According to the International Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), the clarion call comes at a time when many schools have no regular access to water, basic private toilets and facilities for washing hands with soap.

The Communications and Campaign Officer of WaterAid Ghana, Ms Yvonne Kafui Nyaku, who made the call when she addressed a durbar to commemorate this year’s Global Hand Washing Day in the Aberingabisi community in the Bongo District, said the problems in schools without decent toilet facilities are that, girls are likely to miss lessons or drop out of school once they start menstruating due to the unavailability of decent places for them to change.

“They don’t have that privacy to change their sanitary towels and pads so they stay away from school. Children also miss lessons because they have to cut lessons to go and do their own thing in the bush,” she indicated.

She called for prioritization of water, sanitation and hygiene in schools, health centres and other public institutions.

“Health care givers are exposed to all sort of diseases, they risk their lives because they don’t have access to water to wash their hands well, especially after handling patients,” she added.

The Global Hand washing Day is a global advocacy day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding the importance of hand washing with soap.

This year’s celebration was on the theme: “Our hands, our future”.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Ayine Bukari, urged parents and teachers to instill the attitude of hand washing with soap in children, especially while they are young.

He said an award scheme will be instituted to acknowledge communities that perform credibly in ending open defecation in the region.

The Bongo District Chief Executive, Peter Ayinbisa in a speech read on his behalf, announced the assembly’s intention to build 14 boreholes by close of the year 2017, and 20 others in 2018, to augment the provision of potable drinking water in the district.

–

Source: GNA

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According to President Akufo-Addo, out of this amount, “we are spending $1.2 million – i.e. GHc5 million, for the rehabilitation of the water system of Nalerigu, $1.1 million for rehabilitation of the water system for Gambaga, and $1.3 for the rehabilitation of the water system at Walewale. All of these works will begin before the end of this year.”

President Akufo-Addo made this known on Friday, when he paid a courtesy call on the overlord of Mamprugu land, the Nayiri, Naa Bohogu Abdulai Mahami Sheriga, at the commencement of his 3-day tour of the Northern Region.

On the extension of electricity, President Akufo-Addo bemoaned the fact that the Upper West, Upper East and Northern Regions have the least coverage of electricity in Ghana.

“My government is determined to rectify that. Between this year and next year, 447 communities are going to have electricity extended to them in the Northern Region, and this includes communities in East Mamprusi.”

Whilst assuring them of the construction of 5 major roads in Mamprugu land, President Akufo-Addo also indicated that, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Hajia Alima Mahama, MP, is determined to continue the reform of local government in the country, to take into account developments of population and the economy.

“She has decided that she is going to re-designate 6 districts as municipalities. East Mamprusi and West Mamprusi are going to be Municipalities, and no longer districts. Two new districts are also going to be created in the Northern Region – Nanton and Yunyoo,” he said.

Touching on the issues of Dagbon and Bimbilla, President Akufo-Addo told the Nayiri that “as the eldest son of Naa Gbewaa, you have a particular responsibility in the matter.”

The President, thus, appealed to the Nayiri, as one of the three eminent Chiefs – Otumfuo Asantehene, the Yagbonwura and yourself – who are working on bringing lasting peace to Dagbon, “to intensify your efforts and work even harder to make sure that, at this year’s Damba Festival, in Yendi, we will have a new Ya Naa presiding over the festival.”

He reiterated the commitment of his government to “give maximum support for whatever formula and efforts the three eminent Chiefs, of which you are one, bring about to resolve the issue in Dagbon. We will give you full support to make sure that the negotiations and understandings come to a fruitful conclusion.”

President Akufo-Addo, in concluding, appealed for the support of all Ghanaians, as he works to put the country onto the path of progress and prosperity.

“I need the support of all of you, whether you voted for me or did not, whether you have supported my party or have not supported my party. In the period of my mandate, I will need your support so that together we can rebuild Ghana and let the Black Star shine and shine again.”

–

Credit: Flagstaff House

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According to him, the Commission’s mandate does not include undertaking such projects but rather supervising them.

[contextly_sidebar id=”LtaeqapHuXYCVQLHMgVFHu1bKEVrPuz8″]The PURC has been accused by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), of conniving with government to inflate the unit cost of the said boreholes, to fund the governing National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) election campaign.

A letter authorized by the PURC and addressed to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA), in October 2016, sought an approval to single source some selected contractors, to carry out the water project.

But according to Mr. Apoya, the approach was wrong.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast show on Wednesday, November 23, he said the PURC’s direct involvement in the project could plunge it into “credibility problems.”

“They [PURC] oversees, but they don’t have to physically do it. You are the person regulating the sector. The PURC does not regulate the rural water sub-sector. They provide advice to assemblies to be able to do the regulations themselves.”

“The PURC doesn’t have that capacity of oversee a full-blown water supply system. They are very competent in their area of work; but if they delve into areas that they don’t have expertise in, it can end in credibility problems for them.”

Mr. Apoya expressed concern over the silence of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency about the development, since most of the areas listed to have the boreholes fall under their jurisdiction.

“Why will the PURC decide that all these towns, fall under the pro-poor consideration and we are going to provide water for them. That is extremely irregular. Pro-poor interventions target areas that need to be served; yet water is not reaching them. But these areas we are mentioning are full schemes we are providing for the communities. They are not pro-poor schemes, they are normal water supply schemes that ordinarily should be handled by the Community Health and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), and I don’t know why CWSA is not raising any flags,” he added.

‘Gov’ borehole project cost inflated’

The opposition New Patriotic Party at a press conference on Tuesday, said the amount for the boreholes has been inflated, by the PURC, to enable the Mahama-led administration siphon public funds for its campaign activities.

“The total cost of the project for the 500 bore-holes is GH¢30million.’ And, no matter where the borehole is being dug, the rate per unit is quoted at GH¢60,000. This, ladies and gentlemen, is four times, the market rate,” the NPP said.

But the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) defended its decision to spend about GHc30 million in constructing 500 boreholes in selected communities across the country saying the projects which are yet to commence, are “integrated water systems” saying the cost of such projects are higher than normal boreholes.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

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Kwesi pleaded guilty to assault.

Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector, Charles Anku told the court, presided over by Mrs. Florence Okai Otu that February 1,  Esi who forgot to carry her purse to the  market, went back home to pick it but could not find it  after  a long search in her room.

He told the court that Esi then went to the convict’s room to ask him if he had seen her purse which contained GH¢550.00, but this infuriated Kwesi and resulted in an argument between them.

Chief Inspector Anku said Kwesi angrily took a pair of scissors from his tools box and threw it at her and threatened to stab her if she did not leave his room.

He said Esi out of desperation opened the drawer beside the bed in the room and saw the purse but before she could retrieve it Kwesi stabbed her in the stomach.

Esi was taken to the Central Regional Hospital by their mother who heard her scream for help and later reported the incident to the police.

Kwesi, who had gone into hiding was arrested after 35 days.

Source: GNA

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The video, which was first published by US celebrity website TMZ, showed Beyonce’s sister lashing out in a lift after the Met Gala on 5 May.

A security guard intervened in the apparent altercation. There is no audio on the recording.

The Standard Hotel said it was “shocked and disappointed” by the leak and had identified the person responsible.

The employee was fired for “breaching the security polices of the hotel and recording the confidential CCTV video”.

The hotel added it would turn over “all available information to criminal authorities”.

Representatives for Jay Z, Beyonce and Solange have made no comment on the video.

Source: BBC

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A statement from its owners confirmed that they were looking into how footage from one of its lifts was released.

“We are shocked and disappointed that there was a breach of our security system and confidentiality we count on providing our guests,” it said.

Beyonce’s management has declined to comment on the TMZ story so far.

The video was released by celebrity gossip site TMZ.

The footage appears to show Solange trying to kick and hit Jay Z in front of Beyonce. A security guard is then seen restraining her.

It’s thought the incident happened after the three had attended the Met Gala Ball last week in New York and a party at the hotel afterwards.

The hotel added: “We are investigating with the utmost urgency the circumstances surrounding the situation and, as is our customary practice, will discipline the individuals involved to our fullest capacity.”

The Standard, High Line, is an 18-storey boutique hotel located in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.

The chain also has hotels in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida.

Newsbeat has contacted Jay Z’s management but so far no-one has returned the emails.

Solange is Beyonce’s younger sister and is a singer-songwriter in her own right.

The 27-year-old recently performed at Coachella music festival in the US, where Beyonce joined her on stage for a surprise guest appearance.

Jay Z, 44, and Beyonce, 32, married in 2008.

They start their US co-headlining On the Run Tour in Miami on 25 June.

Source: BBC

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The 27-year-old was caught on surveillance camera lashing out wildly at her brother-in-law, 44, with both her arms and her legs, while her sister stood beside them looking curiously impassive.

The famous family was in an elevator descending from a soiree that followed the annual fashion fest at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The seemingly unprovoked attack plays out in footage obtained by TMZ.

Solange can clearly be seen kicking and swinging violently at Jay Z, the father of her two-year-old niece, Blue Ivy, after the trio step into the elevator.

According to TMZ sources, Solange was screaming at her family member when the fight erupted and can be seen in the footage mouthing what appears to be a diatribe at the hip hop legend.

In the footage, a man who looks to be a bodyguard tries to hold Solange back but she manages to reign blows on the rapper several times, and even hits him with her purse.

During the frenzied altercation, Jay Z grabs her stiletto clad foot to block a kick but never attempts to retaliate.

Beyonce seems sanguine throughout, and appears to be trying to calm her sister down.. . at one point she pragmatically removes the long train of her own dress from the fray.

The bodyguard can also be seen pushing the emergency stop button in the elevator at the 12th floor, no doubt stop the fight spilling out in front of photographers.

Solange has admitted to issues with drugs in the past, and cancelled her European tour last year amidst rumours of usage… according to Radar Online.

In February, 2009, she tweeted about ending up in the hospital after a Nyquil overdose.

‘I don’t even smoke weed that often, but I’m finding I can’t remember things,’ she revealed on Twitter on Septemer 1 the same year.

Solange and the music mogul have been close for over a decade, with Jay Z – real name Shawn Carter – taking a big brother style role to the fledgling star after he started dating her sister.

Beyonce and Jay Z were famously friends first but started a relationship way back in 2001, they then married in 2008.

Mrs Carter is extremely close to her younger sibling, and made a surprise appearance at Coachella this year to support Solange’s set at the California music festival.

Solange regulaly accompanies the couple to events like the Met Gala and the Grammy Awards.

Always in Beyonce’s shadow despite her own immense talent, Solange had a few stints in Destiny’s Child, before signing with her father’s Mathew’s Music World Entertainment label; he and he girls’ mother Tina had quit their jobs to focus on their eldest child’s career.

But it paid off for Solange initially, too, as her her first studio album Solo Star – released when she was just 16 in 2003 – was a quiet success.

Just a year later, however, she married Daniel Smith, and after giving birth to their son Daniel Julez J. Smith Jr, moved to Idaho, where she occupied herself with writing music for her sister and ex Destiny’s Child stars Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.

But she missed the buzz of performing herself and after divorcing Smith in 2007, Solange threw herself back into the fray moving to Los Angeles so she could begin to start recording her own material.

It paid off as her second album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, hit No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and garnered positive reviews.

She set up her own label, Saint Records, and recorded the album, True, in 2012 and has plans for a follow up later this year.

While no Beyonce, Solange is recognised as fashion icon and her Motown songwriting roots are respected throughout the industry.

The family was rocked when the girls’ mother Tina filed for divorce from Mathew, who was then still Beyonce’s manager, after it emerged he’d fathered a child during an extra-marital affair with Alexsandra Wright.

The Crazy in Love singer singer later ended her business relationship with her father, and neither sister attended his wedding to Gena Avery last year.

As a family unit, they’ve still remained strong it had seemed, with Solange mentioning frequently in interviews that her son and baby Blue are more like siblings than cousins.

Source: dailymail.co.uk

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