The Techiman Times

18/06/2025

Surge in armed robberies in the Eastern Corridor of Bono East Region

President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Interior Minister and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to urgently deploy more security personnel to the Bono East Region in response to rising incidents of highway and armed robberies, particularly along the eastern corridor.

Addressing residents during his “Thank You Tour” in Kintampo, Mr Mahama acknowledged the growing insecurity in areas such as Atebubu, Amente, Sene East and West, and the Pru districts, where robbery cases have become increasingly rampant.

“We are aware of the challenges in the eastern corridor of Bono East. In response, I have directed the Minister for Interior and the IGP to deploy additional security personnel to those areas where robbery has become rampant,” he stated.

He further announced that the government would provide the police with patrol vehicles and communication equipment to enhance their capacity in combating crime and ensuring public safety.

In a broader governance update, Mr Mahama also revealed a significant policy shift regarding the evaluation of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs). He disclosed that the Cabinet has approved new guidelines for the utilisation of the District Assembly Common Fund, with effective usage now serving as a key performance indicator for all MMDCEs.

“Eighty per cent of the funds will go directly to the regions, with guidelines approved by Cabinet. We’ll assess the performance of MMDCEs based on how well they use these resources,” he emphasised. “We will see what you've done with the fund, and based on that, decide whether you stay or you go.”

The President was warmly received in Kintampo, where hundreds of residents turned out to welcome him. During the event, the President of the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Pimampim Yaw Kagbrese V, commended the recent appreciation of the Ghana cedi against the US dollar, expressing hope for a further drop to single digits.
“You have reduced the dollar to cedi to 11 cedis, now I hear it is 10 cedis. I know by July, it will be 9 cedis. It will be a single digit,” the chief said.
Mr Mahama also addressed the falling cost of the Hajj pilgrimage, attributing the reduction to the strengthening cedi. He noted that this year’s fare dropped from GHS75,000 to GHS62,000 and projected that it could fall below GHS50,000 next year if the currency continues its strong performance.

Additionally, he confirmed that the government had honoured its promise to make Eid al-Fitr a statutory public holiday. “The bill to amend the Holiday Act to make that holiday permanent is ready for Parliament. So from next year, it will no longer require an executive instrument—it will be enshrined in law,” he announced.

Joy FM

18/06/2025

Bono East’s agri-food start-ups grapple with fragmented regulatory framework

Certainly, Ghana's agri-food Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) industry plays a vital role in building a robust economy.

The sector, which remains an essential contributor to the growth of the country's economy, continues to contribute significantly to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), employment and food security.

The agri-food value chain involves the journey of a food product from the farm to the consumer, including input suppliers, farmers, processors, distributors and retailers, creating vast employment opportunities and promoting food security.

It's a well-known fact that the northern belt is a major contributor to Ghana's agricultural industry.

Bono East
The Bono East Region within the northern belt is noted for its active involvement in agri-food SMEs.

The region, with 11 municipal and district administrative areas, has vast fertile land suitable for agriculture and agribusiness.

Its population is about 880,921 according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census.

Majority of its population are energetic young people, including graduates who have ventured into agriculture and agribusiness, increasing the number of youth in the industry.

The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at the Bono East Regional Department of Agriculture, Bawa Amidu, told the Daily Graphic that several youths in the region had ventured into agriculture and agribusiness.

He, however, said the youth were interested in vegetable production more than the tree crops because of their short gestation period.

"But we also realised that the elderly have shifted from crop production to tree crops such as cocoa and cashew because the sector is more regulated," he said.

Mr Amidu said the region's agriculture and agribusiness prospects were bright because of the youth's active involvement in the sector.

Challenges
However, one of the major challenges that keeps frustrating the industry players, particularly start-ups in the agrifood-SMEs is bureaucracy and regulatory hurdles hindering the efficient operation of agrifood-SMEs.

Some Agrifood entrepreneurs, mainly start-ups, told the Daily Graphic that the process involved in registering their business or products was too cumbersome and frustrating.

The industry players said they go through several frustrations and processes when engaging with regulatory agencies to license and register their businesses.

These challenges, they said, negatively affect the growth of their businesses.

They said they had to go through several regulatory agencies such as the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Registrar General's Department (RGD), Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).

Others include the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA), metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs), among others, to get their businesses licensed.

Frustrating processes

Sharing her experience, a 33-year-old Sobolo (a beverage made from hibiscus) producer, Asana Fatima, told the Daily Graphic that she went through several frustrating processes to get the FDA to approve her products.

She said it took her more than six months to complete the registration process because of the long procedure and requirements involved.

"I nearly halted the process because it was time-consuming, frustrating and costly because I had to travel from Techiman to Sunyani every week," she said.

Another fruit juice producer, Evelyn Pomaa, who had no formal registration of her business, told the Daily Graphic that she was interested in registering, but the process involved was killing her desire to do so.

"I have not made any attempt, but I had an experience with my friend, who registered her business. I don't want to go through similar frustrations," she said.

Mrs Pomaa appealed to the government to decentralise the operations of the regulatory agencies to reduce the cost of travelling.

FDA response
However, the Bono Regional Principal Regulatory Officer of the FDA, Gloria Azerongma Salifu, told the Daily Graphic that FDA registration processes were not as cumbersome as the public say.

"Our officers are willing to help applicants go through the process. So you don't need a middleman to register your products," she said.

Mrs Salifu said because safety was paramount to the FDA, they had put in place several measures, including online registration, to make the process easier and faster.

She said the documentation was for safety purposes, which focused on the persons, the raw materials, lab analysis of the product and the facility.

Mrs Salifu said some of the processes were free, adding that FDA was always ready to assist businesses acquire the necessary documentation.

She urged potential agrifood entrepreneurs and other MSMEs to ignore the information that registering businesses with FDA and other regulatory agencies was frustrating.

NKABOM initiative
In a bid to resolve the frustrations start-ups go through to register their businesses and expand access to education and career opportunities in the food systems, a northern belt stakeholders dialogue on Agrifood Regulation and youth enterprises has been organised for the industry players at Hansua near Techiman in the Bono East Region.

It was organised by the University of Ghana (UG) through its Nutrition and Sustainable Agri-food Collaborative (NKABOM), an entrepreneurship pillar, in partnership with McGill University and Mastercard Foundation.

The engagement brought together key regulatory institutions, youth-led agri-food businesses, and local policymakers across the nine regions in the northern belt of Ghana.

The aim was to foster dialogue on regulatory challenges, support mechanisms and pathways for co-creating an enabling environment for agrifood SMEs.

The pillar is part of the institution's efforts to strengthen Ghana’s agri-food entrepreneurship ecosystem and promote dialogue between regulatory agencies and agri-food start-ups.

The partnership is to enhance capacity building by equipping students and beneficiaries with skills and resources needed to create sustainable livelihoods within the agri-food systems sector.

The project is guided by three key objectives, namely learning and training, inclusive access and food security and entrepreneurship promotion.

Food safety
The Dean of the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS), Professor Justice Bawole, said the engagement was to foster a dialogue-driven approach to address challenges in food production, processing, distribution and retail.

He said the dialogue was also to advocate regulatory reforms that align with international food safety and trade standards.

Prof. Bawole said the engagement was to enhance policy implementation, compliance and enforcement in food safety, trade and sustainability.

He said it would help bridge the gap between regulatory bodies and agri-food start-ups across the northern belt by facilitating dialogue and co-developing strategies for a more enabling business environment.

He said the UG NKABOM was a strategic initiative aimed at transforming the agri-food system of Ghana, by empowering people, particularly the youth, women, persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons.

Prof. Bawole said the project was crucial for improving food security, enhancing livelihoods and driving national development.

The Bono East Regional Head of Compliance and Debt Manager at the GRA, Mohammed Ibrahim, said: "By law, the first institution to go to when developing a business idea is GRA.

At this initial stage, you will discuss your business plan with GRA for advice."

He explained that GRA would give advice on the proposed business in order to help them succeed.

The stakeholder interactions brought to the fore the need for regulatory reforms to streamline regulations and reduce bureaucratic hurdles, to create a more conducive environment for agri-food SMEs.

Daily Graphic

12/06/2025

The Amoowi hole- A short History of Bono Peoples.

Amoowi hole, a tunnel which is located at Pinihini near Fiema in the Nkoranza North District in the Bono East Region, has a historic connection to the Bono people.

Bono, one of the large Akan ethnic groups, is normally tagged as "Akan Piesie." Legend has it that the Amoowi was a hole where the early Bono people emerged to settle at their current locations in the Bono and Bono East regions.

Pinihini, a deprived farming community, is believed to host the exact location where the Bono people originated from, but this is unknown to several people, including some Bonos. The Amoowi community, which is believed to be the first settlement of the Bono people, was said to be a big city with about 79 adjoining communities.

Civil war
However, oral tradition has it that there was a civil war that occurred in the area during which some of the people migrated to Bono Manso, Yefiri, literally “We are coming out of the cave” and Tanoboase near Techiman as well as Mampongten in the Ashanti Region.

It is said the war, which occurred centuries ago, collapsed the Amoowi community which eventually became a forest. The early settlers were said to have written the name of the community, "Amoowi", on a rock.

In addition, there are some visible signs and other human activities, suggesting that there had been early settlement in the area. The Amoowi tunnel, which is said to be connected from Pinihini to Mampongten, has, however, not been developed, leaving the entire area bushy and inaccessible to tourists.

Discovery
The Assistant Head of the Performing Arts Department of the Bono Regional Centre for National Culture (CNC), Julius Yaw Quansah, told the Daily Graphic that a hunter who was on a hunting expedition at night spotted a group of people coming out of the hole.

Mr Quansah said the extremely surprised hunter screamed and wondered how such many people could emerge from that hole. "According to oral history, at the time the hunter screamed, the leader of the group was about to come out from the hole,” he said.

Mr Quansah said when the leader of the group heard the voice of the hunter, he pulled back into the hole, leaving a metal chain which was on his head and neck at the entrance of the hole.

He said it was believed that there was another group of people who were supposed to follow after the leader, but all of them went back into the tunnel. Mr Quansah said from Amoowi, the first settlement of Bono people was Bono Manso and Yefiri, all nearby communities.

He said since its discovery, nobody had tried or entered the tunnel.

Caves
He added that there were caves around the hole, explaining that one of them had developed into a beautiful waterfall. Mr Quansah said there was also a shrine at the Amoowi hole known as "Amoowibiakro", where libations were poured before visitors were permitted to access the place.

He said the bushy nature of the place made it unattractive for tourists to visit the site. Mr Quansah said it was taboo to send a dog or goat to the Amoowi Forest, especially near the shrine, saying these animals would die when they got close to the Amoowi hole or cave.

" Amoowi is the genesis of the Bono people and the Bono people are the first to settle on the land we call Ghana today as well as the first people to cross the White Volta," Mr Quansah said.

Appeal
A resident in Pinihini, Kwaku Adjei, who spoke to the Daily Graphic appealed to the assembly and the Ghana Tourism Authority to develop the site to preserve it and attract visitors and also to preserve the history of the Bonos.

He said the development of the site could also help to improve economic activities in the area and help the assembly increase its revenue generation. Mr Adjei said the evidence of the origin of the Bonos should not be left to go rotten in the bush.

Responding to the appeal, the Bono East Regional Director of the Ghana GTA, Joseph Appiagyei, told the Daily Graphic that at the moment, the Amoowi historic hole was not part of the recently selected untapped tourism sites to be developed.

"For now, we don't have any plan of developing the site into a tourism destination, but in the future, we have planned to hold discussions with the Nkoranza North District Assembly to see whether it would be possible to develop the site," he said.

Mr Appiagyei explained that during the selection of the sites for their development, the Planning Office did not mention it. "But, once it has been highlighted, it would attract or boost the interest of investors and the assembly to invest in its development," he said.

Daily Graphic

12/06/2025

Catholic Bishops Conference President calls for revival of Bono language to prevent its extinction

The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Mathew Kwasi Gyamfi has highlighted the inadvertent role of Bono Twi-speaking people in contributing to the potential extinction of their language by not actively using it.

In his address, he urged them to take responsibility for the preservation and growth of the Bono language and culture by speaking it proudly and consistently.

Most Rev. Gyamfi, who is also the Bishop of Sunyani, made these remarks during the launch of the Bono Two Project in Sunyani, the capital of the Bono Region.

The project is designed, among other objectives, to promote the usage of the Bono language and advocate for its inclusion in Ghana’s national educational curriculum.

“Promoting Bono language and culture should not merely be about speaking the language. It is essential to embrace and share the rich heritage that comes with it,” he said, expressing his support for the introduction of Bono language studies in schools across Bono-speaking regions.

The Bono Regional Minister, Joseph Addae Akwaboa, also expressed his support for the Bono Twi Project.

He pledged to assist in rehabilitating office spaces donated by the Bono Regional House of Chiefs for the Bonoman Institute, a key player in the project’s efforts.

William Sabi, the Board Chairman of the Bonoman Institute, lamented the decline of the Bono language, once considered the foundational language of the region, while neighboring dialects such as Fante and Asante Twi continue to thrive.

He urged all Bono people to support the Bonoman Institute’s mission to restore the Bono language to its rightful place in Ghanaian society.

“The Bono language, which was once the first language, is on the decline, while Fante and Asante, which originated from it, are flourishing. We must unite to protect and elevate our language,” Sabi stated.

Other prominent speakers at the event included Professor Kwabena Sarfo Kantanka of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Okoyeredom Sakyi Arko, Vice President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, and the Deputy Director of the Ghana Bureau of Languages.

They all emphasised the importance of the Bono Twi Project, urging the Bono people to rally behind it for the cultural and socio-economic development of the region.

In many areas of the Bono Region, Asante Twi has become more widely spoken than the indigenous Bono Twi.

However, the Bonoman Institute is committed to reversing this trend by promoting the Bono language and ensuring it takes its rightful place both in Ghana and on the global stage.

The Bono language, primarily spoken in the Bono and Bono East regions of Ghana, is at the heart of the Bono Twi Project.

Through this initiative, the Bonoman Institute and its collaborators hope to inspire Bono people to embrace their language with pride and work towards having it included as an examinable subject in schools. The launch of the project was attended by students and people from all walks of life.

During the event, copies of Bono language books, including the New Testament, were unveiled. The Bonoman Institute, through its research, advocacy, lobbying, and activism efforts, is dedicated to the development of the Bono people and their heritage.

27/05/2025

https://gna.org.gh/2025/05/kintampo-technical-institute-on-verge-of-collapse/

By Christopher Tetteh Kintampo, (Bono East), May 21, GNA-The Kintampo Technical Institute in the Bono Region is on the verge of collapse due to poor infrastructure, authorities have…

04/05/2025

23/03/2025

If President Mahama's Government wants to win the fight against galamsey when the war eventually starts(to me, the war has not started), the following should be done:
1. Revoke, not review, the Mining in Forest Reserves Legislation(L.I. 2462)
2. The President must form a team of undercover investigators who will report directly to him on the progress of the fight. He can not trust the national security operatives to feed him with accurate information.
3. The President must declare State of Emergency in all galamsey districts of Ghana.
4. All earth moving equipment imported into Ghana must have gps trackers. The Special Undercover Team will be tasked to monitor the movement of these equipment.
5. The government must investigate, arrest and prosecute all the kingpins of galamsey(Politicians, Chiefs, Businesspeople and foreigners, etc)

16/01/2025

COCOBOD seizes trucks loaded with bags of cocoa, lumber

The Bono Regional Office of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) seized three heavy-duty trucks loaded with bags of cocoa and lumber suspected of being smuggled to either, neighbouring Burkina Faso, Togo or Cote D’Ivoire.

The ‘Man diesel trucks’ with registration numbers GR 7237-21, AS 5278-23 and GR 314-24 were impounded at Nkrankwanta in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region.

Mr Michael Paddy Kwasi Asumanu, the Bono Regional Administrator of the COCOBOD, who disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, said the trucks were seized upon a tip-off, saying the drivers, however, absconded.

The drivers covered the bags of cocoa with lumber to outwit security, he stated, saying the trucks had since been placed in the custody of the Bono Regional Office of the Forestry Commission (FC) in Sunyani.

“We are now working on a court order to take possession of the bags of cocoa”, Mr Asumanu stated.

Mr Emmanuel Ntiako, the Deputy Bono Regional Manager of the FC, also told the GNA his office was yet to receive details of the lumber.

11/01/2025

Fire guts Dormaa Akwamu Methodist Basic School

A fire has destroyed the 6-unit classroom block of the Dormaa Akwamu Methodist Basic School in the Dormaa East District of the Bono Region, displacing over 218 pupils.

The blaze, which occurred during the Christmas break, destroyed books, furniture, and other educational materials. Investigations into the cause of the fire are currently underway by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

With the school reopened, students and staff are faced with a lack of infrastructure. Headteacher Datus Kwadwo Manu, appealed for urgent support to rebuild the classrooms.

Chairman of the School’s Management Committee, Peter Boakye Asiedu, has also called on stakeholders to assist in restoring the school to its functional state.

The Girls’ Prefect, Yvonne Owusua, has urged the government and NGOs to intervene.

Efforts to speak with the Dormaa East District Director of Education have been unsuccessful.

28/12/2024

CIVIC AID DONATES FOOD ITEMS TO TECHIMAN HOLY FAMILY CHILDREN'S WARD.

As part of activities to commemorate this year's Boxing Day, Civic Aid, a non-profit organization based in Denver, Colorado, in the United States, on 26th December,2024 donated food and other gifts to the children's ward at Techiman Holy Family Hospital. The donation was done in partnership with the Anane Institute.

In his introductory remarks, Mr. Clement Anane, the General Manager of Anane Institute and the local Rep of Civic Aid, indicated that Civic Aid prime objective is to impact humanity socially and psychologically which will help the general development of the individual.

According to Mr. Anane, Children represent the future. Their health, welfare and general physical and emotional development should be a collective responsibility of all and sundry. The food items donated aim at complimenting the efforts of the hospital to help in their quest to deliver quality health to the children.

Mr. Emmanuel Twi ,in-charge of the children's ward, unreservedly commended Civic Aid for their humanitarian gesture and expressed interest to partner with Civic to help deliver quality health care to the children.

Mr. Clement Anane in his closing remarks assured the hospital of the Civic Aid outermost support to the support and any other organizations that share in the core value and objectives of Civic Aid.

13/07/2024

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