Ethnic clashes force boy, 9, to work at galamsey pit for survival

If you think peace is expensive try throwing a war sometimes. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. Every war is going to astonish you in the way it has occurred and in the way it is carried as the experience and life touching story of this little poor soul below vividly depicts.

Nine-year-old primary three school pupil, Tengzor Yinbang has been forced to work as a labourer at an illegal gold mine to raise money for survival.

Little Tengzor, a pupil of Tindongo Primary School, is a victim of the recent ethnic clashes at Tindongo and Namolgo in the Upper East region during which nine people were killed and several houses were torched.

Tengzor Yinbang who lost all his belongings hopes to raise money to continue school.

Poor Yinbang was living with some good Samaritans who became victims of the clashes.

Little Yinbang narrated the circumstances of his family amidst tears. The boy lost his mother before he learnt how to speak and his father did not live long after that.

He earns a mere GH¢3 a day out of which he saves GH¢1 daily, hoping to raise enough money to go back to school. When will better Ghana reach this poor boy whose only is the fate of his birth? Hope someone is reading this piece. God have mercy!

453 electoral flashpoints in Ghana's Western Region

The Deputy Western Regional Director of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mr Benjamin Bano-Bioh, said on Monday 10th November 2008 that a total of 453 electoral flash points have been identified in the Western Region. He was speaking at the Study Day of the Regional Election Security Task Force at Takoradi.

The Study Day formed part of Exercise Peace Angel, which is being undertaken by the National Election Security Task Force to create an enabling environment for the EC to conduct free and fair elections in December. Mr Bano-Bioh said the flash points were identified due to chieftaincy and land disputes, “galamsey” activities, problems at the borders, drug peddlers’ hideouts and unhealthy political rivalry. He said 145 difficult and inaccessible areas, which require special means of transport such as tractors, boats and motorbikes to reach have also been identified.

Mr Bano-Bioh said the EC, has a huge responsibility to ensure free, fair, transparent and incontrovertible elections as its contribution towards good governance. He said achieving free and fair elections is, however, a collective or shared responsibility of the EC, Political Parties, candidates, the electorate, media, security services and the courts.