some NPP youth in the Wa municipality vandalized the residence of the Municipal Chief Executive of the area, Issahaku Moomin Tahiru.

The rampaging youth also vandalized the family house of the MCE and two other houses belonging to his supporters.

In November 2017, NPP youth in Gwollu, the capital of the Sissala West District stormed the precinct of the Assembly and locked up the District Chief Executive, Mohammed Bakor in his office.

They had accused the DCE of engaging in “divide and rule” tactics, and failing to address their concerns.

After the Wa incident, seven NPP supporters were arrested and charged with rioting, including the Sissala West Constituency Chairman of the NPP.

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By: Latif Mahama/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post U/W: NPP youth chase out NADMO boss, beat up his aide appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Citi News sources say students acted in protest against a disciplinary measure imposed on one of them by a friend of a teacher of the school, who had accompanied the latter to the premises that night.

[contextly_sidebar id=”h6Fk3RqaPJ4m0wImuSIXgr50MxKpoQ1J”]Sources say the visiting friend of the teacher went as far as lashing the student for a “misbehaviour” [improper dressing], a situation that angered the students who reacted in a violent manner.

The Upper West Regional Director of Education, Evans Kpebah, could not confirm whether the account given by these sources were true.

He however noted that, the Committee will reveal all details on the cause of the protest.

“We have set up a committee to investigate this and we are giving them five days to submit the report. As at now , like I mentioned, I cannot comment on the issues that might have been the cause..We are still waiting for the report,” he explained on Eyewitness News.

Students broke lamps, destroyed streetlights

Mr. Kpebah further painted a grim picture of the demonstration, saying the students “broke all the lamps, streetlights in the area” in the course of their protest.

The school , according to Mr. Kpebah, has since been closed down, but it is still unclear when it will reopen.

Other student riots

The most recent student riots occurred at Dabokpa Technical Institute in the Northern Region, and the Gyaama Pensan Senior High Technical School in the Kwabre East District of the Ashanti Region.

In March 2017, Dabokpa Technical Institute in the Northern Region was temporarily shut down following the riot.

In December 2017, angry Gyaama Pensan Senior High Technical School students protested against the headmaster of the school, whom they say prevented them from partaking in extracurricular activities such as inter-school sports competition, quizzes and entertainment.

The students have vandalized school properties including the vehicle of the headmaster and his apartment.

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post C’ttee to present report on Erimon SHS students’ riot on Friday appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Directorate has set up a five-member team to investigate the circumstances surrounding the violent demonstration which destroyed sections of dormitories, administrative block and classroom structures last Saturday.

[contextly_sidebar id=”oEtujJWbXo0cKbmWkzTsUrwkhffC2D8I”]The Upper West Regional Director of Education, Evans Kpebah, told Citi News that the team has just a week to submit a report for a swift action to be taken.

He said the membership of the Committee investigating the incident includes the police, the regional directorate of education, and other stakeholders.

The Upper West Regional Director, who visited the school on Sunday morning with a police team, said: “the situation is currently under control.”

He however declined to comment on the issues that triggered the demonstration, saying “I don’t want to tamper with the investigations.”

Possible cause of rioting

Citi News sources however say the students acted in protest against a disciplinary measure imposed on one of them, by a friend of a teacher of the school, who had accompanied the teacher to the premises that night.

Sources said the visiting friend of the teacher went as far as lashing the student for a “misbehaviour” [improper dressing], a situation that angered the students who reacted in a violent manner.

Other student riots

The most recent student riots occurred at Dabokpa Technical Institute in the Northern Region, and the Gyaama Pensan Senior High Technical School in the Kwabre East District  of the Ashanti Region.

In March 2017, Dabokpa Technical Institute in the Northern Region was temporarily shut down following the riot.

In December 2017, angry Gyaama Pensan Senior High Technical School students protested against the headmaster of the school, whom they say prevented them from partaking in extracurricular activities such as inter-school sports competition, quizzes and entertainment.

The students have vandalized school properties including the vehicle of the headmaster and his apartment.

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By: Mahama Latif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post U/West: Erimon SHS closed down after students’ riot appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Alhassan, who did not emphatically condemn the action of the youth, described it as a “small hitch between some party youth and the District Chief Executive for Sisala West that led to the youth locking up the office.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”p86pc0jSHkvYANKb1Zka1Vq8jYj11wRR”]Defending his stance on the matter, the Minister said that “even though [the youth’s storming the office] was not legal, they didn’t cause any damage to any property. They didn’t cause any harm to anybody” he insisted.

According to him, “the only problem was that they locked the [DCE’s] office illegally. This is something I can say was a mob action.”

The Police have said that an arrest on the spur of the moment could have escalated the situation.

The Minister recounted that, when he got to the scene, he had “to ask the district police to intensify their investigations and see if some of them could be identified and if possible arrested.”

He, however, said talk of prosecuting the culprits was too early because no arrests had been made yet, despite a spokesperson of the group speaking on Eyewitness News.

The agitating youth complained that they are being neglected in favour of people aligned to the DCE, Mohammed Bako.

NPP youth storm police station in Karaga; set suspects free

A similar incident at Karaga in the Northern Region, the NPP Chairman for the Karaga Constituency and four others have been arrested to assist police in their investigations.

The irate youth in Karaga, believed to be sympathizers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), early on, invaded a police station, and freed some NPP members who were in police custody.

A Citi News source who was close to the scene, said the youth acted in that manner because the District Chief Executive of Karaga, Alhassan Yabdoo, allegedly caused the arrest of some NPP communicators.

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

The post Attack on Sissala West DCE ‘nothing serious’ – Minister appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He is currently in police custody with 4 others who have also been charged with illegal possession of arms.

Corporal Effah Boadu, an arms and ammunitions clerk, is said to have given a pistol to one Mumuni Yakubu to sell it at a cost of GHs 2,000.

The other suspects were arrested for perpetuating crime using arms.

The Upper East Regional Police Commander, DCOP Vincent Redeemer, told Citi News that the suspects were arrested after a mobile money merchant reported a robbery case to the Bolga Municipal Police Station.

He said a follow-up on the incident and further investigations led to the arrest of the suspects including the police officer.

“At 9:50pm on 13th September 2017, Ezekiel Adoliba, an MTN merchant with a cut on his forehead reported to police that, he closed from work at Yikene, and on his way home, two unidentified men on a Honda motorbike ordered him to stop which he did.

According to him, one of the robbers pulled a gun and fired, as a result, he sustained gunshot wounds on his forehead. The complainant alleged that, the robbers collected his bag containing his phones, phone accessories and his cash amount of GHC8000.00.

A team of investigators visited the scene and investigation commenced. On 15th September 2017, suspect Abdulai Issaka aged 26, was arrested and a search conducted in his room revealed a Bruno pistol and five rounds of 380 ammunition.

When he was quizzed, he mentioned Douglas Ayine Aklogo aged 35, as the owner of the pistol.  Akologo was arrested and a search conducted in his room revealed a Bruno Mod 93 Pistol with 13 rounds of ammunition together with 165 ridden H.E loom 99 4070 explosives.

Akolgo then informed police that, D/Cpl Effah Kyere Williams Boadu gave him the pistol to sell on his behalf at a cost of GHC2,000.00.

On 18th September 2017, Augustine Awilo, 23, was also arrested and a search conducted in his house revealed eight AAA cartridges concealed in a back jacker, and some of the items belonging to the complainant were found in his room.

All the suspects including the officer were arraigned and remanded in police custody for further investigations.

DCOP Redeemer urged the public to immediately report cases of robbery and motor snatching to the police for swift action.

Meanwhile, the Police Headquarters says the officer involved in the offence “will be dealt with in accordance with the Police internal disciplinary proceedings in addition to possible criminal prosecution after investigation.”

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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Police officer interdicted for illegal sale of guns appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The staff of the school lamented to Citi News the extent to which the situation is hampering effective teaching and learning, bringing into question the quality of free education delivered at the basic level.

Lessons at Dagbasu primary school are conducted under trees with some of the pupils sitting on the bare floor for lessons, while others sit on blocks.

One of the teachers has to relocate his class every two hours, as directed by the sun, in search of shade for his pupils.

“…When the sun changes, we come to the area with shade. In addition, when the rain comes, irrespective of the time, you have to close and that is a serious challenge. Even picking the blocks from one direction to the other is not easy. ”

The head teacher of the School, Yusuf Batondema, noted that the challenges extend beyond infrastructure as the pupils did not also have textbooks to work with.

“…When they are sitting outside, most of the time, the run away because a snake or a chameleon falls from the trees, so the disperse most of the time. I am appealing for classroom accommodation. For primary four up to JHS three, there is no single textbook being provided by an individual or the government. Teaching and learning is stressful. It is very difficult.”

The government is aware of the challenges the school faces as it awarded contracts for two six-classroom blocks in 2013 and 2014, but they have all been abandoned with their funding statuses unknown.

Daniel Tanko, the Assemblyman for the Wallembelle electoral area, appealed to the GETfund to act on the issue, and noted that he had gotten assurances from the District Chief Executive of the area, and the Member of Parliament, Abass Ridwan Dauda.

“… About a month ago, I spoke with the DCE and the MP, and they assured that they were going to follow up on the funding issue, and later, the MP called saying funding has been released to one of the contractors.”

This was confirmed by one of the contractors, “but up till now, we are following him to come to the site but he is not coming.”

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By: Latif Mahama/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post U/West: Weather dictating teaching hours for under-tree school at Dagbasu appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

In August 2017, the Deputy Regional Minister, Amidu Chinnia Issahaku while bemoaning the transfer of over 500 personnel from the region called on the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery and the Inspector General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu to boost the presence of the police in the Region.

Speaking to Citi News on the development, the Director General of the Police Public Affairs Directorate, ACP David Eklu said the shortage of Police officers in the region has been a major headace.

“As I speak 200 new police constables have been posted to the Upper West Region. The Regional Commander there has confirmed that they have arrived and most of them have been posted to the police establishments in the region. Police visibility has improved,” he added.

Over 500 U/W police officers transfered

About 538 police officers have been transferred from the Upper West Region within the last two years.

Deputy Upper West Regional Minister, Amidu Chinnia Issahaku in a media interview lamented that only 917 police officers remained in the region saying that the region had about 1,500 until the transfers.

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By: Felicia Osei/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 200 police officers posted to Upper West appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Forestry Commission in a July 2017 letter, approved a permit for the lumbering firm, AttaKey Limited, to allow it to salvage 5,000 cubic metres of rosewood from the Upper West and three other regions.

But in an August 30, 2017 response to the Forestry Commission, sighted by Citi News, the Upper West Coordinating Council said it will not comply with the directive to “protect the fragile and fast depleting environment of the region.”

“…I am therefore to inform you that the directives per your letter cannot be implemented in this region for the best interest of the state,” the letter signed by the acting Regional Coordinating Director, A.K Boahene, said.

The ban on cutting and export of rosewood, was announced by Peter Amewu, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, as part of efforts to bring sanity in the forestry sector.

As part of the ban, the Forestry Commission was also directed to stop the issuance of cutting permits for rosewood.

Reports in August indicated that, some 25 companies had been given the approval to salvage Rosewood from the Brong-Ahafo, Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions.

An August 16, 2017 letter signed by the acting Executive Director of the Forestry Commission, Forest Services Division, directed the affected companies to comply with the guidelines for the evacuation of lying logs, harvesting, processing and transportation of the Rosewood.

The companies by the guidelines were to among others, maximize revenue and logs with a valid permit by selling them at GHC120.00, while confiscated logs shall be sold at GHC200.00.

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

The post U/W: Licensed company stopped from cutting rosewood appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The donation from the minister is estimated to be worth GHC5,800.

It comprises a photocopy machine, printer, refrigerator, an air conditioner and some other office equipment.

At a short ceremony at Gwollu to hand over the photocopier machine and a printer, the deputy minister said the gesture was in response to a distress appeal made by Francis K Maali, the Sissala West district director of education.

“I am not new to this district and so when the director made an appeal to me, I quickly mobilized resources to support the district office to carry out its duties properly.”

Mr. Chinnia appealed to teachers in the district to work hard to improve the performance of pupils in the area.

Mr. Francis K Maali after receiving the donation was full of praise to the minister. He said his outfit had been operating without the machines for over two years.

He was worried” the district directorate is in dare need of office equipment and other logistics” and promised to put the machines received to good use.

At the Nabugubelle health center where the deputy minister presented a refrigerator and an air conditioner to the facility, the officer in charge, Robert Jua decried the deplorable conditions under which nurses work.

He appealed to government to come to the aid of the facility.

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By:Mahama Latif/citifmonline.com/Ghana.

The post Deputy Minister donates to two institutions appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.