AM News || Thirsty Dams: Farmers in Talensi District call on govt to fix abandoned 1V1D project
AM News with Benjamin Akakpo on Joy News (24-7-23)
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Transcript
00:00 Thank you for staying with us. Time now for the AM News and in our first story.
00:04 Now farmers in Kare and Gorogo in the Talensi district of the Upper East
00:09 Region want government to haul contractors back to fix their one
00:14 village, one dam. They say the dams are too important to be abundant in their
00:19 current state. They want the basin of the dams deepened, the embankment walls
00:23 firmed up and the area of the dam widened. George Okobina has more in the
00:29 Joy News Hotline documentary Thirsty Dams.
00:34 We are not happy. We can't farm. Our land is just bare. We would have been farming during
00:46 Christmas. You must repair the dam for us. We had no idea the dam would be
00:57 constructed like this. We thought they would do a good job. We farm on this land
01:01 we gave away for the dam and we're excited because we hope it will help us.
01:06 They came here to help us by constructing the dam so that we can farm
01:10 all year round and make money. But the dam dries up so fast you will not even
01:15 recognize the site as a dam. I planted in the first year and the water dried up so
01:21 my plants died. The farmers say they will not count it as a loss if the
01:28 government brings back contractors to reconstruct the dam. Some pledged to
01:33 support the government to cling to power if the dams are properly constructed.
01:38 I pray the contractor comes back to the site to construct it the way we
01:45 want. If our dams are well constructed we will support you always.
01:52 We are waiting for the rain before we plant. Without rain we can't plant.
02:03 What is the water that we will use to farm during the dry season? This part of
02:11 the story is called waiting for rain. The one village one dam policy was meant to
02:18 put an end to rain fed agriculture. The government hoped that just as people in
02:24 Burkina Faso farmed all year round and even exported tomatoes to Ghana, people
02:31 in the northern region would be able to do the same. Unfortunately the people of
02:36 Gorogo farm only during the rainy season. It is the main reason why the
02:43 assemblyman for Gorogo, Roland Basama, is refusing to call the project a dam and
02:48 his reason is... Actually we don't call this one a dam. This is a dugout.
02:58 Authorities at the Leklebi Senior High School in the Afajato South District in
03:03 the Volta region are asking government to renovate dilapidated structures on
03:07 campus. They say these structures built in 1965 are weak and hampering smooth
03:13 academic work. Elvis Washington highlights their plight in this report.
03:19 In 1965 by the late professor Alexander Kuma, an esteemed educationist and
03:25 philanthropist, the Leklebi Senior High School is now plagued by multiple issues
03:30 that cast a shadow over the well-being of its students. With a current student
03:36 population of under a thousand and majority of students residing on campus
03:40 as boarders, the school faces a lot of challenges that hampers the academic
03:45 development. However the most alarming concerns lies with an abandoned
03:50 classroom block that has remained in a state of neglect for almost four years.
03:55 Despite its evident structural defects, the school has no alternative but to
04:00 utilize the compromised space, risking the safety of students. Visible cracks, a
04:06 disjointed ceiling and leakages during rainfall further demonstrate the
04:11 precarious condition of the structure. The dining hall, serving as a
04:15 multi-purpose facility, also falls far short of acceptable standards. The senior
04:21 girls and boys prefects of the school throw some light on the many
04:25 challenges facing the school.
04:28 When it's raining sometimes you'll have to come out of the classroom and then
04:32 join the seniors in their class and even in my class I'm an agricultural science
04:36 student. My class leaks whenever it rains. We have inadequate furniture for the
04:43 classrooms and then any other occasion at all. The first and then second years,
04:48 even the third years most especially, by the first years of all whenever it's time
04:53 for classes they would have to move to the long hall, carry benches to their classrooms and then study.
05:00 And we have inadequate infrastructure in the school. Classroom blocks is
05:06 inadequate in the school so we suffer and we are clustered in the room and the
05:11 room to the classroom blocks they are fragile, they are too old and it's risky to be in.
05:17 We have an abandoned system, an uncompleted building and some students who
05:26 they are living or studying inside and it's very risky for their lives to be.
05:31 The unhappy kitchen staff could not hide their frustration from the cameras.
05:37 [Speaking in Swahili]
06:00 [Speaking in Swahili]
06:24 [Speaking in Swahili]
06:32 Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the former Students' Association including
06:37 John Smart Aja, the National President of the All Students' Association who is also
06:41 the current school's board chairman, has stepped in to assess the situation and
06:46 seek assistance from the relevant authorities.
06:50 [Speaking in Swahili]
07:15 [Speaking in Swahili]
07:35 [Speaking in Swahili]
07:39 Ms. Celestina Duboy, a former assistant girls' prefect, also shared her thoughts on
07:44 the state of the school.
07:46 [Speaking in Swahili]
08:12 Well, the closure of the Bwipe share nut factory in the Savannah region is said to
08:16 be affecting share business in the area.
08:19 The $10 million factory, a joint venture between the Produce Buying Company Limited
08:24 and MESSES LDS Maquinas Equipamentos Industrias Limited of Brazil, was
08:30 established to process share nuts into share butter, share oil, among others, for
08:34 export to Brazil.
08:36 But the factory has been closed for the past four years, pushing a lot of people
08:41 into the market.
08:43 Martina Bugri now reports.
08:45 The factory, now outgrown with weeds, was once a vibrant site, quick-growing with
08:54 activities.
08:57 The place is now very quiet, with only the sound of chirping birds and the movement
09:03 of animals.
09:05 [Birds chirping]
09:16 The only visible human you will see at the factory is the security guard, who is to
09:23 ensure the machines are protected.
09:26 [Birds chirping]
09:34 The factory that once bought share from the people in the area now sits in the
09:39 bushes, idling.
09:41 The assemblyman for the old Bwipe electoral area, Esuwene Williams, said share the
09:48 previous years are sitting uncollected, making the people poorer each day.
09:55 When PVC was in progress, there was nothing like coming to me for support.
10:02 My people were getting what they wanted, because their duty is to pick, and they
10:09 will come and buy.
10:11 Money, food, everything was just in abundance.
10:16 Now, you get to my village and see, people pick down, since last year, no one
10:25 stepped there to pick them.
10:27 The five regions of the north, which are largely known as the poor regions of
10:32 Ghana, the factory was to turn things around, considering the global demand for
10:39 share barter.
10:40 But that hope is dashed.
10:43 Yakubu Fatima, who picked share, said they are forced to sell at very low prices,
10:50 or you may have to process it for home consumption.
10:54 With this stress that you go through, the only benefit is when you use it to make
10:59 share barter for the family.
11:02 But if you want to sell it, your profit is just marginal.
11:07 What they do is they just come and buy at cheap prices.
11:13 Madam Idisa Aramata buys share from the villages and resells.
11:20 She said in the past, she would present it to the factory and take her money
11:26 instantly.
11:27 But currently, she has to travel several kilometers to Tamale and even sell it at
11:32 cheaper prices.
11:34 [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE]
11:39 In the past, when I go down the village, I go by the bike and it can be easy.
11:48 But now I have to travel to the Tamale market and sell.
11:53 And the buyers will buy at very cheap prices.
11:58 At the Yakubu market, share not sellers want government to pay more attention to
12:04 the produce because of its important value around the globe.
12:09 The prices have gone down completely, and yet there is such struggle in getting
12:14 the nuts.
12:16 Now the value of the share is even more than the cocoon.
12:20 With share nuts, you can get oil, use it for soup, pomade, making of chocolates,
12:28 among others.
12:30 Therefore, these uses are many, and yet the price has gone down completely.
12:36 Therefore, we are calling on government to intervene.
12:40 The closure of the factory is not only affecting people working in the share value
12:46 chain, but also the youth of Bupe who were largely employed at the factory.
12:52 Abdullahi Baki, assemblyman for the Bupe electoral area, wants government to
12:58 intervene.
13:00 And to revive the company so that their youth in the Savannah region will get
13:06 something doing because government made a pledge of giving every district a
13:12 factory.
13:14 And fortunately, we already have an existing factory in Yapekusewo
13:19 constituency.
13:21 So if the government were even to give another factory, it was going to be a
13:26 plus.
13:27 For the millions of people in the share value chain, what they are asking is
13:32 that government pay attention and reform the factory to create jobs and income
13:37 for the teeming unemployed youths in the area.
13:40 For Joy News, Martina Bugre reporting.
13:44 Let's turn our gaze now to auto mechanics in Ghana who have poorly been
13:49 handling used engine oil, popularly known as dirty oil, which contains heavy
13:54 metals.
13:55 Now, the improper disposal of used engine oil can lead to heavy metals finding
14:00 their way into soil, surface water and groundwater.
14:04 Scientists fear exposure to dirty oil poses long term risk to health.
14:11 Love FM's Kweisi Deborah has more in this report.
14:15 At a section of the Swami magazine and claimed in the Ashanti region of Ghana,
14:19 known as Abawawuth, auto mechanic Clement Zuma drains used engine oil.
14:27 With the oil at a brim, Clement can't move it without getting his fingers soiled.
14:35 The oil is responsible for his stained palms.
14:40 Clement, who came here a decade ago, has been eating with these hands,
14:45 sometimes washed, sometimes left to chaperone his meals.
14:55 Though Christopher would like to don long sleeves to work, to limit skin contact
15:01 with both dirt and oil, he hasn't been spurred the discomfort of dirty oil on his skin.
15:07 I don't like dirty oil. I don't like it. I don't like it.
15:14 I don't like it because it's not good for my skin.
15:18 I don't like it because it's not good for my skin.
15:23 Engine oil is a type of lubricant used in old mobiles to reduce friction,
15:31 heat and wear among mechanical parts that are in contact.
15:36 These oils are chiefly petroleum based,
15:39 while synthetic oils have some additives for improved performance.
15:44 As a result of its continuous use, the oils become contaminated
15:50 and therefore must be replaced with fresh engine oil,
15:53 as the used engine oil is no longer functional.
15:57 Waste oil has been found to contain lead, zinc, arsenic, chromium, cadmium and sulphur.
16:05 These metals have been found to be harmful to the body.
16:09 The major organs can be in serious danger when exposed to these metals.
16:15 Professor Fred Wodu is with the Duke University.
16:18 First, it can cause cancer.
16:20 Two, it can cause hypertension.
16:22 Three, it can cause miscarriages in pregnant women.
16:28 Four, it causes a rate of dysfunction in men.
16:31 It's very, very potent in that aspect that is well scientifically proven that it can cause depression.
16:41 And two, it also causes diminished learning abilities in children.
16:47 Improper disposal of waste can lead to heavy metals finding their way into soil,
16:53 surface water and ground water.
16:56 Unfortunately, pouring used oil on the ground is commonplace,
17:02 a practice fought to strengthen the soil.
17:22 As part of efforts to identify and address some public health concerns in Africa,
17:27 the Civil Engineering Department of Duke University in the United States of America
17:32 have partnered the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Ghana
17:36 to understand these practices in order to help the auto mechanics at SWAME magazine to deal with them.
17:43 Professor Fred Wodu, who is leading the team,
17:46 has previously researched the presence of these heavy metals in the blood of the auto mechanics,
17:51 where heavy levels of these metals were detected.
17:55 Duke University has a very good program, what we call the BASC connection,
17:59 where they allow people to do research in various areas.
18:02 So I did have a grant for BASC connection,
18:05 and I came down to look at the heavy metal level contents in the auto mechanics.
18:11 So we took their finger nails, toe nails and hair, and we analyzed for these metals.
18:20 In our next story, calls for a thorough investigation into the saga involving
18:28 former minister for sanitation and water resources have intensified
18:32 even after her resignation from the position.
18:35 Cecilia Abnadapah's resignation follows the scandal over foreign and local currencies
18:40 her house helps allegedly stole from her residence.
18:44 Now, despite her five year tenure,
18:46 opinions suggest that her efforts fell short of ridding Accra of filth
18:51 and achieving the president's vision of making it the cleanest city in Africa.
18:57 Michael Ashley has the rest of the story.
19:00 We are currently in Abilingbi, one of the several suburbs in the greater Accra region,
19:05 specifically on the Maniha Street.
19:08 And the building behind us is the building, the house,
19:12 believed to belong to the embattled former minister of sanitation and water resources,
19:18 Cecilia Abnadapah.
19:20 It is also the same building, the same house,
19:23 that is believed to be where the house helps of the former minister
19:28 stole millions of cities and foreign currencies from her.
19:33 The residence of the embattled sanitation minister is a charming ground level building
19:38 adorned with cactus plants, golden trumpet flowers,
19:42 and other beautiful flower blooms of red and yellow.
19:45 The plants looked well nourished with the petals looking so soft.
19:49 The well manicured green garden gives the house an inviting appearance.
19:54 However, despite its pleasant aesthetics,
19:57 the house is heavily secured by barbed wires
20:00 and a network of CCTV cameras strategically placed to monitor its surroundings closely.
20:06 Since the news broke, there have been many reactions.
20:09 For those who share the same neighborhood with the former minister,
20:13 their immediate concern is how she acquired such an amount of money.
20:17 That minister, where did she get that amount?
20:20 That amount, one million.
20:22 And I heard, three thousand dollars again.
20:25 Actually, it's a big amount too.
20:27 Where did that minister get that amount?
20:29 The first question.
20:30 She stole one million dollars and bought a house.
20:34 In fact, she should be arrested.
20:36 How did she get one million dollars?
20:38 That money can build several schools for school-going children.
20:41 I stole one million dollars.
20:44 I stole one million dollars from the bank.
20:49 For some of them, her decision to resign is not enough.
20:53 They want her to be investigated.
20:55 I think they should investigate the issue properly
20:59 because as a minister, where will you get that money from?
21:05 So they should properly investigate the issue and get the truth out from it.
21:11 I don't want to be investigated.
21:13 I don't want to be investigated.
21:15 It's not enough she has resigned.
21:17 She must be arrested and investigated.
21:19 I don't want to be arrested.
21:21 I don't want to be arrested.
21:23 I don't want to be arrested.
21:25 Do not allow her to go scot-free.
21:27 Show us where she got the money from.
21:29 In fact, her properties should be frozen as well.
21:32 I don't want to be arrested.
21:34 I don't want to be arrested.
21:36 One of the biggest campaigns of the Akufo-Addo-led government
21:40 was to wage war against filth and make the country in Accra
21:44 one of the cleanest cities in Africa.
21:46 My pledge of improving sanitation in the country
21:50 and making Accra the cleanest city in Africa
21:53 by the end of my term.
21:55 In 2018, President Akufo-Addo appointed Cecilia Benadarpa
22:00 as Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources.
22:03 In 2020, she extended the President's plan from four years to eight years
22:08 insisting the President meant two terms.
22:11 Inshallah, the President will go for two terms
22:15 and at the end, Accra would have been
22:17 and we are on course.
22:19 God is in control.
22:22 In 2021, she said she was very close to realizing the President's dream.
22:27 I will give it 85% because at the end of the day
22:31 you all saw the 100% we did during the lockdown.
22:34 So who makes Accra dirty? Us.
22:36 That's why we are every day sensitizing people to make sure.
22:40 I'm telling you, I know you will quote it and I insist it's 85%.
22:44 A drive through Accra on a Sunday showed heaps of filth
22:47 begging to be collected.
22:49 While others believe the Sanitation Minister has done a good job
22:53 but has not achieved the dream of making Accra the cleanest city in Africa
22:57 others insist she has not done well.
23:00 I see the environment. The environment is good.
23:02 So our country is clean.
23:05 We are the cause of poor sanitation in this country.
23:10 However, we are now enlightened so sanitation has improved.
23:14 We are currently in Agbobuloche
23:18 and this is the state of one of the main drains here.
23:21 Filled to the brim with filth.
23:24 I certainly choked.
23:26 Even though in the raining season you can see that no water is going anywhere.
23:31 And the people here have to deal with the stench.
23:34 Oh my God. It smells very bad.
23:37 For almost five years she occupied the position
23:41 yet the people in and around Agboguloche held a low opinion of her performance
23:46 in stark contrast to her near perfect self appraisal.
23:50 Over 100% I would give her 50/100.
23:56 Why? Why do you say she didn't do well at all?
23:58 The reason is you look at our environment for instance
24:01 and when you even go forward to especially what's the name of it?
24:09 Sikins. There's another gator there.
24:12 Very very dirty.
24:14 So it means she has not been doing anything at all.
24:18 If you go through accuracy there are many things that is not good for the country Ghana.
24:24 So over 100 how would you rate Cecilia's work?
24:28 I can give him 35%.
24:31 35?
24:32 35.
24:33 Wow.
24:34 Yeah.
24:35 The way he do in this particular accuracy is not good at all.
24:39 He wants to put the what you call it ministerial duty down
24:44 and take it to another person.
24:46 Like me I don't travel around.
24:49 But for this place particularly I would rate her with 30/100.
24:55 Why 30/100?
24:57 Because almost all the places I go within this area it's like it's dirty.
25:03 It looks very unkempt.
25:05 They eat and throw the rubbish around. Maybe at least they should keep dustbins around the places.
25:11 If you eat you can throw it there. If it's food they will go and dispose it.
25:14 But it's nothing like that.
25:15 So they eat, they throw banana peels, pure water rubbish everywhere.
25:20 So this place is not very good.
25:23 We are currently in the ministries enclave.
25:25 That houses most of the ministries part of government.
25:28 Specifically we are right in front of that of the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.
25:34 The office where the former embattled minister Cecilia Benadapa worked from.
25:40 It's expected that from Monday July 24th another individual will take over from the office.
25:46 For Join News, Michael Ashley.
25:50 And it's on that sanitary note that we cap off the news.
25:56 But stay with us, the news review is up next.
25:59 [Music]