Fuel Shortage Hits Ghana

Fuel customers on motorbikes others on foot with portable containers and lines of vehicles wait in a queue for their turn to purchase fuel at the Goil service station in Tamale and also other part of the Country.

 

This was during a severe fuel shortage which has gripped the Northern Regional capital and its environs, causing long lines at filling stations and symbolizing for some people their fears about the increase of fuel prices.

 

Some Commercial drivers in Tamale said they will be out of business if appropriate step is not taken to resolve the situation.

 

Other individuals motorbike owners have decided to start "Okada" business to ease the burden of passenger who can not have access to commercial transport to their various workplace and homes.

 

The shortage which began some few days ago in Tamale, has hamper the smooth running of transport business as well as the Fuel Stations in the fastest growing city.

"One driver ask why an oil producing country be short of oil".

in a new development, Tullow Oil P.L.C is now putting the current production of crude oil at the Jubilee field around 110 thousand barrels. 

The announcement was contained in the firm’s trading statement and operational update released on Saturday. 

Some of the partners at the jubilee field were looking at hitting the 120 thousand targets by close of last year. 

But with this announcement, it appears the target might take a while before it is achieved.

Head of Media Relations at Tullow Oil P.L.C, George Cazenove attributed the delay to some technical challenges with the FPSO.

The Jubilee field has now produced a little over 50 million barrels of oil since it began production in 2010.

Photo: Geoffrey Buta

Ghana Election 2012. Photos by Geoffrey Buta

After vigorous campaign to convince voters on whom to choose as president in the coming years, it now came to the turn of the citizens to show their Power of Choice by the thumb.

 

On the election day yesterday around 3 am, voters in various constituency in the Northern Region woke up to cast their ballot in choosing people whom they believe will work hand-in-hand with performance, comfort, and quality to enhance their livelihood in the coming years.

 

As shown in the photograph, some physically challenge including visually impaired and cripple took part in the decision making in the Ghana General Election 2012

 

 

 

                                           Some people in queue to cast their ballot.

 The National Democratic Congress supporters celebrating after their flag bearer was declared the winner of the election.

EFFECTS OF CONFLICT, photos by Geoffrey Buta

Heavy Rainstorm Leaves 496 People Homeless in Mpaha.

 

                             The District Chief Executive officer consoling some of the rainstorm victims.

                                           Some of the market structures which was affected

                                                the only road network was affected by the rain.

                        The water storage tank which supply the entire community was also affected.

 Salim Tanko, a second year student of Mpaha District Assemble drying his books after the disaster

                   Madam Zhalia Mahamadu and child looking helpless after their house was destroyed.

                                            some collapsed houses during my visit to the place

                                 some women and children discussing about their fate after the rainstorm

                                                           some of the affected houses
                                                                                                  Photos: Geoffrey Buta

By Geoffrey Buta

A heavy rainstorm has swept through Mpaha, a farming community of over 8,000 people in the Central Gonja District in the Northern Region leaving at least 496 people homeless.

The rainstorm accompanied by strong winds started around 2 am on Wednesday dawn pounded and hit Mpaha Township for only 30 minutes destroying 92 houses, 189 rooms and displacing 496 persons, according to Mr. Adam Abdulai Square, the assemble man for the area.

Though no life was lost in the incident, but not less than 9 houses collapsed while roofs of various houses blown off.

 The District Executive Officer of the area, Mr.  Issifu Salisu Be-Awuribe and his team confirmed the issues to TIMES after inspecting the affected area.

He attributed part of the disaster to the poor quality of building materials used in building their houses which shows the poverty level of the locality, added.

He said, the estimated cost of the property destroyed worth GHC 77,000 while scores of residents are homeless.

Mr. Be- Awuribe assured the victims of the Government’s prompt intervention to ameliorate their suffering.

He also urged them to stop cutting down trees for fire woods, but rather plant more of them to prevent future disaster occurring.

While counting their losses when TIMES photojournalist, Geoffrey Buta visited the community, many were seen retrieving what was left of their belongings from the debris and others discussing their fate.

Madam Zhalia Mahamadu, a victim who was seen seated under a tree with her two daughters looking helpless appealed to the Government and other humanitarian organization to come to their aide.

The rainstorm also washed away the main road through the community causing severe erosion and also destroying the only water storage tank which provides water for the whole community.

NOT WAR BUT CELEBRATION OF LIFE OF A GREAT WARRIOR. (GUKPE NAA)

I5 YEAR OLD ZHELIA SULEMANA PREPARING TO FIRE HER GUN

11 YEAR OLD ABDUL BASET LED THE TEAM.

"JARA" dance made inTamale.

If you love energetic and well blend traditional dance, come experience "JARA" dance with the Tamale youth home cultural group. Photo By Geoffrey Buta

DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY. KWORLI COMMUNITY CRIES FOR HELP

A boy assisting an Elder to cross the River Takpa with his bicycle, while some women (right) with their goods on their head.

                             The ripped off roofs, windows and doors of one JHS in the community.

                                                The ceiling of the health center peeling off.

                                    Community health assistant at the labor ward during my visit.

                                            The full view of the health center with goats in front.

Kworli Area which is quite populous of over 70, 000 people, with 65 sub villages which are made up of Dagombas and Konkombas live on a very rich land, where the communities are noted for their comparative advantage in the production of Yam and Cassava. The inhabitants of the area also produce the bulk of other foodstuffs (cereal, legumes, fruits etc) emanating from the Eastern corridor of the Northern Region.

Times Photographer Geoffrey Buta, wandering off the main road into the village, found that it ways have not advanced a little since primitive times, with this eccentric photographs of the situation of the people of Kworli.

Many natives of Kworli have not seen electricity light and tarred road because the nearest one is about 25 miles away. The Yendi municipal highway passes kworli some miles away to the north, so almost the only automobiles it sees are a dilapidated van and an old station coach for hire price few villagers can afford.

Development projects and programmes are yet to reach Kworli Area.This contributes the low standard of living in the area. For instance, the road network is very poor. Each year the area is cut off from the rest of Ghana for several months due to consistent overflow of water from river Takpa (a river that marks the boundaries between Kworli and Yelzoli Traditional Area)

 Both Zabzugu and Tatale and their surrounding villages have electricity. Kworli with its more than 63 communities has not been connected to the national grid.

In terms of Education, it is the only area with low teacher-people ratio in the District which resulted in low enrolment and retention.

Currently there is no school in Kworli that have benefited from the school feeding programme out of 30 existing beneficiary schools in the District.

In the modern world where ICT has been stressed in school curriculum, if computers are allocated to the district for distribution to schools, Kworli Area stands no chance of benefiting. Meanwhile the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates are expected to write with those in the capital cities.

One of the only two Junior High Schools has become a trite for animals. Some part of roofs and windows are ripped off for months now, so anytime it’s about to rain students are told to go home.

Six teachers take care of about 256 students, where they are forced to live in dilapidated quarters.

The only health center which serves the people is home of predictors, with holes beneath the building for snakes and scorpions and animals.

The labor room is so small that, it can accommodate only one pregnant woman, while the disease control unit with peeling ceilings and cracks on the ground and walls causes death trait to the staff.

Speaking to some staff, they outline a lot of challengers facing them, which make service delivering very difficult.

 The denial of this entire infrastructure to the people of Kworli is a perpetuation of the backwardness exposing them to further exploitation.

In the new district carved out of the current Zabzugu/Tatale has brought another woe to them, where the town which yield more revenue compared to Tatale been neglected.

In the above view, the Chiefs and the people of Kworli Area are calling on the Government to reconsider the re-location of the district capital from Tatale to Kworli for the sake of convenience, feasibility and other obvious reasons.

 In a press statement issued and signed by the chief indicates that, the distance from Kworli in the South to the district capital is 25 miles while Tatale is 12 miles.

Mr. Saaka Aminu, the 1^st runner up of 2009 National best teacher from the Nakpali village in the Kworli Area called on the Government to consider the plight of the people and come to their aid.