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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.

The District Chief Executive of Talensi, Dr. Christopher Boatbil has led a team of senior management staff of some decentralized departments in the district to visit the families of miners who perished in the Gbane mines accident last week.

Some sixteen Small Scale Miners died last Wednesday, January 23, after Shaanxi Mining Company was reported to have undertaken an underground blast. The miners died from inhalation of gas from the blast.

Bodies of the deceased have since been buried in their respective communities and respective families.

Addressing the media during the visit, Dr. Boatbil said the move by the assembly, was an indication that the assembly and for that matter government, is concern about the tragedy that occurred.

Meanwhile, he assured the people of Talensi to exercise patience and assured that when the on going investigation is completed, issues of mining will not bring such tragedy in Talensi again.

Places visited were Datoku, Gbani, Sheaga, Gorogo, Tindongo and Gaari and an undisclosed amount was handed over to each affected families.

Source: a1radioonline.com | Stephen Chidozie | Ghana