The Savannah Regional Press Core has paid a courtesy call on the Savannah region New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) chairman, Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana Alias Professor Emeritus Kalamonia at his residence in Tamale in the Northern Region.
The visit of the Journalists working within Savannah region which was led by their chairman, Mr. Isaac Nongya was to sympathize with the NPP chairman and to console him for the lost of his properties worth millions of Ghana Cedis to fire that gutted his Tamale 15 bedroom house and completely destroyed all his belongings. The sad incident happened on last Sunday February 11, 2024 at about 3pm to 4pm in the evening when the chairman was away.
Speaking during the visit on Wednesday February 14, 2024 in Tamale, the chairman of the Savannah Press Core, Mr. Isaac Nongya said the call among other reasons is to show that the Journalists in the Savannah region have him at heart and will continue to offer the needed support to him as Journalists.
“We are here to also see what has happened and to tell you that all is not lost. God is in control and for you to also know that your friends from the Savannah region also have you in mind”, Mr. Nongya added.
The Savannah Regional chairman, Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana on his part thanked the media team for reaching out to him in this difficult times. “This one is a test and for me i know it’s not from anybody but from the almighty Allah”, Alhaji Iddrisu said. He added that once it was written in the books by Allah to happen, he has nothing to say about it and nothing to blame on. A person with such a strong heart, Alhaji Iddrisu rather praises God for what happened. “By his grace i thank him and will continue to thank him.
The Regional chairman who is known to be loved by many people, also revealed that apart from family relatives who were occupying the house before the sad incident including his old lady, he has under his care some orphans that he looks after them. Meanwhile no one was injured during the fire outbreak and he is currently living peacefully in one of his Tamale houses that was built to house brilliant but needy students with his family. A formal report from the Ghana National Fire Service is yet to be issued, but it is also suggesting that the fire might have caused by a power fluctuation.
The North East Gonja District Assembly on Monday February 12, 2024 inaugurated 12 Assembly members after a successful elections of the district Assembly, Presiding and Unit Committee members December last year. The ceremony was also the Second Assembly meeting of the North East Gonja District Assembly.
The district chief executive for North East Gonja Hon. Mohammed Musah Tindawu in his welcome address at the confirmation of the newly elected Assembly members, expressed worry about the inadequacy of the International Generated Funds (IDF) of the baby district, adding that as newly elected Assembly members they must come out with more realistic innovative strategies in collaboration with the management of the district Assembly to be able to mobilize adequate revenue to complete the efforts of the central government.
“It’s our duty to also ensure that funds provided by the central government and the ones generated internally are well managed. The success of North East Gonja District Assembly will largely depend on the level of operation between Assembly members and the district chief executive as well as other management staff in the discharge of your functions as honerable Assembly members”, Tindawu stated.
The DCE also indicated that to work successful to bring development to their people, they must be a leader to lead them and that will be someone to lead them and is presiding member who can lead and unite the house especially in difficult tasks. He used the occasion to congratulate all elected members and assured them of his support as the DCE to drive the developmental agenda of the people.
The president representative at the inaugural ceremony who is also the deputy minister for energy, Andrew Egyapa Mercer said the occasion marks yet another milestone towards deepening decentralization as in article 35 C6 of the 1992 constitution which enjoins the state to promote decentralization and popular participation in governance by forming all positlble opportunities for citizenry to participate in decision making at all levels for government.
Mr. Agapa said the leadership challenges at the district level are enonymouse and complex, therefore members of the Assembly are mandated to maintain close contact with the electoral area, consult the people on the issues to be discussed in the district Assembly, collate their views and opinions and also take part in communal development activities.
He also urged members to be guided by the laws to avoid unneeded conflict with their district chief executive, and religious leaders.
The confirmation of the new Assembly members was coupled with the election of the Presiding member. Yahaya Mohammed Shani and Abdulai Fuseini contested for the presiding member position and Yahaya Mohammed Shani at the close of polls gained 11 votes out of a total of 17 votes representing 64.7% while Abdulai Fuseini had only 5 votes, representing 29.4%. Yahaya Mohammed Shani was declared the presiding member for North East Gonja District Assembly to lead the house.
Total of 17 votes cast include 6 members from each party, the district chief executive and 4 appointees while one vote was rejected.
In his address the presiding member, Yahaya Mohammed Shani, noted that there is a bigger tasks ahead of them and all must join hands and collectively they will manage the affairs of the house. They were sworn into office by Lawyer Isaac Ankah, Assistant state Arthony. Office of the Arthony General, ministry of Justice.
The Savannah Regional minister, Hon. Saeed Muhazu Jibril has visited the Savannah Regional chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana popularly known as Professor Kalamonia at his private residence at Gumani in Tamale of the Northern Region to sympathize with him following the Sunday fire outbreak that guttered and destroyed all his properties.
Alhaji Kalamonia’s 15 bedroom house in Gumani, a suburb of Tamale in the Northern Region, got burnt by fire on Sunday February 11, 2024 and destroyed all his belongings and other family relatives who are under his care.
Properties including Motor bikes, mattresses, Television sets, clothes, among other valuable items were razed down by the fire.
Speaking to Spear fm during his visit to the affected residence, Hon. Muhazu described the incident as very devastating and urged the hardworking chairman to be strong especially during this trying times.
“What can i say, it’s the will of God all that I want to say is to encourage my regional chairman and that he has to be strong in this trying times. These are just trying times for every human being so God has a way of testing the faith of people”, He added.
The minister further appealed to all philanthropists and all well wishes to come to the aid of the Regional chairman.
“We have to find a way of helping him to bring him up again because i don’t think this house can be renovated again, looking at how the walls are all weak. It means it now calls for a complete new building.
He also revealed that as a matter of urgency, he took time out of his busy schedule just to come and see the level of damage for himself, adding that the party executives in the Savannah region are yet to meet to come out with ways to support their chairman.
Meanwhile the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) have since commenced investigation into the cause of the fire.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is a known social Democratic Party by deeds and not just by slogan. The party’s quest to investing in very key economic sectors that impact the lives of rural folks especially the poor has lived with it since its inception in 1992.
Beggining with the Rawlings regime in 1987 where the National Electrification Scheme (NES) was launched in 1987 to extend electricity to every nook and cranny of the country by the year 2020. As part of this programme, the Northern part of Ghana which lacked industries and therefore not considered worthy for extension of electricity by successive governments was considered by Rawlings and therefore captured in its first program with major District Capitals in Northern Ghana setting connected to the National Grid.
Due to the above intervention, Damongo, the then District Capital of the West Gonja District got connected in 1998/99. At the time, aside Damongo township, Laribanga, Mole and Daboya, all other communities were never connected.
For the 8 years of the first NPP government (2001 to 2008) not even a single community was connected to the national grid. The second coming of the NDC government in 2009 saw yet another vigorous and deliberate rural electrification programme which saw many communities connected to the national grid in three different phases.
1. Phase one (1), the following communities were connected:
1. Busunu 2. Nabori 3. Achubunyor
2. Phase two (2), the following communities were connected by the NDC government led by John Mahama:
In effect, the NDC governments (1 and 2) are responsible for the connection of all the communities within the Damongo Constituency with the NPP adding nothing. Even when the NDC left the third phase in their care which was supposed to 2019, they couldn’t work with the template; they deliberately shifted the due date so that it will appear that it is the NPP that connected the lights.
By this article, I will challenge the NPP to show us any document to the effect that their government has signed and executed any rural electrification project. All rural electrification projects were signed and executed by the NDC before leaving office.
I attached herewith the last project the NDC signed which covered almost all the communities under Phase 3 before leaving office. If the NPP has any documentation to the contrary, I challenge them to bring their evidence. They only came to switch lights on without having anything to do with how the funding was sourced and all the major works done before the execution.
It is on record that the NDC brought lights to the Damongo; the NDC fixed the Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla Road and Insha Allah, the NDC will come back in 2025 to fix the Damongo water project.
The West Gonja Municipal Assembly held an inaugural of the 9th assembly and the confirmation of the presiding Member of the assembly. The ceremony was held at the Damongo ultra-modern community center on 12 February 2024.
Present at the inauguration was the Savannah regional minister Hon. Saeed Muhazu Jibril, the West Gonja Municipal Chief Executive Hon. Karim Musah Kusubari, Lawyer Virginia Funga from the office of the athony general, Municipal Electoral Commission officials, Chiefs and other invited guests.
The West Gonja Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Hon. Karim Musah Kusubari in a welcome address said the 8th assembly has ended and it is fortunate to get a new assembly constituted and ready to serve the people of the West Gonja Municipality.
According to the MCE, the period after the elections of the assembly members across the country in December 2023, management of the West Gonja Municipal Assembly has been holding forth to ensure that the assembly continues to deliver its mandate to see to the reconstitution of the assembly which will help champion the development agenda for the people.
Hon. Karim Kusubari made it clear that the General Assembly is non-partisan and has demonstrated in the ended assembly elections in its approach to issues of concern to the Municipality as a whole, therefore, a high sense of unity and maturity was exhibited and it’s important to accept decisions of the house as a collective responsibility, try as much as possible to desist from the temptation of disassociating oneself from some decision of the house in a bit to cheap popularity among the general populace.
He further mentioned peace and security referring to the Damongo chieftains dispute, insufficient internally generated funds, building without permits affecting settlement plans, increasing rate of substance abuse among the youth, trading on the pedestrian walkway in Damongo and Busunu, and indiscriminate waste disposal as some of the challenges that need the urgent attention of the Hon. Assembly Members which need to be prioritized in the subsequent discussions to help shape the development in the Municipality.
The MCE congratulated the Hon. Members of the 9th Assembly and those who were part of the 8th Assembly but not inclusive.
During the inaugural ceremony, the Savannah Regional Minister, Hon. Saeed Muhazu Jibril in a keynote address said in accordance with the 1992 constitution, the government appointed 30 percent of the Assembly Members who together with those elected, as well as the member(s) of Parliament and District Chief Executive constitute the membership of the assembly, therefore, Assembly Members have the mandate to deliberate, plan, mobilize resources, make decisions including by-laws to ensure the transformation of the District towards the development of Ghana.
The Hon. Minister added that the inaugural ceremony marks an important milestone towards deepening decentralization as stipulated in Article 35 Clause 6(d) of the 1992 constitution and the Article encourages the state to promote decentralization and popular participation in governance by affording all possible opportunities to the citizenry to participate in decision making at all levels of government.
The Minister also said the decentralization reforms that started in 1988 with only one hundred and ten (110) Districts Assemblies have made progress on several fronts and that the inauguration of 259 district assemblies out of a total of 261with the exclusion of Nkoranza South Municipal and Nkoranza North District Assemblies whose tenure is yet to end.
Furthermore, the minister said it is a privilege for someone to be elected or appointed to serve residents of his/her locality and therefore entreated the Hon. Assembly members to build good working relationships with their colleagues, the Hon. District Chief Executive, Member(s) of Parliament and Staff of the District Assembly one represents.
He continued by urging assembly members to establish strong partnerships and collaborate with the local structures particularly, the urban, town, zonal, and area councils, the unit committees, and traditional authorities as well as other identifiable groups to facilitate the work of the District Assembly.
The Hon. Minister in addition said the District Assembly is being inaugurated at a time when efforts are made by the Government through the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization and Rural Development (MLGDRD) to improve on the mobilization of the Internally Generated Funds(IGFs) of the MMDAs and the MLGDRD has formulated several sector policies that contribute towards the national agenda which include; National Decentralization Policy and Strategy, National Urban Policy and Action Plan, Local Economic Development Policy and Action Plan, and National Rural Development Policy.
Finally, the Hon. Minister admonished the Hon. Assembly members to exhibit selflessness and devotion to duty as required and expected by their people.
The inauguration of the West Gonja Municipal Assembly merged with the election and confirmation of the Presiding Member. Before the election, the District Election Officer for the West Gonja Municipal, Mr. Essuman Barnes Solomon said the Electoral Commission is mandated to conduct the election of the Presiding Member of which per the modalities people were asked to take nominations forms and file to contest for the presiding Membership position but at the end and close of nominations, it was only Hon. Mumuni Mohammed who filed, therefore, instead of voting between or among interested members, it has reduced the burden to just confirming him by a yes or no vote.
He added that at the end of the yes or no confirmation vote with 18 elected and appointed assembly members, Hon. Mumuni Mohammed got 100 percent confirmation.
Various Sub-committees including social services sub-committee, justice, and security sub-committee, development planning sub-committee, works sub-committee, finance and administration sub-committee, agriculture sub-committee, micro, and small-scale enterprise sub-committee, and environmental sub-committee were formed and chairpersons nominated.
The confirmed Presiding Member of the 9th Assembly of the West Gonja Municipal Assembly, Hon. Mumuni Mohammed in his confirmation remarks expressed heartfelt gratitude for being re-elected as the Presiding Member of the West Gonja Municipal.
According to him, it is an honor to be re-elected and that there is no development that can take place without the assembly and the assembly members are those who will pass the resolutions, plans, and activities of programs for the assembly to be able to implement and as the leader of the house, he wants to open a smooth way so that there will be no hindrances.
He mentioned ways and means to build intercity relations by contacting specialists in Accra and other parts of Ghana to execute that mandate as one of his cardinal points of reasoning for taking up the mantle of position.
Hon. Assembly members were sworn in to office of the 9th Assembly for the West Gonja Municipal Assembly by Lawyer Virginia Funga from the office of the athony general, Tamale.
The residence of the Savannah Regional chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Alhaji Iddrisu Sulemana otherwise known as Professor Kalamonia, has been razed down by fire on Sunday afternoon February 11, 2024 at Gumani, a suburb of Tamale in the Northern Region.
He lost properties worth millions of Ghana Cedis to the fire outbreak.
Alhaji Kalamonia who took to his facebook page the sad incident, stated that all his belongings have lost.
“I’ve just been informed that, fire has razed down my residence in Tamale-Gumani this afternoon. Everything has been lost to the fire”, Kalamonia wrote.
Meanwhile pictures and videos sighted by Spear fm News, saw personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) at the scene. It is also believed that the fire might have destroyed everything in the house before the arrival of the GNFS personnel.
Locals were also seen on the grounds fetching water with buckets to bring the fire under control.
The cause of fire is yet to be established, but other sources suggested it might be an electrical fault.
MP for Yapei kusawku constituency Hon John Abdullai Jinapor and DCE for Central Gonja District Hon Salia Kamara together with other stakeholders has met with the management of Savannah Diamond Cement Factory in Buipe over a 6.5 kilometer stretch road connecting the factory to the Buipe main road.
The NDC MP together with the DCE for Central Gonja District decided to put their political differences aside and moved ahead to collaborate with management of savannah diamond cement factory to find amicable solution to poor nature of the road from the factory to the Buipe main street.
The meeting became neccessary after a section of the residents of Buipe petitioned the office of the MP and the district assembly to find a lasting solution to the poor nature of the road.
According to the residents, the dusty nature of the road is a major contributor of respiratory and heart related diseases and pollution of drinking water especially to residents leaving closer to the road.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the MP for Yapie/Kusawgu constituency Hon John Jinapor said they have engaged the company several times on the same matter and that he as an MP has written a letter to the minister for road and will follow up in parliament for parliamentary questions and also keep pushing harder to ensure that the road is constructed.
Hon John Jinapor revealed that in the round table discussion with the management of the Savannah Diamond Cement Factory, the District Chief Executive of Central Gonja District and some other stakeholders held in Buipe on Thursday, 9th February 2024, the company stated that the total estimated cost for constructing the road is about $10m which is far beyond their strength as a company.
The company therefore appealed to the government to intervene in the construction of the road.
Meanwhile, aside the issue of the road, the MP also revealed that they resolved with management of the Savannah Diamond Cement Factory for a collaboration in order to support the community with water systems, maintenance of minor town roads, provision of educational and health facilities as their cooperate social responsibility.
Hon John Abdullai Jinapor therefore appealed to the residents of Buipe to exercise restraint and assured them that they will work around the clock to ensure that the matter of the road is solved.
The DCE for Central Gonja District Hon Salia Kamara on his part applauded the Savannah Diamond Cement Factory for employing about five hundred (500) to six hundred (600) youth of Buipe, and that like Oliver Twist, they will always ask for more.
The DCE assured that they will do the neccessary follow ups to ensure that the road is constructed.
The Member of Parliament for Yapie/Kusawgu Constituency Hon. John Jinapor has promised to do whatever he can to win back all the parliamentary seats that the opposition National Democratic Congress – NDC lost to the ruling New Patriotic Party – NPP in the Savannah Region including the Damongo seat which is occupied by his biological brother Hon. Lawyer Samuel Abu Jinapor.
The Jinapor brothers made history by representing two different constituencies in Ghana’s parliament on the ticket of the two main opposing political parties in Ghana, NDC and NPP.
Whilst Hon. John Jinapor is the Member of parliament for Yapie/Kusawgu Constituency on the ticket of NDC, Hon. Abu Jinapor is the Member of Parliament for Damongo Constituency on the ticket of NPP.
The MP for Yapie/Kusawgu Constituency vowed to make the NDC more attractive in the home region of the former president of the republic of Ghana and the flag bearer of the opposition NDC, H.E John Dramani Mahama to ensure that the NDC wins all 7 parliamentary seats in the Region in the upcoming 2024 general elections.
He made this promise during the inauguration of the Savannah Regional NDC Women’s Working Committee at his private residence in Buipe in the Central Gonja District.
The NDC women whose hopes were reignited by the Yapie/Kusawgu MP promised their maximum support to the MP to help him excel the vision he has for the NDC party in Savannah Region.
The NDC women wing also thanked Hon. John Jinapor for his numerous interventions that brought development and unity to his party members irrespective of their constituencies.
The Over-The-Counter (OTC) Medicine Practitioners on Tuesday, 6th February 2024 inaugurated the Savannah regional executive committee.
The inauguration was held at the Damongo Community Center.
In attendance were Mr. Abdulai Mahama who represented the Municipal Chief Executive for West Gonja Municipal Assembly, the Savannah Regional Chief Pharmacists Mr. I.K Momori, the West Gonja Municipal Health Director Madam Gertrude Yentumi, the National President of OTC, Northern Region executives of OTC, and members of the Savannah Regional Over-The-Counter Medicine Practitioners.
Addressing the gathering in a welcome speech, the Chairman of the West Gonja District Over-The-Counter Medicine Practitioners Association, Mr Sumani Iddrisu Mohammed said the Savannah Region has seven districts, and most of them were affiliated with the Upper West Over-The-Counter Medicine Practitioners Association while the rest were affiliated with the Tamale regional association of Over-The-Counter Medicine Practitioners, therefore, there was the need to discuss between the two separate groups in the Savannah region to come together as a regional team to promote the smooth running of the Over-The-Counter Medicine Practitioners Association in the region.
Mr. Sumani Iddrisu further said that the creation of Savannah Regional Over-The-Counter Medicine Practitioners Association in the region will foster susceptible implementations for the benefits and steadier running of the Association.
According to him, Nominations for those who have experience to run the affairs of the Over-The-Counter Medicine Practitioners Association was done successfully and they have been given the nod to lead the association in the region.
Mr. Sumani Iddrisu added the selection of the executives was carefully done to ensure that each district of the region has a representation.
Mr. Sumani Iddrisu Mohammed from West Gonja was sworn in as the Chairman, Mr. Jato Karim from Central Gonja as Vice Chairman, Mr. Kantama A. Ganiu from West Gonja as Secretary, Mr. Mohammed Issahaku from North Gonja as Deputy Secretary, Mr. Awudu J. Mbonwura from West Gonja as Treasurer, Mr. Janda Aliu Mahama from East Gonja as the financial secretary, Mr. Fuseini Mohammed from Sawla/Tuna/Kalba as the Organizer, Mr. Adam Iddrisu from Bole as the Deputy Organizer, and Nda Farouk as the Public Relations Officer (PRO).
The Council of Elders include Alhaji Osman from East Gonja, Alhaji Musha Mahama from Bole, Mr. James A. Apromex from North Gonja, Mallam Ibrahim Haruna from Central Gonja, and Mr. Richard K. Kontoh from West Gonja.
The national president of the Over-The-Counter Medicine Practitioners Association, Alhaji Hassan Couboo took the newly appointed executives and the council of elders through the swearing-in process.
According to him, the membership of the OTC is about 22,723 nationwide and that the association is not only to make profit but also to serve and bring quality healthcare access to the doorsteps of the people.
Alhaji Hassan admonished the members of the Savannah Regional branch of OTC to work together for the progress of the association and cease acquiring medicine from illegal and unregistered sources.
Alhaji also encouraged the executive committee and members of the association to always sacrifice for the betterment of the association and be actively involved in its meetings and decision-making, and strive hard to groom the association in the Savannah region to grow.
The national president of the Over-the-counter Medicine Practitioners also lamented that “Retired nurses both male and female who refuse to join the association but are operating Over-The-Counter medicine stores are those giving them problems as an association.
The Chief Pharmacist of Savannah Regional Health Directorate, Mr. I K Momori, on behalf of the Savannah regional health director, Dr. Joseph A. Nyuzaghl said healthcare delivery is prioritized with the people and not indulging in making money at all costs from customers therefore appropriate prescriptions of medicine should be given to the people and standard healthcare services should be capitalized.
The Savannah Regional Chief Pharmacists criticized the improper disposal of used and expired medical substances and implored better ways of disposing such substances in order not to endanger the lives of the people within the vicinity.
The Regional Chief Pharmacists also bemoaned the rise in the sale of drugs on the streets by nonqualified persons.
The Municipal Chief Executive(MCE) of the Damongo Municipality, Hon. Karim Musah Kusubari who was represented by the Human Resource Manager of the West Gonja Municipal Assembly Mr. Mahama Abdulai said the core responsibility of the Over-The-Counter Medicine Practitioners Association is to make healthcare delivery available and reachable.
According to him, the West Gonja Municipal Assembly has has provided health infrastructures and CHIPS compound to support and make healthcare services accessible.
Mr. Abdulai added that the Assembly is ready at all time to support the Over-The-Counter Medicine Practitioners Association to deliver quality healthcare to the people of West Gonja Municipality.
The Human Resource Manager of West Gonja Municipal Assembly also added that the Assembly is ready to make office accommodation available to the Pharmacy Council to establish an office in the Savannah Regional Capital to address challenges and improve service delivery of OTC.
Mr. Mahama Abdulai on behalf of the MCE for West Gonja Municipal Assembly encouraged members of the Over-The-Counter Medicine Practitioners Association to engage qualified and well trained persons to take charge of their various established shops.
The Savannah Regional Director of the Ghana Education Service Madam Mabel Judith together with her driver have said to be in critical condition after the vehicle they were traveling on involved in a fatal accident near Suhum along the Kumasi-Accra highway. The accident which occurred on Sunday evening February 4, 2024, left the Regional store keeper Baba Wusamah dead on the spot.
The deceased according to the Regional directorate, was traveling from the Savannah region to Accra together with the Regional education director and a driver on official assignment when the incident happened.
The regional public relations officer of GES, Kpiirika Jatuat confirmed the incident to Asaase Radio’s Tahiru Abdul-Washiru, but could not give further details about the cause of accident.
He added that both the director and her driver were not reachable again after he was informed about the incident.
He said though he first heard the news from the director’s relative, both the director and the driver at the time of filing this story were not reachable. Meanwhile both the director and the driver according Mr. Jatuat, are currently receiving treatment at the Suhum government hospital. Spear fm will keep you updated on this development
