News
Dandafuri residents cry for Irrigation systems, credit facilities
Residents of Dandafuri community in the Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region have appealed to government and benevolent organisations to provide an irrigation system for the community to support them during the dry season farming.
They have also asked for credit facilities to enable them pay for tractor services and buy farm inputs to boost their agricultural activities.
Speaking to The Spectator during a visit to the community, the Chief of Dandafuri, Abdul Salam Issahaku said since agriculture was the mainstay of residents in the community, the provision of facilities such as irrigation system and credit facilities would help boost their vocation and ensure that farmers gained from their labour.
Dandafuri is located about 10 kilometres away from the central business district of Wa, the regional capital and has about 2,400 residents who are mainly farmers but engage in trading activities after harvesting their farm produce.
“There are no industries or factories in the community. We are living in dire poverty but we do well with agriculture so the presence of such resource will boost our activities and ensure that we produce enough to feed our families and also sell,” he expressed.
He said due to the limited resources, hiring tractors to plough a large tract of land becomes a challenge, making it difficult to cultivate enough.
A community member, Madam Alimata Fulera said that many women in the community migrated to the southern part of the country to work during the dry season because there was no alternative source of livelihood.
Dandafuri like several other communities in the northern part of the country experiences prolonged dry season which sometimes begin in mid-October and runs to early May.
Fulera explained that if there was an irrigation system in the community, they could continue with dry season farming.
Mr Sumaila Iddris, the Unit Committee Chairman of the area insisted that an irrigation system and financial support would help the youth in the community to engage in commercial and dry season farming for a higher return.
The Regional Director of Agriculture, Mr Francis Sasu Yeboah shared in their concern and advised them to create farmer based groups to petition the assembly to consider them for such interventions.
From Lydia Darlington, Wa
A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Sammy Ayeh has picked up nomination forms to contest for the position of Deputy National Communications Officer position.
Announcing his intention, Dr. Ayeh said he is offering himself to help communicate the party’s vision clearly and connect its message with the aspirations of Ghanaians.
He expressed deep gratitude to the party’s National Communications Officer, Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi, describing him as an able leader on whose shoulders he has risen.
“His exceptional leadership, mentorship and confidence in me have shaped my journey and strengthened my resolve to serve,” Dr. Ayeh stated.
He said if elected, he will seek to build on that foundation by strengthening research-driven communication, empowering grassroots communicators, and enhancing strategic media engagement.
Dr. Ayeh humbly appealed to party members and supporters for their support.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Data Protection Commission has called on the Minority Caucus in Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media houses to protect the personal information of 1,964 Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, the Commission expressed concern over the public disclosure of the evacuees’ personal details, including their names, signatures and records of financial assistance received.
It warned that making such information public could expose the affected individuals to identity theft, fraud and other forms of harm, especially given the threats to their safety that some of them may have faced.
The Commission explained that the 1992 Constitution protects the dignity and privacy of every individual. It also cited the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), which sets out rules for the lawful collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
While acknowledging the importance of transparency, parliamentary oversight, the right to information and press freedom, the Commission stressed that these principles do not automatically justify the unrestricted publication of personal details.
It said the disclosure of the records by the Minority Caucus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, JoyNews and other media organisations must be assessed based on the law, the purpose of the disclosure and the privacy rights of the individuals involved.
The Commission further noted that although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Parliament are registered data controllers in good standing, their registration does not exempt them from their legal responsibilities under the Data Protection Act.
It has therefore urged all the parties involved to take appropriate steps to protect the affected individuals, including immediately restricting access to or removing personal details from publicly available records where their continued disclosure is not legally justified.
The Commission announced plans to conduct a regulatory review to determine whether the disclosures had a lawful basis, what safeguards were applied and whether the privacy rights of the evacuees had been adequately protected.
It said it would engage the relevant parties as part of the review and take appropriate regulatory action if any breach of the law is established.
The Commission reiterated that protecting personal information and respecting human dignity must remain central to efforts to promote public accountability.
By: Jacob Aggrey
