How am I supposed to twist people’s hand to buy furniture for RCC?–Upper East Regional Minister
Hon. Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister responded to the alleged allegation that he and the CEO of the Minerals Commission, Martin K. Ayisi, requested the small-scale miners to buy furniture for the Upper East conference room of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC). Meanwhile, a statement released by Forum for Accountability and Equal Justice in Northern Ghana (FOAEJU-GH) captured that: “It is also on record that the Regional Minister said that the CEO of the Minerals Commission directed small-scale miners to purchase furniture for the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council. The so-called small-scale miners in their press statement also claimed that they voluntarily bought the furniture for the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council after the CEO of the Minerals Commission, Martin K. Ayisi, asked for the furniture from the small-scale miners. On the contrary, the CEO of the Minerals Commission is also on record to have strongly denied these claims, saying he never asked any small-scale miners to purchase furniture for the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council. What a bizarre and dangerous state of confusion! There are recordings of these statements made by the Upper East Regional Minister and the CEO of the Minerals Commission with regard to the illegal demand for furniture from the small-scale miners”! Responding to the alleged allegation, Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu denied the allegation. According to him, it will be impossible for him to force anyone to buy furniture for the RCC against his or her will. “This furniture that was there, it came through stores, I don’t know if you have been to our conference room? If you came to our conference room when I came, it was sad! The chairs are all peeled off”. He further explained: “So, in the meeting, they agreed [Small Scale Miners] that when they take their money, they can buy RCC some chairs, they even say they will do painting and buy cottons and all that. So, when they took the money, I wasn’t even there, I was in Accra and they brought 30 chairs and marked it with Small scale Miner to RCC and they passed it through the stores. Did I take one chair to my house? Did I even take one chair to my residency? The chairs are there. Is it not normal for people to say look, take this or take that for administration? If the chairs went to my house or I carried the chair to Accra or I carried the chairs to my own house, that one is trouble for me. The Regional told Apexnewsgh.com Meanwhile, the Small scale miners who signed an official agreement with Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited to relinquish interest in their small-scale mining concessions also stated in their press release dated 23rd January, 2023, said: “We furnished the conference hall out of our own good will upon a plea from the CEO of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Martin Kwaku Ayisi and not a force from the Regional Minister”. More to come soon… Hon. Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister responded to the alleged allegation that he and the CEO of the Minerals Commission, Martin K. Ayisi, requested the small-scale miners to buy furniture for the Upper East conference room of the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC). Meanwhile, a statement released by Forum for Accountability and Equal Justice in Northern Ghana (FOAEJU-GH) captured that: “It is also on record that the Regional Minister said that the CEO of the Minerals Commission directed small-scale miners to purchase furniture for the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council. The so-called small-scale miners in their press statement also claimed that they voluntarily bought the furniture for the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council after the CEO of the Minerals Commission, Martin K. Ayisi, asked for the furniture from the small-scale miners. On the contrary, the CEO of the Minerals Commission is also on record to have strongly denied these claims, saying he never asked any small-scale miners to purchase furniture for the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council. What a bizarre and dangerous state of confusion! There are recordings of these statements made by the Upper East Regional Minister and the CEO of the Minerals Commission with regard to the illegal demand for furniture from the small-scale miners”! Responding to the alleged allegation, Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu denied the allegation. According to him, it will be impossible for him to force anyone to buy furniture for the RCC against his or her will. “How will I go and twist somebody’s hand to buy furniture? This furniture that was there, it came through stores, I don’t know if you have been to our conference room? If you came to our conference room when I came, it was sad! The chairs are all peeled off”. He further explained: “So, in the meeting, they agreed [Small Scale Miners] that when they take their money, they can buy RCC some chairs, they even say they will do painting and buy cottons and all that. So, when they took the money, I wasn’t even there, I was in Accra and they brought 30 chairs and marked it with Small scale Miner to RCC and they passed it through the stores. Did I take one chair to my house? Did I even take one chair to my residency? The chairs are there. Is it not normal for people to say look, take this or take that for administration? If the chairs went to my house or I carried the chair to Accra or I carried the chairs to my own house, that one is trouble for me. The Regional told Apexnewsgh.com Meanwhile, the Small scale miners who signed an official agreement with Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited to relinquish interest in their small-scale mining concessions also stated in their press release dated 23rd January, 2023, said: “We furnished the conference hall out of our own good will upon a plea from the CEO of the Minerals Commission, Mr. Martin Kwaku Ayisi and not
UER: I have no right as an individual to take away anybody’s business or concession—Stephen Yakubu
The Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu has refuted claims that he has given concessions or killed businesses belonging to some indigenous people operating at the Gbane mining site in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region to the Chinese mining company Earl International. Apexnewsgh.com report The Regional Minister was responding to Ngamegbulam Stephen of Apexnewsgh.com in an exclusive engagement on Friday, January 27, 2023, following accusations coming from some aggrieve mining actors and stakeholders in the region. The Regional Minister said, he has no right as an individual to take anybody’s concession, “do I work with Mineral Commission? Am I the company [Earl International]? The problem is that, this company they are talking about [Earl International], they had a license and this license was signed by then Minister in 2019 and my understanding is that, it has been ratified by parliament and if you go deep into the matter, you would see that people were not even happy that they have given the concession to them”. “We have a ministry that deals with that. So, it is not the Regional Minister that give that concession to Earl International and it happened in 2019, 2019 was I here? I wasn’t here”. He asked He further insisted “It wasn’t me who signed the large-scale mining, I wasn’t even here when the large-scale mining was signed. I came in when the small-scale miners were really agitating because in unblocking and giving the small-scale miner’s concession to large-scale mining the documentation is there”. The Minister pointed out that, when he came into the region, the miners have started negotiating with the company and they were a lot of issues and agitations “But, the issue was that, how the company is going to compensate them and I even came to meet it when they were negotiating and they were having a lot of problems there and the people were agitating at a time that whatever the company was giving to them, they were not happy with it. They met in Akayet, they met in Alisa Hotel, they met a lot and they were trying to find a common ground in which the company will be able to sort them out”. “Is the same small-scale miners who came to complain to me, that they are negotiating and they are not seeing their way forward. This same Charles, ask him the number of times he came to my house in the morning here to beg me to try and help so that the company compensates them. Call him and ask him whether he has been here to tell me about this or not. I have documentation that Charles himself has told me to help them. He insisted “Charles and the company were in court, ask him whether in court there, they didn’t even say that the regional minister was helping to broker the peace deal with them? And because of that, they were actually all the time having to extend the time so that we will be able to look at it. So, if we have looked at it and he is not happy about whatever offer the company is professing, can’t he just say Minister, am not happy about this arrangement, I want to go back to the company to negotiate by my own self, will I stop him doing that? He asked More to come soon… For publication please kindly contact us on +233256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
FOAEJU-GH demands Upper East Minister’s resignation over allegations
Forum for Accountability and Equal Justice in Northern Ghana (FOAEJU-GH) a known civil society organization operating in the North, has humbly demanded the Upper East Regional Minister’s resignation or sack by the President of the Republic of Ghana. According to the group, resigning or sacking of the accused Regional Minister will pave way for a proper investigation to be conducted following the alleged allegation on abuse of office, abetment of crime, defrauding and false representation. However, the group has threatened that if the Regional Minister failed to comply, they will be hitting the streets in the coming weeks to further demand his resignation or dismissal. “We have been advised by our lawyers not to dwell on matters that have been filed before CHRAJ on abuse of office, abetment of crime, defrauding and false representation as alleged against the Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu. We are of the opinion that the Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu alias Akurugu, should resign now or be sacked by the President of the Republic of Ghana to allow a proper investigation to take place. Failing to do so, we will hit the streets of the regional capital in the coming weeks to demand his resignation or dismissal. We want to state that our members cut across the political divide. So, we can assure you that you will see majority of NPP, NDC and others among the protesters when the day comes”. Forum for Accountability and Equal Justice in Northern Ghana in their press release also saw a press conference organized by one Azumah Atule and Robert Boazor Tampoare as a fiasco because “It is crystal-clear that all attempts to defend wrongdoing and to protect perpetrators to continue to rob people of their legal rights on small-scale mining concessions are indeed the works of his paymasters in political positions”. Read full statement below: FORUM FOR ACCOUNTABILITY AND EQUAL JUSTICE IN NORTHERN GHANA (FOAEJU-GH) Date…………………… PRESS STATEMENT RESPONSE TO SMALL-SCALE MINERS WHO HAVE SIGNED AND RELINQUISHED THEIR INTERESTS IN SMALL-SCALE MINING CONCESSIONS TO EARL INTERNATIONAL GROUP GHANA GOLD LIMITED IN A PRESS RELEASE DATED 23RD JANUARY, 2023. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen from the media, good afternoon. We the members of the Forum for Accountability and Equal Justice in Northern Ghana (FOAEJU-GH) drawn from all the municipalities and districts in the Upper East Region seek to draw the public attention to the predicament which some of our members from mining communities are facing notably the recent challenges in Talensi District, Gbane to be precise. It has come to our notice that one Azumah Atule, who is a member of a small-scale mining group and calls himself a zonal secretary to a Talensi small-scale mining association, signed a release to the subject matter of the day. It is crystal-clear that all attempts to defend wrongdoing and to protect perpetrators to continue to rob people of their legal rights on small-scale mining concessions are indeed the works of his paymasters in political positions. Ladies and gentlemen, we sincerely want to draw your attention to the background of the release signed by the relinquished person in the name of Azumah Atule. In the background of the press release on the said day, he stated a lot of meetings that ended inconclusively prior to the assumption of office as Upper East Regional Minister of Stephen Yakubu also known as Armstrong Akurugu. The fact remains that Azumah Atule and Robert Boazor Tampoare led an instigation that brought about the burning of some machines belonging to Shaanxi Mining Ghana Limited, a support service company serving Yenyeya and Pubortaaba mines at the time and now known as Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited. Inset: A picture of one of the mining machines burned in 2011 through an upheaval led by Atule and Robert. It is also not true that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yenyeya Mining Company, Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon who is also the current Upper East Regional Organiser of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), was walked out because of any stupid action as alleged by Atule Azumah and his clique. The fact remains that he (Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon) lawfully protested against an action by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) negotiating to give permit to Earl International (formerly known as Shaanxi) over his valid permit on the same concession which he deemed as illegal. Hon. Ndanbon had hired a lawyer to seek injunction on the issuance of the permit. This lawful protest caused one Mr Ransford Sekyi, an official of the EPA, to request that Hon. Ndanbon take leave of the meeting to speak to his lawyer about the injunction motion before he may rejoin the meeting. Hon. Ndanbon was not walked out from the meeting for any stupid action. Mr Sekyi is a gentleman and he will do no such thing to people. We rather deem it silly for anyone or any group to falsely state that an EPA boss walked someone out. Inset: EPA permits issued to Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon, Yenyeya Mining Enterprise’s CEO. It is also not true that Robert Boazor Tampoare and Azumah Atule are concession holders. They are known as members of small-scale mining groups and they (Robert and Atule) cannot hold themselves out as concession owners unlike Hon. Boyak Kolog Zongdan popularly known as Polo and Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon who individually have concessions of their own and are CEOs and are well known and respected for responsible mining operations. To set the records straight, it is clear that the authors of their press release were engineered by some political officeholders who are working hard to destroy the businesses of these two honourable and responsible miners, Hon. Boyak Kolog Zongdan popularly known as Polo and Hon. Charles Taleog Ndanbon. Ladies and gentlemen, it is sad to state that these defence witnesses (Robert and Atule) to the Upper East Regional Minister Hon. Stephen Yakubu alias Akurugu are trying to jump the gun by trying to defend the Regional Minister on
I have not recruited or hired Upper East Regional Minister to negotiate on my behalf— MD YENYEYA Mining Group
Hon. Charles Taleog Ndabon, the Managing Director of YENYEYA Mining Group, a Talensi-based indigenous mining company licensed in 2007 and registered under the Companies Act 1963 has revealed in a press statement sighted by Apexnewsgh.com that, he has not surrendered his mining license to Wei Xing, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SHAANXI MINING LIMITED and now EARL INTERNATIONAL GROUP GHANA GOLD LIMITED, because he sees no reason or sense in performing such a ridiculous act as a businessman. The statement further reveals that personalities pretending to have been acting on his behalf by way of negotiation or signing of any document should desist from such act because, he has not recruited anyone to do so on his behalf “Let me also make it clear to the general public and mining stakeholders that, YENYEYA has not recruited or hired anyone and not even the Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu to negotiate any form of business or sign any form of agreement on my behalf together with Wei Xing, CEO of SHAANXI now so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL”. The state said Mr. Ndanbon strongly reaffirmed that he is determined and very committed to fighting for his right and will not allow any CEO of the Mineral Commission or any traditional ruler to conspire with the Chinese man Wei Xing CEO of SHAANXI now so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL to forcefully snatch away my business. Kindly read the full statement: PRESS STATEMENT Tuesday, January 17, 2023 Being silent is a great way to let people know they did something wrong and it will be unfortunate for people to take my silence over their crokard activities against me and my company as a weakness. The management of YENYEYA Mining Group, a Talensi-based indigenous mining company licensed in 2007 and registered under the Companies Act 1963, found it necessary to provide a few updates to all stakeholders in the mining sector in the Upper East Region and the general public interested in the matters arising. That, for the past 25 years now, mining has been my business, and i was already in the mining business before bringing Wei Xing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SHAANXI MINING LIMITED and now the so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL GROUP GHANA GOLD LIMITED from China in 2008 to come and render mining support service to my outfit YENYEYA. Important things to note: I want to state it clear to the general public and mining stakeholders that, YENYEYA together with Wei Xing, CEO of SHAANXI now the so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL had the earlier agreement in 2008 under the small scale. However, in 2017 when SHAANXI now the so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL wanted to expand to a large scale we together had another addendum and agreement which is still authentic. I want the general public to know that, YENYEYA has not surrendered his mining license to Wei Xing, the CEO of SHAANXI now so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL, because i see no reason or sense in performing such a ridiculous act. YENYEYA was not part of any small-scale miners association that has signed an agreement with Wei Xing, the CEO of SHAANXI now the so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL. Let me also make it clear to the general public and mining stakeholders that, YENYEYA has not recruited or hired anyone and not even the Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu to negotiate any form of business or sign any form of agreement on my behalf together with Wei Xing, CEO of SHAANXI now so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL. YENYEYA is very committed to fighting for his right and will not allow any CEO of the Mineral Commission or any traditional ruler to conspire with the Chinese man Wei Xing CEO of SHAANXI now so-called EARL INTERNATIONAL to forcefully snatch away my business. Thank you Signed Hon. Charles Taleog NdanbonMD YENYEYA Mining Group Contact: 024 039 1728 Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
Adopt the ‘can do attitude’–Minister tell GES
The Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu has urged Municipal and District Directors of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and teachers to adopt the “can do attitude” to improve the quality of education in the Region. He said even though the region had similar working conditions with other regions in the country, its examination results were poor as compared to sister-regions, and therefore, called on managers of the GES to eschew all forms of excuses and deliver on their mandate. The Minister made the call when he joined the Bolgatanga Municipal and Bolgatanga East Directorates of the GES to mark ‘My First Day at School.’ “Our region is not in isolation, the pay is the same, everything else is the same, we went to the same Training Colleges, and all have the same degrees. It therefore means there is something in this region we are not doing right which could account for the poor performance of students,” he said. Hon. Yakubu said the methodology adopted by some teachers could discourage some pupils from attending school, adding that the attitude of some teachers who engaged pupils on their farms should be stopped. He admonished parents and guardians to take up the responsibilities of their wards seriously as education was key to the future of their children, and the development of the nation. He cited instances where some children went to school on empty stomachs, some abandoned school to help their mothers to sell in markets, while some engaged in illegal mining activities for quick money. Soft drinks and biscuits were distributed to the Kindergarten and Primary Schools the Minister and his entourage visited. —RCC— For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
Mining: Disclosed the amount you took on our behalf within 7 days– Unique Mining Group to Upper East Reg. Minister
Unique Mining Group, one of the Small Scale Mining Group operating in the Gbene community of the Talensi District in the Upper East Region has requested the Upper East Regional Minister to disclose the money he received from Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited on behalf of Unique Mining Group. A letter written by the leadership of the Unique Mining Group and directed to the Upper East Regional Minister Mr. Stephen Yakubu which was sighted by Apexnewsgh.com with a reference number UN/Ma/01 dated December 29, 2022, and signed by the acting Chairman of the group Mr. Abdulai Amaligo says, “the request has become necessary because we are not sure of the total amount either by cheque or cash paid through the UERCC for onward delivery to our group (Unique Mining Group)”. The leadership of the group who are not satisfied with happenings regarding their share of money paid by Earl International also demands for more and better particulars. “We also wish to request for the dates of payments and the currency used for the payments”. they further requested We respectfully expect you to address our request within seven (7) working days from the day of receipt of this letter for us to decide the next line of action. The letter said. Meanwhile, during my earlier conversation with the Regional Minister December 8, 2022 on the same Unique Mining Group issue, the Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu, did not deny receiving the money from Earl International on behalf of the small-scale miners, he said his intervention through the RCC was to make sure peace returned at the mining area. But responding to why the disputed money was paid to an individual instead of a group, Mr. Yakubu said, the name of the individual was given to him by the Mineral Commission as the leader of the Unique Mining Group. Perhaps, on this current development, numerous efforts made by the platform through phone calls and messages in both WhatsApp and SmS to get the Regional Minister’s response to the said letter were not successful. More to come… Source: Apexnewsgh.com/GhanaFor publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
DCE’s who were ‘locked out’ during a meeting by Regional Minister, shares interesting reasons
Following the report that Mr. Stephen Yakubu, Upper East Regional Minister locked out some Municipal and District Chiefs Executives (MDCEs) and heads of departments in Bolgatanga for reporting late to the Regional Coordinating Council meeting, a report which was carried out by Ghana News Agency on the 24th December 2022, there has been a continuous call and pressure from members of the general public for this platform to get in touch with the DCEs for their side of the story. Apexnewsgh.com report The story says, out of the 15 MMDCs, the only 5 who were present are: Mr. Joseph Adongo, Kassena-Nankana Municipal, Mr. Gerard Ataogye, Kassena-Nankana West, Mr. Issahaku Tahiru, Bawku West, Mr. Osman Musah, DCE for Garu and Mr. David Amoah, Bolgatanga East. However, based on that massive demand from members of the general public, Apexnewsgh.com decided to engage some of the DCEs who were victims of the ‘LOCKED OUT’ action themselves, to hear their side of the story. Engaging the Binduri District Chief Executive (DCE) Ayinga Abagre Yakubu to hear his own side of the story he said, a query has been given to them and they will respond. Explaining what made him report late at the meeting he said, “With my own is very simple. You know Bawku and Binduri are very close and especially where I lived my village is closer to Bawku. A night before the meeting, there was a serious fight in Bawku and whenever there was a fight in Bawku there is a spillover in Binduri. So, when one wakes up in the morning, there are some other things one can do before he lives and it is about human lives and sometimes, we cannot just underrate human lives just like that. And even on that very fight in Bawku one of my community members was wounded, there was a straight bullet that hits his neck and he was rushed to Tamale, and just yesterday Monday he died. So, if you are sitting with people and such a thing should happen and you get up and say you are trying to rush to a meeting. So, sometimes we thought we could also address some of these issues before we can leave”. He told Apexnewsgh.com According to the Nabdam District Chief Executive (DCE) Agnes Anamoo, she explained that she is not someone who reports to meetings or any function late, she confirmed taking some permission from both Regional Minister and Regional Director on health matters. “On my side, on the 16th of December, we had a meeting with UNICEF at the Health Service in Bolga, and that day, the Regional Minister and Director were together and I took permission that I won’t be able to come for the meeting, because I wasn’t well and went for treatment and they asked me to come back. So, that day, I wasn’t actually there, I went to the hospital, and even at the hospital, I still text him to let him know that am still at the hospital but in case they finished on time and I will come. So, when I came they said, they have locked them out and I asked and they said because they came late. So, mine was a permission I took earlier on”. The Tempane District Chief Executive (DCE) Issaka Anabida, also explained that he not being able to report early at the meeting wasn’t deliberate. According to him, a robbery incident caused him not to be at the meeting on time. “The issue is that, there was some armed robbery incident in my district, the road between Garu and Binduri, the robbers robbed some 3 Kumasi buses. Not knowing that one of them attempted running and they shot him. So that day, they looked round and couldn’t see the body. So, the following day, the youth of my area were now aggrieved, they came to me and said, we have to do something and i directed them to continue the search. When I got the scene on my way to the meeting in Bolga, they have already seen the body, not knowing he went and hide under a gutter and they shot him there. And the way the situation is, I had to call the police to make sure things are done well, because the body was getting decomposed. So, I told my director to let them know that is the reason I will be coming late. So, I got to the meeting around 10:45 am, when they were introducing themselves, and they say we should wait maybe after the introduction they will allow us in. Then, later we were told because we came late, we will not be allowed in. Coming late at the meeting wasn’t deliberate at all”. He explained Meanwhile, the Bongo District Chief Executive Rita Atanga when we contacted her, declined to speak to us on the issue. The Talensi District Chief Executive Thomas Duanab however, explained that he wasn’t at the said meeting because he had already taken permission to go for a medical review. Also engaging the Builsa North Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Madam Vida Akantagriwen Anaab, she said, she and her colleague the Builsa South DCE Kwame Gariba also took permission.“To be frank, myself and the Builsa South District Chief Executive couldn’t go, the meeting was on Monday and the following day Tuesday was our Fiok festival. So, we asked for permission and they granted us that permission to stay back and organize our place for the Fiok festival”. Meanwhile, the locked-out decision by the Regional Minister didn’t affect the District Chief Executives alone, some heads of departments such as the Regional Health Director and the Regional boss for Roads and Highways, and some others were victims. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/GhanaFor publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
“You are the worst Regional Minister in the region history–NPP Reg Org Charles Ndabon fires Minister for locking DCEs out.
The Upper East Regional Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Mr. Charles T. Ndabon popularly as ‘Champion man’ has described his party man, the Upper East Regional Minister Mr. Stephen Yakubu as the worst Regional Minister ever had in the history of the region. Apexnewsgh.com report The party Regional Organizer who was registering his dissatisfaction following Regional Minister’s action against some DCEs said, the Regional Minister only used the DCEs as scapegoats to make it look like he is working in the eyes of his boss the president. A news item reported by GNA on December 24, 2022, says, “Mr. Stephen Yakubu, Upper East Regional Minister locked out some Municipal and District Chiefs Executives (MDCEs) and heads of departments in Bolgatanga for reporting late to the Regional Coordinating Council meeting”. Meanwhile, the Regional Organizer believes the Minister acted wrongly and stressed that the DCEs are under the Regional Minister, “if something like that happened, he can call them for a closed-door meeting, but he is rather bringing these things out to score a political point. He advised, the Regional Minister to sit up with the way he is dealing with his office. “The meeting was for the development of the region. So, if the DCEs are late for 2 to 5 minutes, that is enough but to take public for your boss to know that you are working meanwhile you are the worst Regional Minister we ever have”. he revealed Responding to the question of whether he disliked the Minister? Mr. Ndabon said, “Is not that I don’t like him, I respect him a lot but bringing this thing to the media for them to adore him as a hardworking Minister, I disagree with him, is a setup”. “Did he even engage them before to know why they were late to the meeting? The Regional Minister needs to explain this to the people of the region. Because, he cannot just say they came and he locked them outside, based on what? Each person has to tell his or her story and if the story is not reasonable you can take an action”. he stressed He also believes that the Minister’s action was a strategy way to undermine party projects. Insisting that if things go well the NPP wants to win more seats in the region. “But is this a way to win more seats? He asked “Supposing what they were going to discuss is something that is going to bring development in their various districts and he locked them outside, will they be able to know what is going to happen? He asked “Have you ever heard that President Nana Akufo-Addo locked out his Ministers? Are you telling me that all the cabinet Ministers have been attending meetings at the right time? So, you think the President doesn’t face those things? He does experience those things but, he doesn’t bring them out. The Minister only wants to score a political point and that should not be the case because, if we do that we are rather selling ourselves to our party opponents. He expressed The Upper East Regional Organizer made the pronouncement during an interview with Apexnewsgh.com on December 25, 2022. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
Upper East Regional Minister locks out DCEs for reporting late to RCC meeting
Mr Stephen Yakubu, Upper East Regional Minister locked out some Municipal and District Chiefs Executives (MDCEs) and heads of departments in Bolgatanga for reporting late to the Regional Coordinating Council meeting.The second RCC meeting was scheduled to begin at 1000 hours, however, at about 1100 hours only five out of the 15 MDCEs in the region had reported together with some heads of departments. The MDCEs present were Mr Joseph Adongo, Kassena-Nankana Municipal, Mr Gerard Ataogye, Kassena-Nankana West, Mr Issahaku Tahiru, Bawku West, Mr Osman Musah, DCE for Garu and Mr David Amoah, Bolgatanga East. The meeting was to afford the MDCEs and their Assemblies the opportunity to share development progress and challenges in their areas and enable stakeholders brainstorm solutions challenges facing the development of the region. The meeting was also in fulfilment of Article 255 of the 1992 Constitution under section 191 of the Local Government Act of 2016, Act 936 which mandates the RCC to meet and discuss the development concerns of the region and proffer solutions. With about an hour of wait, the Regional Minister became angry and asked the conference hall doors to be locked for the meeting begin. Some of the MDCEs and heads of departments who came later were not allowed in until the meeting was over. Mr Yakubu said poor attitude towards work was one of the main reasons the region was lagging in development, deepening the poverty cycle among the vulnerable people and therefore the situation must change under his tenure. He said the era, where some people especially those in leadership positions shirked their responsibilities and earned salaries at the end of the month was over and those in authority must be seen leading by example. “Those of you who have travelled, you know how others do it, but here we do not care. If you are a DCE and Monday you are not at work, do you think your staff will be at work? And the usual attitude of people not reporting to work on Friday because it is a weekend, and cry our pay is not enough cannot be tolerated”. He stated. The Regional Minister noted that it was regrettable that people who had been through and seen extreme poverty were given the opportunity, paid with taxpayer’s money to help eradicate poverty in the region were seen exhibiting poor attitudes towards work. “Because you can look after your kids and take them to better schools, get better food to eat, drink your beer, marry more women, have more kids, you will not come to work and they will still pay you and the most interesting thing is that most of come from this region and knowing that the poverty levels of families in the Northern Regions and need to work to improve their conditions. “All of us sitting here, very respectful, well-educated people, come to meeting and let us sit discuss matters of our region, something that we have to do because it is within the law, they will not come because over the weekend they were spending quality time with their families outside the region without thinking of the work that actually gave them that the quality life. GNA For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com
UER-: Overall Regional Best Farmer encourages youth to venture into farming
Mr. Awintuma Akande from Tili in the Bawku West District in the Upper East Region has received the award as the Overall Regional Best Farmer at the 38th Farmer’s Day Celebration Organized at the Jubilee Park in Bolgatanga. The celebration was massively attended by farmers across the region. Addressing the congregation and colleagues farmers after receiving the award, Mr. Akande said, this is the second time he is winning the Regional Best Farmer category. “And the most important thing am seeing this year happening is that, those years back, we were buying maize from Kumasi, Techiman to Upper East. But from that time to today, we are rather sending maize from Upper East to Accra, Kumasi, and even in the neighboring countries, we are supplying to them. So, am very proud today to stand here to thank all the farmers for the good work Upper East farmers have done for Ghana. So, am very happy today, to tell every farmer that receives an award today that they shouldn’t stop it here, they should go further and pull the best”. According to the Regional overall winner, apart from farming, there is nothing in Ghana. “Am talking about the youth today. When you just complete school don’t be running from office to office looking for jobs go into farming and be waiting, if something better comes out from the office you can go. As we speak, today, there is no work that they can employ me because they cannot pay me. So, I will not go to any office to look for work. He further advised the youth to venture into farming than looking for a white colour job. “So, today am just pleading to the youth to just try their best and venture into farming and at the end of the day, their lives will be settled”. Acknowledging the stress of using energy to farm, the award winner sends a message to the government through the Regional Minister to make farming equipment available for farmers. “What I want the Regional Minister to send back to Accra, is that the government should look inside the Agriculture. We need support, because, this time people don’t want to use their energy to farm, we need modern equipment. If we have the equipment, me alone I have about three thousand five hundred acres in my village. Looking for equipment to do the farming we don’t get. So, am just pleading with the government to go in and see how they can help the Agric sector so that, the youth will go into Agriculture when they see that is not energy work but mechanic work”. The Upper East Regional Minister Stephen Yakubu said, the Upper East’s path to prosperity as a region is self-reliant in value-added agriculture. He added the people of the Upper East Region are privileged to be endowed with arable land and water resources for agricultural productivity. “We have to effectively harness these resources within the context of value-added agriculture rather than selling our farm products in their raw state for the economic and social transformation of our communities”. He said Meanwhile, the Upper East Regional Director of Agri Alhaji Zakaria Fuseini acknowledged the efforts of farmers across the region. He highlighted some achievements made so far in the region. According to him, the Canadian government has provided the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) Programme and among the prioritized areas of MAG is strengthening market linkages, value addition, and activities that can generate other forms of income. The various Municipal and District Departments of Agriculture have skillfully carried out a number of training on related subjects, including training of women groups in the utilization of soya into khebab, milk, and “koose”, Orange Flesh Sweet Potato (OFSP) into “potagout” and Agra rice into “Massa” across the entire region. However, the Regional Agric Director said, “it is no secret that the agriculture sector is facing new challenges today such as climate change, a rise in the price of agricultural inputs, and recurrent outbreaks of animal diseases, notwithstanding the significant contribution made by our farmers and fisherfolks to regional and national level development. He described these as harmful factors unceasingly threatening the region’s local food production. Source: Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email apexnewsgh@gmail.com