Events

November 2018 – November 2019

November 27, 2018
A report compiled by Joyce Bumbom about free surgical procedures by Dr. Benjamin Akinkang’s Team of Hope was sent to the Medical Superintendent, Sandema and the District Director of Health Services, Bulsa North. This report was uploaded in Buluk 12.

December 19-20, 2018
Feok Festival: See article by John Agandin in this issue.

December 2018
On December 23, 2018, Rev. Fr. Sebastian Aduku, parish priest of the Catholic Christ the King Parish (Sandema), sent out a circular with an appeal for funds to build a chapel for the Kori Catholic community.
An outstation of the Christ the Kind Parish was opened in March 2018 in Kori. Since then the Kori Catholics have been worshipping in one of the classrooms of the Catholic Primary School at Kori, Akagre Yeri. A taskforce of six people has been set up to work towards building a chapel for the community. So far they have acquired land for the projects. Now they are hoping for more contributions.

December 2018
GhanaWeb December 23, 2018. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced the elevation of the Builsa North District to municipal status after he signed an executive instrument to that effect at Sandema, the municipal capital.
He said the move was part of efforts to enable the District to achieve more on its human resource development and provide quality livelihood for the development of the area.

December 26, 2018
Miss Feok Beauty Pageant and election of Miss Feok 2018: See article by John Agandin in this issue.

December 26, 2018
A free hepatitis B screening took place at Sandema Township with support from Hepatitis Alliance Ghana. The coordinator was Apusiga Ayinbono Wisdom.

December, 2018
(Information by Evans Atuick, January 28, 2019) The chiefs of Gbedema, Fumbisi, Kanjaga, Siniensi and Wiaga were granted paramountcy. Many former subchiefs were elevated into the ranks of chiefs who have new subchiefs under them for assistance. The new chief of Wiaga-Sinyangsa, for example, has six subchiefs, namely those of Bachinsa,

The Sandemnaab “crowns” a new chief with the red cap (photo: Thomas Azantilow)

Badomsa, Goldem, Kubelinsa, Mutuensa and Sichaasa. There seem to be problems if the new chief’s section has had no subsections before, as is the case with Wiaga Longsa.

(Inf. Robert Asekabta): New chiefs of Sandema:
1) Abeok Achim – Abilyeri
2) Ameela Akanmnanuroa – Awusuikyeri.
3) Adokta Akanjaknaab – Achogyeri
4) Asukuudem Ajonaab – Kori Kanaansa
5) Anyatiimbe Awaridu Ayaakanurba – Kori Guuta
6) John Agiriwei – Balansa No.1
7) Akanyaachaab Anamsibai – Balansa No.2
8) Amaava Achaasi – Kandem
9) Anankanbiik Akannyeba – Fiisa
10) Anyebokatoa Achiba – Longsa
11) Atuire Roger – Kalibisa

New (Wiaga-) Longsa Chiefs

12) Akaanyangsi Ajuisiboka – Kaljiisa
13) Amoak Awenkawen – Bilinsobsa
14) Atong Kofi Akavaanchoa – Bilinmonsa
15) Ayombil Ankwei – Punsa
16) Asagnaab Abaanyese – Tankungsa
17) Ayonte Adeenze – Suwarin-Daasa
18) Akanlonumpo Yaw Raynus – Suwarin-Niima
19) Joseph Amolkayam Akanpari – Kori Alabyeri
20) Abeliwan Atuik – Kobdem
21) Anbegbisa Akanfenaab – Nyaansa
22) Kori Akagyeri

January 2019 (Norbert Atuk in Buluk Kaniak)
The Sandem-naab and paramount chief of the Bulsa traditional area, Naab Azagsuk Azantinlow, has charged the people of Sandema with coming together and finding an appropriate area for the relocation of the Sandema market since the current market is becoming too congested. He made this known when he delivered his annual New Year’s well-wishing message to his people at a non-denominational service held in his palace.

January, 2019
(hubghnews website): At Fumbisi Secondary/Agricultural School, a second year student was raped by a friend of a teacher. The latter demonstrated premeditation for this crime by making the girl drunk before carrying out his crime.

February 2019
Sandema Post Office was reopened again.

February 2, 2019
(Abednego Salami Mohammed, January 27, 2019, in Buluk Kaniak) A new bus line, the Korea VVIP Transport Buses, will start between Accra (Kaneshi, near Big Foot Bridge) and Fumbisi/Kanjaga on February 2 on every market day in Fumbisi. The buses are air-conditioned and have ample space for luggage. Soft drinks and water are served in the bus. The fare is 110 GHC from Accra to Buluk and 100 GHC from Buluk to Accra.

February 19, 2019
(published by Angaaba Atesiuk Peter in Buluk Kaniak, February 20, 2019; delivered in Accra, by Robert Asekabta)
A statement of the Ayieta family was delivered at the International Press Centre, Accra to representatives of the media. They were told that Gregory Afoko, accused of being involved in the acid murder of Adams Mahama, the former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, had been in detention for about four years. Only then the attorney general decided to discontinue the trial at a very late stage because they had arrested another suspect and wanted to try the two together. The Ayieta family stated that they “had taken a decision to bring this inhumane treatment… to the attention of Ghanaian and international human rights organisations…”

Mr. Alonsi

February 29, 2019The President appointed Hon. Thomas Kofi Alonsi to act as the Director General of the Ghana Maritime

Authority. Hon. Alonsi, a solicitor with over 16 years working experience both in the private and public sections, had been District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Bulsa District 2005-2008.

March 1, 2019
Hon. Daniel Kwame Gariba (DCE of Bulsa South District) posted in Buluk Kaniak (a Facebook group): “On this faithful day, I handed over sites for the construction of a medical ward at the Fumbisi Health Centre and 17 boreholes in different communities within the District. These are part of the one million dollars per constituency projects under the Ministry for Special Development Initiatives…”

Prof. Nketia (ghanaWeb, 4 May 2018)

March 13, 2019
Emeritus Professor Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketiah, born June 22nd, 1921 at Asante Mampong, died on March 13th at the age of 97. The renowned Ghanaian Ethnomusicologist was given a state burial on May 4, 2019. He was the first African Director of the Institute of African Studies (Legon) and received numerous awards and medals. His research referred to songs, musical performances and musical instruments. He also published research results on Bulsa songs and instruments in the following
Research results on Bulsa music can be found in the following publications:
1964: Traditional and Contemporary Idioms of African Music, Journal of the International Folk Music Council, Cambridge, 16, 24-37.
1994: Builsa Work Song (c. 1948), In: J.H. Kwabena Nketia (ed.): African Pianism, Twelve Pedagogical Pieces. Accra: Afram Publications, pp. 20-21
no date: The Instrumental Resources of African Music, Papers in African Studies (Legon), 3, 1-23. (p. 7: Buli names of Bulsa musical instruments)

April, 2019

A newly planted tree

Ayaric Akanvachaab Edward and others in Facebook, April 15th, 2019:Some voluntary tree planting exercise was undertaken by some of Gbedema’s youth along the main roads and other areas of the town. We are indeed grateful to them and our brothers and sisters within and without the country, namely: Mr. Ghanatta Ayaric, Mr. Abelimjo Adii, Dr. Chris Atim, Dr. James Ayegsi, Mr. Pascal Ayaric, Sister Lariba Amelimjam, Mr. Daniel Anko, Dr. Joseph Asitik and the list continues and remains long. We are very grateful to them. Our next plan is to ask children to plant trees at vantage points and care for them until they are grown. Each surviving tree will have a reward. We pray for more grace upon our lives. Good evening as we help fight the glaring, self imposed desert on our land.

May 16, 2019
Source: Angaaba Atesiuk Peter to Buluk Kaniak
When the students from the 1999 class of Sandema Preparatory School visited their former school, they realized that the school was still using blackboards. They decided to help by donating two marker boards and accessories. The head teacher, Mr Ayega Mathias, thanked them for this initiative.

May 27, 2019 (see also February 19, 2019)
A petition was delivered outlining “events leading to the arrest of Gregory Afoko for the alleged murder of Adams Mahama, the former Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)”. The petition covered “the trial, the motive alleged by the prosecutor, the interference by the NPP in the trial through Lawyer Anamoo, the current Upper East Chairman of the NPP, the abuse of both the legal process and bureaucracy to detain and deny Gregory Afoko his basic human rights, the abuse of the police service towards Gregory Afoko and the total disregard of the judicial decisions”.
p. 2 of the petition: “…Gregory until last week…was denied visitation by either his attorneys or family… Even to present him with clothes other than the boxers [boxer shorts] he was taken with was denied until recently”.
p. 3: “We are rather concerned about the Police/Executive interference in the judicial process. We are even more concerned about the life of Gregory. We are appealing to you to use your good offices to ensure that his rights and, more importantly, his life are protected. We believe even condemned prisoners have some rights. Gregory has not been convicted of any crime. He has only been charged with committing a crime which has not been proven.

June 2019
(ghanaWeb 27 June): Farmers in Tumu (Sisala) report the reappearance of fall army worms.

July 1, 2019 (bukarson.com)
As part of activities to mark the 2018 celebration of the Feok festival of the Chiefs and people of the Builsa Traditional Area, the President, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, commissioned a one thousand metric ton grain warehouse on the Sandema-Wiaga road in the district. Outdoored in December 2018, the project, under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) under the Ministry of Special Development Initiative (MSD), is in shambles. The project, commissioned only six months ago by the Burma Camp, Accra, contractors Grumah Twins Co. Ltd, has been destroyed by heavy stormy rains.

July 16, 2019 (ghanaWeb: 18 and 22-24 July and other sources):
A misunderstanding between a cadet corps of Sandema Secondary Technical High School and the rest of the student body occurred on July 16 at 9:08 pm when the cadet accosted nine students on their way to their dormitories after prep and punished them for retiring to bed late. Although a teacher later freed the nine students, the rest of the student body massed up to confront the cadet. At around 10:00 pm, upon hearing the presence of police at the school, the students reportedly came out in their numbers and made their way towards the school’s dining hall, but police allegedly fired warning shots to disperse the crowd. This ignited a confrontation with the police leading to the death of…a first-year General Arts student [by a stray bullet]. An emergency District Security Committee (DISEC), which consisted of five members, met with stakeholders and decided to close down the school to ascertain the extent of the damage and put in place safety measures before students are recalled on July 30, 2019. The committee members included a board of directors of the school, staff of the Ghana Education Service (GES), a Sandema District Assembly representative, the Bureau of National Investigations (BHI) and the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT).

July 16, 2019
Dr. Clement Apaak wrote in Facebook: “Let me use this opportunity to thank the rank and file of the Great NDC party in Builsa South for giving me the green light to contest the 2020 parliamentary elections as your candidate!”

July 31, 2019
(MyJoyOnline.com July 31): An investigative report by Washington DC based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is alleging that the Forestay Commission is still issuing permits to members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to export rosewood despite a ban. The report claims that an undercover investigator discovered powerful Chinese and Ghanaian traffickers are still harvesting and shipping rosewood out of the country using “the help of ruling party members and complicity at all levels of government”.
According to an analysis by the EIA, since the first ban on harvesting of the endangered rosewood was announced in 2012, over 540,000 tons of rosewood – the equivalent of 23,478 twenty-foot containers or approximately 6 million trees – had been illegally harvested and exported to China as recently as June 18, 2019.
“Once the logs arrive in Tema port, shipping agents help obtain – or forge – all documents required to clear customs,” one of the traffickers told EIA investigators.
(ghanaWeb 12 August, 2019): The head of corporate communications at the Forestry Commission, Joyce Ofori Kwafo, says the claim is untrue. “When we are working at the Forestry Commission, we don’t look at party affiliation. It’s about the individual or the company. For somebody to say that we issued a permit to NPP members – in fact I don’t have any record to prove that. I haven’t seen anything like that, and I don’t think it is true.”

From Daniel Kwame Gariba’s post in Buluk Kaniak

August 4, 2019
Daniel Kwame Gariba (DCE of Builsa South) posted in the Facebook group Buluk Kaniak:
“Today in Builsa South we organized the first ever Sanitation Marketing Expo to showcase the business potentials in the sanitation area. The purpose was to bring to light some of the opportunities in that sector to the 1. Community Technical Volunteers trained by the Assembly with the support of UNICEF and 2. the business community about the need to start selling sanitation materials that will be required by households to put up household toilets. The objective is to end the menace of open defecation (OD) in the District.
It’s important to state that Builsa South has taken the sanitation subject a notch higher. Our goal is to end OD in the district by 2021. Out of 118 communities in the district, 61 (or 51.6%) are “open defecation free” (ODF). We are poised to scale the remaining ones to ODF status by 2021. Our biggest gratitude goes to UNICEF for helping us fight this menace.”

August 13-18, 2019
ghanaWeb 13 Aug.: President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will begin a six-day tour of the Northern and Upper Regions of Ghana…[beginning on] Tuesday, August 12, [and] ending Sunday, August 18, 2019.
… Before viewing the ongoing construction work on the Doninga Bridge in Builsa South and the rice valleys under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme, President Akufo-Addo will make a brief stop at the Sandema chief’s palace in Builsa North.
A durbar of chiefs and people at Fumbisi will be the climax the President’s tour of the upper East.

August 18, 2019
(various sources, cf. also Joyce Bumbom “Free surgical procedures by Dr. Benjamin Akinkang’s Team of Hope” in BULUK 12)
Dr. Benjamin Akinkang, a surgeon who, together with his Team of Hope, had performed surgery for almost 400 poor and needy people in Sandema and beyond without charge emerged the winner of the “MTN Heroes of Change Competition” in the Health Category. The award was endowed with 30,000 Ghana Cedis. The BULUK journal joins the many voices of congratulations for this well-deserved prize.

Source: MTN Ahana 17/8/2019

September 10, 2019

(source: Christine Arnheim, Maaka): Another borehole (groundwater pump) has been provided to the people of Gbedema by Maaka e.V.
The pump ensures that people in a more rural part of the village have clean and therefore safer water.
Furthermore, the same NGO created a plantation of about 50 mango-trees in Gbedema-Jagsa.

September 11, 2019
ghanaWeb 11 September 2019: A new ultra-modern CHPS [community-based health planning and service] compound for the improvement of maternal healthcare delivery in the [Fumbisi-] Pentengsa community of the Builsa South District…was commissioned on September 11.
The new CHPS compound was funded by the Builsa South District under the district development facility (DDF) and has a maternity ward…, changing rooms, and an Outpatient Department (OPC)…

September 20, 2019
The “Balansa Youth and Associates”, an association of young people, mostly from Balansa donated dual desks, textbooks, children’s story books, and exercise books to Alam Primary School at Balansa. The presentation was witnessed by the DCE for Builsa North, a deputy director of the GES, PTA/SMC chairman, Builsa Radio, staff and students of the school and some parents. The association also presented exercise books to Balansa Primary School and textbooks to Ayieta JHS. The donation is an attempt by the group to support education in their community and in Buluk as a whole. The presentation was done on behalf of the association by John Agandin, Maxwell Akanburichaab and Francisca Akabuudi.

September 2019
(ghanaWeb 30 August 2019) The Ghana Education Service (GES) resolved to introduce new school uniforms for junior high schools at the beginning of the new academic year 2019/20. According to the GES, the current uniforms will be phased out over the next three years so that the new uniforms do not become an added burden. Rather, the resolution will give parents and guardians enough time to get them for their children and wards.

Photo: Thomas Azantilow

October 17-18, 2019
(GhanaWeb, 17-18 Oct.) Heavy rains in the Upper East Region began on October 1, 2019 and it rained almost every day until October 12, 2019, although, during this time of the year, when the dry season is approaching, heavy rains are usually not expected.
In the Bulsa North District, no house was destroyed, however three people lost their lives, while eight were injured. The Bulsa South District recorded three fatal casualties, one as a result of drowning and two deaths as a result of collapsed rooms.
At the end of the month, heavy new rains and storms devastated parts of the Bulsa South District, and three more people lost their lives.

October 2019
Fumbisi Secondary School was closed down, because a ghost (kok) was surmised to be staying in the school building (in the girls’ dormitory). The educated Bulsa were indignant about this message and mocked the event or were ashamed that this affair filled headlines of newspapers.

November 2019
People of the Wiaga chief’s family are preparing a festival honouring the 30th anniversary of Chief Akanfebanyueta Aloysius Asuik II. The theme of the day will be “Promoting our culture – the role of traditional leaders over the years”.
In March 1989 the chief was elected by an overwhelming majority of the Wiaga Landlords (yie nyam).

The election of the new Wiaga Chief in 1989

November 4, 2019
(Ghanaweb 4.11.19): The Builsa North District Assembly has announced that 30 communities in the area have been approved by the Ministry of Energy for connection to the national grid… Giving the breakdown of the total number of approved communities, the DCE said Sandema had 12 communities, Wiaga 8, Chuchuliga 6, and Siniensi and Kadema had 4.