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Ursula Owusu-Ekuful inaugurates ICT laboratory for Sefwi Wiawso SHS

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The Minister of Communications and Digitilisation,Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful,has inaugurated a fully-furnished Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratory for the Sefwi-Wiawso Senior High School in  the Western North Region.

The laboratory, which has 40 new desktop computers with accessories, was funded by the Ghana Investment for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) and would  provide  ICT opportunities to  schools, as part of the efforts to bridge  digital gap in the country.

In her address last Friday, Mrs Owusu-Ekuful expressed government’s  commitment  to equip young people with  skills they needed to succeed in life.

She noted that  the current technological revolution emphasised the critical role technology played  in the digital world, hence the need for everybody   to be ICT literate.

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Mrs Owusu-Ekuful commended Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, the Member of Parliament for Sefwi Wiawso and other prominent indigenes, for the role they played to  make  the project a reality.

She again advised the students to use the laboratory profitably, especially for research and be  abreast current technological advancements.

“The government is  committed to provide students with the right skills, devices and training to compete favourably with their peers in other countries.” the minister assured.

The Administrator of GIFEC,MrPrince Ofosu Sefah, spoke about the significant role of ICT in development  and commended President Nana Akufo-Addo for ensuring that school children acquired the relevant skills to make them functional in the society 

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GIFEC,he added, was facilitating teaching and learning of ICT in Basic and Senior High Schools through the deployment of ICT equipment and internet facilities.

“We are doing this with the school connectivity project, through which desktops, printers and scanners are being provided for over 1,020 schools across the country.” he said.

Mr Sefah said 26 Basic and Senior High schools had benefited from the project in the Western North Region while  more than 7,000 people, including teachers, students, artisans, head porters and identifiable women groups had also  been trained in basic ICT skills in the region.

The Assistant Headmaster of the school,Mr Benjamin Ballow, reported that  the school offered ICT as an elective subject and believedthe ICT facility would help in teaching and learning.

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He called  on other organisations to assist the school which was established in 1961 and  now had a student population of 1,877, with 79 teaching and 39 non-teaching staff.

Mr Balloe expressed gratitude to the government and prayed it continued to assist the school to cater for the increasing enrolment due to the Free Senior High School Policy.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful had inspected works on the Government of Ghana Funded Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion Project, at Abrabra and Nkyonya, as part of her tour of GIFEC project sites in  the Sefwi Wiawso Municipality of the Western North Region. 

She inaugurated  a Rural Telephony Project site at Mile 3, in the same district.

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The Rural Telephony Project is implemented by GIFEC in partnership with Huawei and Mobile Network Operators ((MNOs) through a Tripartite Partnership Arrangement, which offers a significant reduction in Cost of Ownership and Maintenance by as much as 70 per cent.

The project seeks to provide telecommunications infrastructure and service to communities where MNOs are unable to deploy due to economic or other constraints. 

During a courtesy call on the Paramount Chief Of Sefwi Wiawso Okatakyie Kwesi Bumagama II, the minister  indicated that her tourof Western North, was  to get  a first- hand information on the Ghana Rural Telephony and Digital Inclusion project and  visit also the training centres of the Girls-in-ICT project.

The Girls in ICT programme, she mentioned, had benefitted 900 girls in the region and  100 from Prestea- Huni Valley  in the Western Region. 

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She said : “The ministry aims at expanding the  rural telephony project to the various underserved communities.We will ensure that rural areas without networks are connected. Without network, one cannot takepart in the digital activities.”

Accompanying the Minister were the Chief Director, Mrs. Magdalene Apenteng, Director, Research Statistics and Information Management (RSIM), Mr. Alfred Nortey; Mr Prince Sefa, Administrator, GIFEC; Ms Eva Andoh-Opoku, Deputy Administrator, GIFEC and the Municipal Chief Executive of Sefwi Wiawso , Hon. Lewis Owusu Agyapong.

From Clement Adze Boye, Sefwi Wiawso

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Let’s invest in our children through reading – DCE

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Mr. Issahak Ibrahim-DCE of Atwima Mponua
Mr. Issahak Ibrahim-DCE of Atwima Mponua

Mr Issahak Ibrahim, the Atwima Mponua District Chief Executive (DCE), has stressed the need to invest in initiatives that will encourage school children to read at all times. 

He said a nation that invested in reading invested in its future, since a reading child was a potential future leader. 

Speaking at the District Reading Festival for 32 schools in the district, at Nyinahin, he said reading strengthened literacy skills and inspired young leaders to unlock their full potentials while nurturing a lifelong love for learning, which leads to success. 

Mr Ibrahim, therefore, enjoined teachers, parents, pupils and all stakeholders in the district to inspire every child to discover the limitless possibilities that begin with the act of reading in order to make it reflect the shared commitment to building a generation of confident readers, critical thinkers and lifelong learners in the society. 

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He pledged his commitment to support and empower more children and help them to achieve higher educational laurels in the area, while championing the cause of reading among children to achieve the related benefits. 

“I remain committed to supporting educational initiatives that would empower our children with the knowledge and skills they needed to succeed in an ever-changing world,” he stated. 

The festival was organised by the District Directorate of Education in conjunction with the ISMAT Foundation, a local educational non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded by the DCE, to support needy learners in the district and beyond. 

The festival was under the theme: “Turn a page to begin a journey.” 

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The festival was aimed at encouraging and motivating the interest of pupils in reading and general learning. 

All the 32 participating pupils from four zones within the district received school bags, exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers, mathematical sets and certificates. 

Lawal Kwame from the Botrampa D/A Basic and Sadique Bamba from the Mpasatia African Faith Preparatory schools in the Nyinahin Zone, emerged first in the KG One and two classes, whilst Alice Fosu, Beatrice Sarfowaa and Priscilla Agyemang from the Adiembra Anglican Basic School also in the Nyinahin Zone, came first from Basic One to Basic Three classes respectively.  

Ernest Duah from the Mampong Abebrese D/A and Blessing Sika from the Sreso Presby School in the Sreso Zone as well as Eric Osei Agyemang from Adiembra Anglican Basic School came first in the Upper Primary department. 

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Ms Ama Adwubi Asafu-Adjaye, the District Director of Education, commended the DCE for the programme, which was the first of its kind after the year 2022 one, which was supported by the USAID. 

She said a Basic One boy called Obed Awuku from Mampong Abebrese D/A Basic School climbed from the district through a Regional contest, won and placed second at the national level in the year 2022 as one Salam Mohammed of the Otaakrom D/A Islamic Basic School, who also emerged as the 2024 winner in the district also placed fifth among the 16 regional participants even though they had a very short notice for preparation. 

She said other achievements encouraged her and her management to make the programme an annual event in June and July as part of the activities on their academic calendar and a source of pride for the district. 

She, therefore, encouraged the teachers to work harder to produce talented kids for higher achievements from the area. -GNA 

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Thousands bid farewell at 3-day Adua for Late Yaa Naa

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Sagnarigu Naa with his entourage arriving at the Gbewaa Palace .jpg

The forecourt of the Gbewaa Palace, was a mixture of rich tradition and emotional scenes as thousands of mourners concluded the three-day adua for the late Overlord of Dagbon, Ndan Yaa Naa Abukari II.

For the period, the Gbewaa Palace became the spiritual and cultural heartbeat of the Dagbon Kingdom as Islamic clerics, traditional rulers, politicians, security personnel and ordinary citizens united in prayer for the repose of the soul of the revered monarch.

From dawn each day, streams of mourners, mostly dressed in traditional smocks and black attire, steadily filled the palace grounds and adjoining streets, transforming the royal seat into a sea of mourners.

Men, women, youth and children sat under canopies and open spaces while verses from the Holy Qur’an echoed across the palace, creating an atmosphere of reverence and reflection.

The air occasionally reverberated with ceremonial gunshots and traditional warrior displays, symbolising honour, bravery and the rich cultural heritage of the Dagbon Kingdom.

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The adua, observed in accordance with Islamic tradition following the burial of the Yaa Naa, was attended by eminent Imams and Mallams who offered continuous prayers, seeking Allah’s mercy and eternal peace for the departed King.

Throughout the three-day observance, a steady flow of dignitaries visited the Gbewaa Palace to pay their respects and sign the book of condolence.

Among them were the Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John Mburidiba; the Savannah Regional Minister, Salisu Be-Awuribe Issifu; and the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who joined members of the royal family, traditional rulers and mourners in honouring the late Yaa Naa.

Security remained tight throughout the mourning period, with the Ghana Police Service deploying 450 personnel to ensure law and order.

The officers were stationed at strategic locations, including the Gbewaa Palace, major entry points into Yendi and other key installations, where they managed traffic, maintained public order and provided security for thousands of mourners and visiting dignitaries.

Beyond the official ceremonies, the event reflected the deep respect the people of Dagbon and Ghanaians at large had for the late monarch.

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The conclusion of the three-day adua marks another important milestone in the funeral rites of the late Yaa Naa and signals the gradual transition towards the customary processes leading to the selection and enskinment of a new Overlord of the Dagbon Kingdom.

Although the formal three-day prayers have ended, mourning activities continue, with the seventh-day Islamic prayers expected to draw another large gathering of traditional authorities, government officials, religious leaders and well-wishers from across the country.

From: Geoffrey Buta, Yendi

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