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Hon. Thomas Duanab Perason Wuni is very happy for yet another opportunity given me to address this August House on its First Ordinary Meeting of the year 2024.

Before I proceed, I wish on behalf of the chiefs and people of the District and on my own behalf to warmly welcome all of you to today’s meeting.

Hon. Presiding members, I will like to crave your indulgence to update you on the performance of various sectors of the district Hon. Members, the education sector continuous to receive the needed attention by both the Assembly and Central Government. Our support to the education sector is mainly in the areas of the provision of classroom blocks to the distribution of furniture, Exercise books, and teaching and learning materials like mathematical sets.

The Assembly in collaboration with District Education Directorate is also making the necessary arrangement to organize mock exams for our 2024 BECE candidates in a bit to prepare them for the exams schedule for October. We will also try to see the possibility of procuring mathematical sets to support the students.

Colleagues Hon. Members, mindful of the health needs of our people, the Assembly continues to demonstrate strong commitment in supporting the sector to deliver on its mandate.

To this end, the Assembly is implementing various activities and projects to enable the health directorate to provide the needed health care to the people.

Hon. Members, as you are aware, agriculture is the mainstay of our district’s economy employing close to about seventy percent of the district’s workforce and the Government will continue to support the sector through Modernising Agriculture and the Planting for Food and Jobs, Rearing for food and Jobs among other programs to boost productivity and attain food security.

 Hon.  Members, the district continues to enjoy relative peace and stability and I will like to use this occasion to express my heartfelt gratitude to Hon. Members, our chiefs, the security agencies and all those who are contributing in one way or the other to maintain peace and security in the district.

However, it is important for all of us to continue to monitor happenings within our communities particularly the mining areas to ensure that the peace we enjoy is sustained

Honorable Presiding Member, Hon. Assembly Members, Heads of Department, once again, I wish to thank you all for the opportunity and for your support. It is my fervent hope and prayer that our deliberations will inure to the benefit of our people.

Thank you and May the Almighty God bless us all.

Thank you.

All drilling companies must be registered with the Water Resources Commission (WRC). Among other things, the registration would help the WRC monitor the activities of the drilling companies and ensure that they do right by their clients.

The WRC would also build the capacity of the drilling companies to collect data around underground water and the usage of the same across the country.

The Head of the White Volta Basin with the Water Resources Commission, Jesse Kazapoe, made these comments when he spoke with A1 Radio’s Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show yesterday, Wednesday, April 24, 2024.

“Drilling companies which have rigs are supposed to be licensed. This is where we are all supposed to help each other. These companies are supposed to drill boreholes on behalf of people and provide us with data, but most of them don’t. So we have a cause to complain about them. They don’t even employ the right people who would be able to log the data and give us the right information to plan,” he said.

The data, according to Mr. Kazapoe, is necessary to help the country plan properly.

“We need to plan because as a nation, we should be able to tell how much water we have underground. Other nations have done that; which amount is safe for drinking, which amount should we use for irrigation because we cannot drink, which amount cannot be used because the elements in them are so high that if we want to use them, it may cause harm to us, our bodies, or any other thing,” he said.

The Water Resources Commission (WRC) in Ghana is a regulatory body established under the Water Resources Commission Act, 1996 (Act 522). It oversees the management and allocation of water resources across the country. Its main functions include regulating water abstraction through permits, promoting Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles, collecting and managing water-related data, developing policies for water resource management, resolving conflicts among stakeholders, and conducting capacity building and awareness campaigns.

The WRC plays a crucial role in ensuring sustainable and equitable access to water resources in Ghana. By issuing permits and licenses, it regulates the use of water to prevent overexploitation and depletion of water sources. Additionally, through its policy development and implementation efforts, the commission promotes the responsible management of water resources while addressing conflicts and raising public awareness about the importance of water conservation and sustainable use.

Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana

The district anniversary celebration is underway at the Tongo LA Primary School in Tongo in the Upper East Region of Ghana.This follows President Akufo-Addo’s decision in 2017 to have the national independence celebration held on a rotational basis to open the districts to the world to boost the indigenous economy.

Nationwide parades and other activities are taking place today to mark Ghana’s 67^th Independence Anniversary.

The theme for this year’s event is: “Our Democracy, Our Pride”.

Ghana gained independence after 83 years of British colonial rule, becoming the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve independence from Britain. The country’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana as “free forever” from colonial rule, marking a historic turning point in the governance of the country. Since that day, every March 6 is celebrated across the country and among Ghanaians in the Diaspora with various activities, some of which are observed throughout the month of March.

The District Chief Executive, Hon. Thomas Pearson Duanab Wuni in his speech welcomed all invited guest, Ladies and gentlemen, the Government has also done creditably in the provision of educational facilities at the basic level. In 2023, about 1,895 dual, mono desks and hexagonal chairs were distributed to all schools across the district comprising 212 and from Assembly, 1003 from Minerals Development Fund and 680 from the Ministry of Education. Again the Assembly completed the construction of a 3-unit classroom block at Sakorit and a 2-unit KG block at Gorogo. We also constructed a 3-unit classroom block for Kaare Primary. Efforts are being made to procure 90 pieces of dual desks for the classrooms and hand over it over to the Ghana Education Service.

Under the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project, the Assembly began the construction of a 2-unit KG block at Guborigu in November, 2023. The Assembly will also construct 3No. 3-unit classroom block at Yinduri, Gee and Gaarezore in 2024. The provision of furniture is incorporated into this package and so pupils and teachers are expected to have a sound learning environment when completed. The Assembly will also continue to support the District Education Directorate to adequately prepare the BECE candidates for the exams.

Mr Chairman, the performance of students at the Basic Education Certificate Examination is also of great concern to many of us. Even though the Talensi District’s BECE performance has been increasing consistently over the years, we are yet to record a fifty percent pass. In 2023, Talensi District got 42.7 percent pass in the BECE. While we commend the District Director of Education and her staff and all teachers for the marginal increase in performance, I still think this is not good enough and we can do better. I will therefore like to use this platform to call on all stakeholders like the District Assembly, the District Education Directorate, Parents, Teachers, School Management Committees and Students to collaborate more effectively to be able to change the narrative.

The District Education Director, thanked all members and pleaded with the District Assembly to help in resolving some issues in the various schools.

Thank you all for coming and let us celebrate our 67 years of independence peacefully.

Long live Ghana and Long live the good people of Talensi District.

Thank you and May the Almighty God Bless us all.

The SOCO project is a multi-country US$450 million credit facility to be implemented in Ghana, Côte d`Ivoire, Togo, and Benin with the aim of providing support to the northern parts of the Gulf of Guinea countries, which suffer instabilities due to food insecurity, climate change, conflict, and violence.

Chiefs and leaders of the communities handed over sites for the construction of two CHIPS compounds, one at Balungu and another in Sepat. This is because they have been using somebody’s house as a CHIPS compound and also build a KG school at Kuborigu, which has been a challenge because children walk all the way to Kpalugu to attend school.

The District Chief Executive Officer (DCE) for Talensi, Thomas Duanab Wuni Pearson, has disclosed that residents of the district stand a chance of benefiting from fish ponds using mechanised boreholes, Guinea fowl farm houses and rehabilitation of Community Center as part of the first phase of the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project. He disclosed that these projects would cost GH¢4 million for the first year.

Community Engagement at Balungu

Zonal Coordinator of SOCO and staff of Talensi District Assembly

Handing Over of Site for Construction of CHIPS compound at Sepat

Over 500 youth in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region have vowed to take action against two mining companies that have failed to employ them despite operating in the area for close to ten years.

The young people have formed a coalition dubbed the Talensi Youth Group and on Sunday, April 9, 2023, issued a press release warning the two mining companies, Earl International Gold Limited and Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited, to either rescind their actions or face their fury.

Richard Yondol, who read the press release on behalf of the members, indicated that they were aware of the companies’ diabolical attitudes of denying them jobs and hence were ready to resist such policies.

“We are aware of their diabolic attitude of denying both our youth jobs in the name of lacking experience and local contractors the opportunity to work with them. We shall resist companies whose corporate policies are not in support of our human capital development. We are aware of Cardinal Mining clearing parts of our land without proper consultations and compensations to the immediate impact communities and their apology thereafter.”

He stressed further that “We will not sit aloft for mining companies to take ‘Talenteng’ Youth for granted. We hereby call on the government, the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources, the Mineral Commission, the Talensi District Assembly, the Talensi Traditional Council, and opinion leaders of Talenteng to, as a matter of urgency, call on the investors to do what is right in law and in good practise to ensure Talenteng and, for that matter, the Youth are gainful employed in the mines otherwise no meaningful activity of theirs will be undertaken.”

He also called on the two mining companies to stop issuing directives that one should have five to ten years of working experience before one can be employed.

“The issue of five to 10 years of work experience before one can be employed is bogus. As landlords, we want priority and protocols to be solely exercised for the immediate impact of communities.”

Meanwhile, the youth have also called on the public to stop ridiculing the name of their paramount chief, Tongraan Kugbilsong Nalebigtang.

“We want to strongly condemn the actions of some persons or groups of persons who are irrelevant in decision making in the region to desist from their malicious and selfish interests and stop attacking prominent persons in society. Any attempt to bring the good name of our overlord into disrepute will not yield any results. We want to state clearly that we stand solidly with our Traditional Council and its President, Tongraan, Kugbilsong Nalebigtang, for the development of Talenteng and its youth. We further state that our Tindanam and Chiefs are custodians of our land, and the people therein discharge their duties in honesty and justice.”

Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Ghana

Capacity Building on Meeting, Minutes and Report Writing, Community Engagement and Relationship in MMDAs are ways to encourage all employees in Talensi District Assembly to use English in order to enhance their English skills, especially writing and community engagement

This Capacity Building was opened by Dr. Asaah S. Mohammed at 8:30am. In his opening speech, he welcomed all participants and encouraged them to participate fully in all roles available in capacity building.

In the main event, it was followed by presentation of Dr. Asaah S. Mohammed who elaborated on preparing the meeting, minutes writing, report writing, community engagement and relationship in MMDAs. Few participants asked questions. The capacity building ended at 2:30pm. The average participants looked more enthusiastic.

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has launched a multi-country development project dubbed, the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project in Bolgatanga.

The SOCO Project is a $450 million multi-country Credit Facility Project secured by the Governments of Ghana, Cote d’ Ivoire, Togo and Benin from the World Bank, and the project is aimed at improving facilities and security in the northern sectors and boarder towns of the four West African countries, in the face of emerging extremism in the West African sub-region.

Launching the project in Bolgatanga on Friday November 25, 2022, Vice President Bawumia revealed that out of the total amount of $450m facility, the Government of Ghana has secured US $150Million to implement the Project in forty-eight (48) Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in six regions of the country, distributed as follows: Northern – eight (8) District Assemblies, North East – six (6) District Assemblies , Upper East – all the fifteen (15) District Assemblies, Upper West – all the eleven (11) District Assemblies , Savannah – four (4) District Assemblies and Oti – four (4) District Assemblies.

Dr. Bawumia described the project as “a very important and timely intervention aimed at addressing some key emerging and recurring challenges in the northern part of Ghana.”

“The Project has been conceived and designed to address the effects of the spill over of conflicts and extremism from the Sahel Region; reduce vulnerability because of exposure to the impacts of climate change; strengthen local institutions; improve economic opportunities and build public trust,” he added.

For the Ghana project, the Vice President further explained that the project will focus mostly on border communities in these regions, where the citizenry especially women and youth are exposed and susceptible to the threats of terrorism from the Sahel Region.

“This is very significant as countries all over the world are pursuing strategies to address these challenges in view of the anticipated worsening of the situation if the necessary interventions are not promptly instituted,” said the Vice President.

“The project as conceptualised, takes cognisance of regional perspectives and impact of the issues that are common to the four countries, whilst enabling country led actions that respond to local needs. It also leverages experience sharing on prevention of the spill over effects from the Sahel, fragilities, climate-related risks in the four (4) participating Gulf of Guinea countries, as well as, conflict prevention by the affected countries,” he added.

The project will also prioritise the needs of communities and strengthen local institutions to give the citizenry, especially the vulnerable, a voice to take part, influence and play a vital role in prioritising local development investments, as well as, promote social cohesion and build trust in their communities.

For almost a decade, the living conditions of over sixteen  million people living in the northern parts of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo have been threatened by the spread of conflict from the Sahel, which has led to increased vulnerability to the impact of climate change.

Source: presidency.gov.gh

Some local farmers numbering about 700 have had their farm crops destroyed  by the Bagre dam spillage in the Talensi district of the Upper East Region.

Their produce namely millet, cassava and watermelon among others have been washed away.

The farmers say they have lost everything to the water spillage.

Some of them who spoke with class 91.3 FM’s Upper East regional correspondent Moses Appiah complained about how they have lost everything they invested into the farm as a result of the the unannounced spillage.

The District Director of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Alpha Robert, speaking in an interview noted that his outfit has begun doing some assessment- based reports to ascertain the levels of the danger of the spillage on farmland.

He added that the assessment is only for record-keeping and not to seek relief items for the affected farmers.

The 2022 Green Ghana Day Celebration was marked by the Talensi District Assembly at the forecourt of the Assembly premises on Friday 10^th June, 2022. The event was graced by the presence of the District Chief Executive, District Coordinating Director, staff of the District Assembly, staff of forestry commission, chiefs and people of the Talensi District. In his address to the people, the Hon. DCE indicated that this initiative falls part of the government’s effort to restore the forest cover which has been depleted as a result of human activities such as logging, mining and bush burning. He urged all and sundry to not only plant trees but also nurture them to maturity. The event was climaxed with the Hon. DCE planting and watering a tree at the compound of the Assembly.

The Tongo District Assembly (DA) in the Upper East Region has undertaken a number of development projects in the Talensi District to improve health infrastructure and delivery in the area.

Notable among the projects the Assembly executed with other development partners are; a modern Mother and baby care unit for the Tongo Hospital, nurses quarters at Gorogo, in the Western part of the District and a CHPS compound at Awaradone community.

Two shea butter processing factories have were constructed at Sheaga and Laabisi, to help the women expand their shea butter businesses and improve livelihoods in the communities.

At a recent town hall meeting held in Bolgatanga under the auspices of the Ministry of Information, Dr Christopher Boatbil, the Talensi District Chief Executive, said the Assembly had completed and handed over a 10- Seater water closet toilet at Tongo, while two other toilets were built at Tindongo Market and the Tongo Primary school.

To ensure proper distribution of water to communities, 25 boreholes were installed through the support of the Catholic Relief Service (CRS).

The Assembly this year, distributed 5,500 cashew seedlings to farmers for planting and handed over nine motorbikes to the District Director of the Ministry of Food Agriculture (MoFA) to improve extension services, he said.

He said under the government’s One District, One Warehouse policy, an on-going construction of a warehouse was underway with works 90 per cent complete.

On education, the DCE said a 15-classroom block was constructed at Kulpelliga in the eastern part of Talensi and a three-unit kindergarten block was built for pupils at Gbeogo.

He said an abandoned teacher’s quarters at Baare was completed and handed over to the school, while furniture was procured and given to the KG pupils.