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The inauguration follows the successful District Level Elections in December last year that elected new assembly and unit committee members to serve in the various assemblies for the next four years.

The District Level Elections are held every four years and take place a year before the Presidential and Parliamentary elections. As part of the inauguration, representatives of the President would deliver his inaugural address and all elected assembly and unit committee members across the 259 MMDAs would be sworn in to officially commence their mandate to ensure the smooth and effective discharge of their duties in their respective electoral areas.

Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Dan Botwe said the President had paid heed to the calls to ensure that more women and PWDs were appointed to serve this year.

Of the 66,257 candidates who contested in the district assembly elections held in December last year, 18,755 were assembly member candidates, while 47,502 were unit committee candidates according to statistics sourced from the Electoral Commission.

Out of the 18,755 candidates, 6,215 were elected to serve in the 259 MMDAs, per Section 5 (1) (b) Local Government Act, 2016 (Act 936) which states that “A District Assembly shall consist of one person from each electoral area within the district elected by universal adult suffrage following regulations made for the purpose by the Electoral Commission”.

For the unit committee members, 31,075 were elected out of the 47,502, given that each electoral area had five unit committee members.

The District Chief Executive for Talensi Mr. Thomas Pearson Duanab Wuni lauded all Twenty Two (22) elected and  Ten (10) government appointees to work hard for the development of the district in the coming years. He again thanked all invited members for making the inaugural ceremony a success.

Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF), the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), the Ministry Ot^s Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) and the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) to support selected Metropolitan. Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to compile administrative data. The data is expected to provide inputs into the 2022 Annual Progress Reports of the MMDAs as well as their Annual Work Programmes for 2023 and beyond,

To ensure the data are consistent with MMDAs data needs, the Medium-Term Development Plans, MTDP, (2022-2025) and 2020 Annual Progress Reports (APRs) were reviewed to reflect identified data gaps in the templates. Developed in MS Excel, the template has over 150 indicators, including the 20 core indicators NDPC require all MMDAs to report on in their APRs. It covers 15 topics including agriculture, education, health, ‘,vater, road network, SDGs budget, sanitation, etc.

The 101 selected MMDAs were trained in March 2022 in the use of the templates to compile the data and a follow-up in May and June with data validation training to ensure district statisticians check the accuracy of the collated data. A third of the districts were sampled in August 2022 to understand the level of completion, validation and engagements with the District Planning and Coordinating Units (DPCU). On average, about 70% of the templates are completed. 85% of validation done and 64% ofMMDAs have engaged with DPCUs increasing the possibility of these data informing the 2022 APRs that are due within quarter one of 2023.

Justification for scaled-up

l . Following a presentation made to delegates at the 2022 NALAG Conference in May, almost all MMDCEs present requested to cover their districts so they are not left behind in meeting their annual performance agreement with the sector minister.

2. Direct request made by Minister for MLGDRD following a visit led by the Government Statistician in May to brief him on the project.
3. In July, GSS and Africa Center for Parliamentary Affairs organised a Data Fair in Parliament for Members of the House and there was resounding request to cover all MMDAs.
4. A multimedia documentary prepared during the implementation of the project in the 101 MMDAs captured several district actors, i.e. planning officers, budget analysts, coordinating directors, regional ministers, district chief executives, and statisticians, expressing the value of the exercise for the work of all MMDAs.
5. In line with Leave-No-One Behind, enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the recent push to encourage Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) for SDGs implementation at the local level, this programme remains the singular most important opportunity for evidence-based VLRs.
6. It has been the hope of the Development Partners (DPs) who funded the project implementation in the 101 MMDAs that this will be sustained through a scale-up to the remaining 160 districts.
7. A scale-up of this project will provide the needed statistical infrastructure for the District Statistical Departments as established by Local Government Act 635 (2016) to demonstrate their relevance and usefulness in the decentralisation efforts.

Overall Objective

To improve the availability and use of routine administrative data to inform public policy and financial management that responds to the needs and aspirations of citizens and communities at the sub-national and national levels.

Specific Objectives

To enhance the capacity of District Statisticians and Planning Officers on data compilation, including Citizens Generated data, to increase evidence-based decisionmaking in all MMDAs

To enhance the capacity of District Statisticians and Budget Officers on the alignment of the SDGs budgets with the Annual Work Programme derived from their 2022-2025 Medium-term Development Plan

To build the capacity of MMDAs on the use of metadata to compile consistent and comparable data over time and across districts,

Expected Outcomes

District Statisticians compile relevant district-level data to inform the annual work programme and annual progress report

Participating MMDAs better align their annual budget to the SDG targets as required by the directive of MOF in 2019

All district statisticians have the capacity to ensure quality administrative data products which are nationally and internationally comparable

Published knowledge products (process report and multimedia documentary)

Data collection tool

To align the data templates to be consistent with MMDAs data needs, the Medium-Term Development Plans, MTDP, (2022-2025) and 2020 Annual Progress Reports (APRs) were reviewed to reflect identified data gaps in the templates. Developed in MS Excel, the template has over 100 indicators, including the 23 core indicators NDPC require all MMDAs to report on in their APRs. It covers 15 topics including agriculture, education, health, water, road network, SDGs budget, sanitation, etc.

Organisation — TOT

To ensure ownership and oversight, and for the sustainability ofthis programme, the GSS and the partners plan to conduct zonal training of trainers (TOT) for all 16 regions which will in turn lead to the training of the selected MMDAs staff. The eight (8) regional officers for the ToT are:

Department for the 160 MMDAs.

The Third Ordinary General Assembly meeting was held on Thursday 27^th October, 2022 at the conference hall of the District Assembly. The meeting was chaired by Presiding Member Hon. John Millim Nabwonya.The minutes of previous meeting were read and necessary corrections made as well. Again, matters arising out of previous minutes were discussed and recommendations were made by the Executive Committee. The Presiding member and all stakeholders unanimously approved the Annual Action Plan, the Composite Budget and the Fee fixing Resolution which contain planned programmes and projects of the Assembly for execution in 2023.

The Hon. DCE Thomas Duanab Pearson Wuni gave comprehensive report covering the following sectors; Security, Education, Health, Agriculture, Sanitation, Mining, Road Networks, Rural Electrification project, Local Economic Development, etc. The Hon. DCE thanked Hon. Assembly members, Heads of Departments and Distinguished Invited Guests for a fruitful and a successful deliberation.

The Second Ordinary General Assembly Meeting  of the Talensi District Assembly was held on Tuesday 16^th August 2022 at the District Assembly conference hall. The presiding Member, Hon. John Millim Nabwonya welcomed members to the meeting and thanked them for their support and contributions during the First Ordinary Meeting. The DCE, Hon. Thomas Duanab Pearson Wuni highlighted the following during his address on Health, Education, Finance, Security, Mining, Assembly Bye laws, District Medium Term Development Plan, District Assemblies Performance Tool (DPAT), Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty(LEAP). The Hon. DCE presented to the Assembly Members recommendations made during the previous meeting to help resolve pending issues in various sectors and enhance development in the District.

Hon. Stephen Yakubu, the Upper East Regional Minister, Regional Police Commander and Chief Director for the region visit Talensi District Assembly.

The regional minister spoke about reforms and urged all stakeholders to assist in the development of the district.

Hon. Stephen Yakubu and his entourage including the District Chief Executive and District Co-ordinating Director visited some mining companies to familiarize with their operations and some other communities in the district.

The Head of Service, Ing. Dr. Nana Ato Arthur paid a working visit to the Talensi District Assembly on Wednesday May 5, 2021. He was met on arrival by the District Chief Executive Christopher Boatbil, the Co-ordinating Director, Mr. Clifford Atanga and some Heads of Departments.

He made mention of professionalism as key in the growth and development of every organization in his speech. He encouraged those who were not up to speed in terms of job performance to measure up and improve upon their performance. He appreciated staff for the demonstration of hard work and team spirit to the development of the Local Government Service.

He also praised the District Chief Executive, District Co-ordinating Director and Heads of units for their professionalism which he believed was the primary factor that encouraged the entire staff to give off their best.

At the open forum session, staff expressed their profound gratitude to the Head of Service and other colleagues for their visit. Other issues considered critical for the progress of the office was also deliberated upon.

All stakeholders were invited to the performance review meeting for (2018-2021) which is in its final phase implementation. Heads of department/units made presentations during the performance review session.

An overview of the District’s performance and also outstanding issues of relevance was incorporated into the 2022-2025 medium term development plan.

The inaugural service for the 2022-2025 planning development committee was held at the District Assembly Hall.

The chief of Pusu-Namongo in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region has released a 6-acre land to the district assembly for the construction of a modern warehouse under government’s warehouse project.

During his recent visit to the region, President Nana Akufo-Addo region announced government established 50 warehouses across the country to store food produce in order to avoid post-harvest losses.

In the Upper East, five districts will benefit according to the president.

Addressing the chief and people of Pusu-Namongo community, the District Chief Executive (DCE), Dr. Christopher Boabil, observed that if there is abundance of food without storage facilities, the food would go waste hence the essence of the warehouse.

Today is an exciting day. I am saying is an exciting day because the Talensi district is privileged to have the buffer stock warehouse facility in Pusu-Namongo here. Before I proceed, let me first of all thank the President, Nana Addo for giving us this project. It is in line with the vision of Planting for Food and Jobs and I believe all of you here, can see the linkage.

President has rolled out a programme of Planting for food and jobs and the programme is not only to create jobs but to make sure that there is plenty food for Ghanaians. And now, if there is so much food and there are no storage facilities, the likelihood is that a lot of the food that we are going to harvest will go waste and that is why this buffer stock concept is coming. It is also coming because it is a way of guaranteeing famers good prices. Farmers will no longer sell their produce at give-away prices and it will also encourage farmers to farm more.

However, Dr. Boabil believes that with the construction of the warehouse in the district, farmers will be able to produce more food to enable them supply food to schools under school feeding programme.

The Chief of Pusu Nomongo, Naab Saheng Kumbelimsaah, who handed over a parcel of land to the DCE, pledged to support government with more land for developmental projects. He also promised to with the constructor and the consultant to ensure smooth and speedy completion of the project within 6 months”.

The project is awarded to OFH Western Homes Limited.

Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen/A1radioonline.com/Ghana

Upper East Region is one of the regions in Ghana that experiences one farming season. This often starts from June and between August and September, the rains intensify thus, getting farms in low-lying areas especially those along the White Volta Basin flooded.

A visit to the White Volta Basin farming community of Pwalugu by A1 NEWS’s Joshua Asaah last Friday revealed that almost all the farms, predominantly maize farms, had submerged under flood waters. Except a handful of farmers who were seen using canoes to harvest their early maize, most of which were not completely matured, the rest of the framers would have nothing to harvest this year.

Though this has become an annual ritual that framers on that basin lose their crops to floods, the farmers say the land is fertile and would prefer to gamble by cropping in the area than to travel to nearby communities like Arigo and Goborigo where the land is equally fertile but without floods to farm.

A farmer who gave his name as Nsoh Ayine and his colleagues said they were willing to form groups for the government to provide them with farming machinery and agrochemicals to enable them farm uplands to avoid the perennial flooding of their farms that eventually worsen their poverty situation.

The Talensi District Director of Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Lantana Osman, revealed that farmlands in four communities in the district have been submerged. She explained that the major cause of the floods was as a result of siltation of the White Volta caused by farming activities on its banks.

According to her, her department last year planted about 15,000 bamboo seedlings on the banks to prevent further siltation. Due to the harsh weather however, she said some of the seedlings survived but others could not.

The director said:

This year, we took some again thinking that the floods would not come because we are looking at buffer zone protection. You know there is a law that you are not supposed to do any farming activities 100 miters away from the river bank so that is actually what we are trying to get the farmers to adhere to, and the main reason why we are encouraging the planting of the bamboo so that the farmers will do their farming activities after the 100 miters zone.

Madam Osman disclosed that a team of agriculture officers from her office have since visited some four major communities affected by the recent floods. Some of the affected communities include Yinduri, Lungo and Pwulugu, all in the Talensi district.

By: Joshua Asaah|a1radioonline.com|101.1Mhz