TANO SOUTH NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CIVIC EDUCATION HOLDS INTER PARTY DIALOGUE COMMITTEE MEETING

The Tano South District Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education has held an inter party dialogue committee meeting at Bechem to educate party representatives and other stakeholders on the role of the Electoral Commission and the experience Ghanaians have gained from the 2012 election petition case which was sent to the supreme court.

Topics that were treated at the forum included, the representation of the people, the right to vote, how to prevent election fraud and duties of both the electoral commission and the political parties and present at the function were  Mr. Issah Nasagri, the Brong Ahafo Regional Director of NCCE, Nana Okumasono Osei Tutu, the Nkabomhene of the Bechem Traditional Area who chaired the function, Miss Georgina Agyeiwaa, the Acting District Director of NCCE, Heads of Departments, representatives of political parties and other stakeholders.

In a presentation, Mr. Issah Nasagri said, since 1992 Ghana’s electoral system has undergone various transformations and as a result Ghana’s voting system is now Biometric whereby a Bio Metric verifying system is used during polls.

Mr. Nasagri said, the constitution of Ghana mandated all Ghanaians who are eligible to vote are  to cast their vote to elect a president and it is mandatory that, the elected president is responsible to provide equal opportunities to the citizenry of Ghana irrespective of their political affiliation, ethnicity and religion. He urged voters in the 2016 elections to vote for the candidate of their choice whom they think could lead the Nation into prosperity.

Mr. Nasagri, on the right to vote said, a voter must be a Ghanaian of eighteen years and above and of a sound mind and registered as a voter.

He said the duties of the political parties as mandated by the constitution of Ghana requires the freedom of Association and it behoves on every Ghanaian to join any political party of his or her choice and the party is also required to introduce its ideology or manifesto to the electorates and it is upon the dissemination of its ideologies and manifesto to the people that the party is able to attract followers. He advised that differences in political ideologies should not create enmity amongst the people and entreated political party leaders to see to it that they do not push minors and non – Ghanaians to register as voters so as to vote for their party.

Mr. Nasagri said, it is the duty of the electoral commission to create electoral boundaries for both National and Local Government elections, conduct and supervise all public elections, educate people on the electoral processes and its purposes and to perform other functions as may be prescribed by law. He said, the electoral commission must be transparent and cooperate with the civil society organizations to initiate effective mechanisms and strategic plans which can curb electoral fraud and hinted that when a particular party is allowed to cheat in elections it hampers the progresses of the country.

Nana Okumasono Osei Tutu in his closing remark urged participants to go home and preach the facilitator’s gospel to those who could not make it to the function and said when people are abreast with the trend of affairs especially the electoral processes and systems they will not be manipulated by politicians to embark on electoral fraud since ‘’ lack of knowledge makes people perish’’  and appealed to the electoral commission of Ghana to do all it can to make peace prevail before, during and after the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections.

TANO SOUTH DISTRICT UNIT COMMITTEES SWORN INTO OFFICE

Seven Unit Committees in the Tano South District of the Brong Ahafo Region have been sworn into office at different ceremonies held at Brosankro, Bechem, Dwomo, Techimantia, Subriso, Derma and Ankaase.

The swearing in ceremonies which were performed by the Tano South District Chief Executive Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba, the Distrrict Coordinating Director Mrs. Agartha Ahia and the Presiding Member of the Assembly, Hon. Anthony Opoku at different ceremonies was in accordance with L.I 1959 of the Local Government Act 1994.

In all the speeches delivered at the various swearing in ceremonies, Unit Committee Members were given their roles in the Assembly set up and that it was the responsibility of the committees to convey meetings to deliberate on issues confronting their units. The unit committee members were informed that, laid down procedures are put in place for the conveyance of meetings and it is proper that, the procedure is always followed.

Committee members were reminded that minutes of their meetings should be copied to the Assembly for the General Assembly to discuss it. The unit committees were told that one of their core functions was revenue mobilization to strengthen the Assembly’s revenue base so as to enable the Assembly to undertake more development projects.

On the National Sanitation Day clean- up exercise held monthly throughout the country, unit committee members were reminded that government has set aside every first Saturday of every month to be observed as s National Sanitation day and that it should be observed as such, they were reminded that their participation in the clean-up exercise would go a long way to get more people in their various localities to participate in the exercise.

Touching on the spate of bushfires currently being experienced in the district, unit committee members were reminded of the effects of bushfires and were therefore entreated to educate their people on it and also guide against the causes of the bushfires.

GRADUATES RECEIVE START- UP KITS

Five graduates of the Rural Technology Facility at Bechem have been presented with start – up kits after completing a three year training programme in metal works and fabrication at the facility.

Picture shows items and its recipients

The kits which were made of Compressors, Bench Fitting and Grinding Machines and its accessories were giving to the students by the Rural Enterprise Project as an incentive to enable them start their own businesses in addition to certificates of merit.

 At a presentation ceremony which was held at the premises of the Tano South District Assembly, the Tano South District Chief Executive, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba said, the establishment of the Rural Facility Centre at Bechem was as a result of the governments determination to train more artisans and the zeal with which Nananom of the Bechem Traditional Council readily released land for the project.

                      

Hon.Anaba addressing the gathering

Hon. Anaba said, the government attaches great importance to the Rural Technology Facility project since it is committed to upgrading our polytechnics into Technical Universities so as to train more to acquire technical and artisanary skills.

Hon. Anaba commended the Medium and Small Scale Committee of the Assembly for its immense contribution towards the establishment of the Rural Technology Facility and urged parents to send their Junior High School graduates to the Centre to acquire technical skills. He said the Tano South District Assembly through the Business Advisory Centre has been able to train people in soap making, grass cutter rearing and granted loans to petty traders to expand their businesses.

The Tano South District Head of the Business Advisory Centre Mr. Abdul Mutalib in a speech said his outfit has put down strategic plans to train people in craft work and hinted that the Bechem Rural Technology Facility is financed by the Africa Development Bank and entreated all and sundry who want to be trained to register at his outfit at the Tano South District Assembly. Mr. Abdul said, aside the various training programmes, his outfit has given out to people and various courses it has embarked, his office is still in the process of bringing out the best to the people and urged all entrepreneurs to contact his office for business advices.

      

BAC Head, Mr. Abdul Mutalib and the DCE, presenting a certificate and items to a beneficiary

A student, on behalf of his colleagues, thanked the government, the Tano South District Assembly and the Rural enterprises Project for making it possible for them to complete the training and also presenting them with the start-up kits.

The well attended presentation ceremony saw in attendance Officials of the Rural Enterprises Project, the Tano South District Coordinating Director, Mrs. Agartha Ahia, The Ag. manager of RTF, Mr.Darius Nii – Ashiedu, Assembly members and Staff of the Assembly

WORK TO BEGIN ON DERMA – ASUOSO TRUNK ROAD

A ground breaking ceremony has been held at Derma in the Tano South District of the Bong Ahafo Region for the construction of  the Derma –Asuoso Trunk Road. The project which is part of the government’s policy to improve road infrastructure in cocoa growing areas is being undertaken by a Sunyani Based Road construction Firm, PMC Ltd.

At a durbar held at Derma for the ground breaking ceremony was in attendance, the Honourable Member of Parliament and Deputy Minister for food and agriculture, Hon. Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw, the Brong Ahafo Minister, Hon. Eric Opoku, the Deputy Brong Ahafo Minister, Hon. Justice Samuel Adjei, the Tano South District Chief Executive, Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba, and the District Chief Executives  for Dormaa Municipal and Sunyani West.

Welcoming the people gathered at the ceremony, the Tano South District Chief Executive Hon. Bukari Zakari Anaba said, the ground breaking ceremony would open up the process for the contractor to begin work on the project. He said when work on the project is completed; it will facilitate the transportation of their products  both  cash and food crops to the buying centres and appealed to Nananom and the good people of the area to give all the necessary assistance to the contractor and his men at work.

Addressing the gathering, the Member of Parliament for Tano South Constituency and Deputy Minister of  Food and Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Hannah Louisa Bissiw said, the government has awarded the Derma-Asuoso Road for bitumen surface laying in fulfilment of the promise the NDC government gave during their 2012 electioneering campaign and also catalogued some of the achievements of the NDC government and said, the NDC government has been able to provide many school buildings to replace schools under trees, provision of ICT centres, Poly Clinics, CHPS compounds, provision of electricity to rural areas, scholarship award to needy but brilliant children and other social intervention programmes.

Hon. Dr. Bissiw said, she would organise a free eye-screening excercise in the District to enable all access eye care and also provide public toilets to areas which lack them.

Addressing the gathering, the Brong Ahafo regional Minister, Hon. Eric Opoku, congratulated the Member of Parliament and the District Chief Executive for their good works and the cooperation which has existed between them and Nananom  leading to the peaceful atmospheric condition the District has enjoyed over the years.

He said, since many development projects have been undertaken in the District, it is the collective responsibility of all to take good care of them for the future generation also to come and enjoy their benefits.

Hon. Eric Opoku informed the gathering tha,t maintenance work on the Derma-Asuoso Road will be financed by the auspices of the Ghana Cocoa Board and hinted that government has allocated an amount of GH¢15.6million to finance the Derma-Asuoso project. He said due to the climate change the nation is experiencing, many water bodies has reduced in size and this has also affected electricity supply in the country and has led to the load shedding exercise currently being experienced in the country and hinted that the government is putting measures in place to resolve the situation.

 Nana Krobea Asante II, the Dermahene who chaired the function said in his remarks that, he was grateful to the government for a dream come through and assured that he and his people will do all it takes to help the contractor and his men for the successful completion of the project since the project would also open the Tano South District to the Ashanti Region.