Nkonya-Alavanyo conflict disrupting school activities

Members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) have raised concerns about the disruption the Nkonya-Alavanyo conflict was having on education in the area.

The Jasikan District GNAT Chapter, which registered their displeasure about the grave effect the conflict was having on teaching and learning in the area, expressed worry about the safety and security of their members and pupils in the flash points.

The Teachers however resolved to promote peace among the warring faction and ensure the smooth running of education without any interruption.

These sentiments were contained in a nine-point resolution of the Association at the end of their 5th Quadrennial Conference held at Bueman Senior High School at Jasikan.

Mr. Johnson Tsyawo, Jasikan District Chairman of the Association has strongly advocated for peace between the warring faction and in the Nkonya-Alavanyo, and appealed for urgent support to enable teachers organise sensitisation activities for the people in the area.

Effect of Conflict

According to experts, the conflict has claimed thousands of lives, including parents’ children in schools and some pupils, and brought untold hardship on families in the affected area.

The conflict has heightened the sense of insecurity among teachers and pupils in the area and hampered the teaching and learning activities. The situation according some teachers in the area was intimidating, as classes could be called off anytime the factions start it fighting.

A Teacher at the Nkonya- Kadjebi D/A Primary school told this reporter that both teachers and pupils in the area were now leaving in fear as they do not know when opponents would attack.

Due to this, classes had been called off for some days now, which has affected teaching and learning ever since school reopened this academic term.   

Peace Initiative

Mr. Tsyawo, noted that since the conflict was having adverse effect on education in the Biakoye District and in the Hohoe Municipality, GNAT members in the two catchment areas would collaborate to complement efforts of expert, by engaging the factions in the conflict, to resolve it.

He outlined the move to organize football games and some activities in the flash points of the conflict, to raise the needed awareness of the impact it was having education.

He also suggested that if the situation was seen after their peace initiative, the teachers might consider boycotting classes for some days.

  

Teachers welfare

The Jasikan GNAT District with over 1,430 members, comprising the Jasikan and Biakoye Districts, also appealed to GNAT to ensure that Ghana Education Service fulfills the Welfare Benefits for Teachers who die in active service.

The Teachers also requested the extension of the maternity leave period from 3 to 6 months in line with the six-month exclusive breastfeeding policy.

They also called on the education Directorate to stop purchasing test items and allow teachers to set their end of term exams.

Address NHIS Indebtedness crisis urgently-CHAG appeals

The Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), has appealed to the government and stakeholders to attach a sense of urgency to tackle the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) indebtedness crisis to health facilities and sustain quality healthcare delivery.

The Association called on Civil Society Organisations, and the media to join the campaign to salvage the NHIS and the healthcare system from an eminent collapse.

It would be recall that the indebtedness of NHIS which is in arrears of 12 months was crippling the delivery of quality and efficient healthcare to the poor and vulnerable groups in the country.

Even though the Government recently released 80 million and 76.6 million respectively in February and May as part of a monthly reimbursement plan, the Executive Director for CHAG, Mr. Peter K. Yeboah, noted that the piecemeal token payment for a month of the debt has rather aggravated the condition of CHAG member institutions.

“This has resulted in the incessant harassment from creditors, who throng CHAG facilities a day after the payment was made to demand the debt owed them”, he stated.

Besides, “the current payment mechanism is uncoordinated, irregular, and erratic”, he observed, adding that so far, less than 50 % of the CHAG member facilities have been reimbursed.

He stated that “the current road map of reimbursement which does adequately resource health facilities to safe, quality and essential lifesaving medicines is inconceivable.”

The Director therefore called for a significant and substantial reimbursement to CHAG facilities, covering a period of at least five months to enable the facilities particularly those in the remote areas to continue providing affordable and quality healthcare to the poor, deprived and vulnerable groups in our society.

Given the essential role of NHIS as one of the best social intervention schemes, Mr. Yeboah stated that CHAG has the moral and civic responsibility to collaborate with government to sustain the scheme.  

The Executive Director therefore proposed continuous dialogue between stakeholders to address the challenges of the NHIS, and expressed the hope that as part of the process of reorganising the scheme to make it more responsive, the perspectives of all stakeholders including the clients would be factored in.   

In the face of the challenges, Mr. Peter Yeboah, pledged the commitment of CHAG member facilities to partner government to make quality healthcare available, affordable and more accessible to the good people of Ghana.

Consistent to CHAG’s core values of service and sacrifice, the Executive Director assured the public of the health facilities continuous commitment to provide service to all people irrespective of their socio-economic status and most importantly within the challenges and constraints imposed by the NHIS chronic indebtedness to CHAG member institutions.

*Mr Peter K. Yeboah, Executive Director of CHAG

‘Empower PWD’s to be self-reliant'

A girl carrying water by the sign post of Hope for Life.

Ghanaians were recently urged to empower Persons with Disability (PWD’s) generate sustainable means of income to make them self-reliant.

Fr Adrie interacting with some Kights

Calling for a rethink of the assistance given the PWD’s over the years, Rev. Fr. Michael Adrie, SMA, a forma-tor, appealed to stakeholders to offer them support that would sustain their livelihood.

He said assistance advanced to PWD’s should empower and enable them earn decent incomes and be less dependent on others.

He made the remarks recently at a Mass at the Hope for Life, at Gbawe-Zero, in Accra, when members of the Knights and Ladies Auxiliary of the St. John International (Commandary # 604 and Auxiliary # 510), Madina, made a donation to the facility.

Fr. Adrie, who expressed gratitude to the Knights and Ladies Auxiliary for their support, appealed for help to revive the bakery and the mushroom projects run by the Hope for Life.

Respected President Vivian Tougan-Klu, and Worthy President Sylvanus Dogbe jointly presented items worth over ₵3,000 to the Hope for Life, and pledge continuous assistance to the Association.

The items included bags of rice, maize and gari, beans, tubers of yam, variety of vegetables, gallons of oil, tin fish, and tin tomatoes and toiletries.       

Respected President Tougan-Klu noted that the gesture was part of the noble order’s commitment to support the running of Hope for Life.

Mr. Kafui Sewor, President of the Hope for Life Association, who received the items on behalf of the members, thanked the Knights and Ladies Auxiliary for their generosity.

Touching on the need to support the PWD’s to be self-reliant, Mr. Sewor appealed for assistance to revamp the bakery and mushroom projects the association was running.  

“We don’t want to rely on handouts anymore. We want you to help us acquire relevant skills to sustain our lives” he stressed.

Mr. Charles Buckle, Coordinator of the Association, entreated the public to support them acquire much more reliable distribution van to distribute the bread and market the products.  

Respected Pres. Tougan-Klu and Worthy Pres. Dogbe presenting the items
to Mr. Sewor.