Day: June 23, 2021

Adaklu Kodzobi (V/R),– Mr. Wisdom Krakani, an official of the Volta Regional Directorate of the Department of Social Welfare has urged parents to give their children the best opportunities and always protect their interest as they are vulnerable.

Speaking at a symposium on child neglect and abuse at Adaklu Kodzobi in the Adaklu district, Mr Krakani said Children have the right to education, health and justice, and asked parents to support their children with their needs.

It was organised by Yayra Child Development Centre of the Edem Congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Adaklu Kodzobi with funding from Compassion International, Ghana for caregivers of the Centre’s beneficiaries as part of their week-long celebration of YayraFest.

Mr. Krakani noted that children who have their needs provided by their families always looked happy and healthier and, “They grow to also become responsible adults.’

He expressed concern about some irresponsible parents who neglect their children adding that, due to child neglect and abuse, about 8,000 children globally died of hunger daily.

“About 90 percent of criminals had once experienced one form of abuse or the other or neglect when they were kids”, he noted, reminding parents that the law frowned on child abuse in any form- child neglect, child trafficking and stealing, defilement and child marriage among others.

Mr. Benjamin Fumador, Director of the Centre appealed to parents to be “a shield around their children to protect them from exploitation and abuse.

The festival will be climaxed on Sunday with a fund raising service in aid of an Office/ICT complex.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ningo, – The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has organized a day’s workshop for adolescents in the Ningo-Prampram District to enable them to champion reproductive health rights and fight gender-based violence in their communities.

The mentoring programme for some selected schools in the District, which brought together 71 participants, was held in collaboration with the Ningo-Prampram District Assembly (NIPDA) with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Canadian government.

Madam Matilda Banfro, Acting Greater Accra Regional Director, Department of Gender, in an address, said the programme was to reorient and educate the young girls on their sexual reproductive health right, sexual and gender-based violence.

Madam Banfro said the exercise was also to help curb teenage pregnancy, early childhood and forced marriages and vulnerability to sexual-based violence.

It will also provide the necessary tools for adolescents to know their rights and make informed decisions.

She said years of the patriarchal system had left damaging effects on the world as it had deprived the rights of some girls and women in the development agenda, which had resulted in some women being counted among the most marginalized and vulnerable groups.

She said unleashing the potentials in the girl child was an effective pathway to addressing poverty, improving areas of education and health as well as making society more inclusive and reducing gender-based violence in the society.

Madam Juliana Abbey-Quaye, Eastern Regional Director of Department, speaking on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, said Ghana was a deeply gendered society where the socio-culture norms governed attitudes, behaviours, practices and expectations which resulted in gender inequality.

She said gender-based violence was any act perpetrated against the will of a person because of their sex and gender, adding that such violence could be sexual, physical, emotional, economic and harmful traditional practices.

Madam Abbey-Quaye, therefore, encouraged the adolescents to report to the police and other stakeholders issues relating to gender and sexual violence as there were existing laws to deal with perpetrators.

Madam Gifty Ansah, the District Health Director of Ningo-Prampram District, who did a presentation on adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights and STIs, said adolescence was a transitional stage from childhood to adulthood.

She said information and education about Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services were essential for the adolescents to be able to free themselves from discrimination, coercion and violence in one’s sexual decision and sexual life.

She said if the adolescents were well informed, they could demand equality and mutual respect in sexual relationships.

Madam Zubaida Damago, Gender Desk Officer at NIPDA, on her part, entreated the girls to strive to achieve distinctions in their academic journey to become well-equipped people for the benefit of society.

Madam Damago, who also doubled as the Development Planning Officer of NIPDA, reminded the adolescents’ girls that they were the future leaders of the country.

Other officials from the Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service and other stakeholders urged the participants to abstain from sexual activities as it had consequences on their academic performances.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ho,- Mr Harold Atobra-Acheampong, Acting Director, Ghana Highway Authority says the Authority will rehabilitate the 99-kilometre Ho-Denu network structured into three lots as early as practicable.

He said the Authority was supervising routine maintenance activities including pothole patching of the 99-kilometre Ho-Denu road, this year.

Mr Atobra-Acheampong was reacting to a group calling itself, concerned drivers of Ho-Aflao, who have appealed to the government as a matter of urgency to fix the Godokpoe and Dokpokofe junction roads and by extension the Ho-Denu stretch to prevent accidents.

The group said the deplorable nature of the road at these junctions posed a great danger to drivers, commuters and pedestrians and appealed that the entire Aflao road network and especially the Airport segment should be re-engineered.

Mr Harold Atobra-Acheampong, explained that seven contractors were working on the segment patching potholes and sectional repair works with kilometre zero to 20 km heading towards Kpetoe being executed.

He disclosed that the Afiadenyigba-Metsrikasa network had seen sectional repair works of three km including sections being scarified and a good gravel material laid but the contractor has vacated the site for non-payment.

Mr Atobra-Acheampong said only three out of seven contractors started works but abandoned the site with the contract ending in December 2021.

Raymond Ativor, one of the leaders of the drivers, in a press release signed and copied to the Ghana News Agency, also appealed to Ghana Highway Authority, Volta Regional Minister to come to lead the crusade.

They said hostels belonging to the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) were also located along that portion of the road and most students used the road, thus, the need for measures to avert any unforeseen circumstances.

They said if by June 28, 2021 nothing was done to address the situation the group would be forced to block that portion of the road so they could fill the dugouts to make it motorable.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra,- The Country Director of UNAIDS, Madam Angela Trenton-Mbonde, has urged society to endeavour to do away with HIV stigmatization and rather support persons living with HIV to enable them to live meaningful lives.

She expressed worry over the continuous stigmatization of young persons living with HIV, especially the young women in communities and homes, saying that should be avoided.

Speaking at the 20th Anniversary launch of the Hope for Future Generations (HFFG), a local non-governmental organisation in Accra on Wednesday, Madam Trenton-Mbonde, who joined the ceremony virtually, said there was the need to do more to reduce the cases of abuse and injustice facing thousands of women and children in the world.

She said: “At the time of delivering this address, someone somewhere in Ghana, perhaps a young girl, is being ejected from home due to her HIV status or a single mother probably living in a rural community is lacking an income to feed herself and her children.”

The theme for the anniversary of HFFG is: “20 years of promoting good health and gender equality through sustainable interventions; a foundation for the future.”

Madam Trenton-Mbonde commended the organisation for its 20 years of existence and for doing its part to positively impact the lives of various groups of people, including the aged, women, young people, and persons with disabilities.

She said the UNAIDS had been following the activities and interventions of HFFG over the years and was elated by the strength and aptness of such a national NGO.

She stated that HFFG through its operations had expressed its full commitment and contribution to the call for sustainable development in Ghana through its various activities in its operational areas in the country.

Commenting on the achievements and contributions of HFFG to the health sector, the UNAIDS Country Director said through strong partnerships, the organisation had in the past years, contributed immensely towards preventive health, adding that statistics show that “your role in supporting people living with HIV in Ghana particularly, young people is unparalleled.”

“Likewise, you have supported many others in accessing treatment and overcoming the stigma surrounding Tuberculosis”.

The organisation has also empowered millions of people through its interventions in HIV programming and advocacy, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), maternal and child health, malaria, primary health care, skills training, sexual, reproductive health and rights, food and nutrition.

She urged HFFG to continue with its vision of championing equal opportunities for women, children, young people including persons with disabilities to develop their full potentials.

“As you have laid the foundations like a master builder as your theme suggests, it is time to add the pillars, the walls, the roofing to have a complete structure.”

She asked HFFG to do more in renewing its commitment towards supporting the disadvantaged in society by adopting new strategies and leveraging stronger partnerships.

The Reverend Dr Abraham Nyarko, Board Chairperson of HFFG, narrated that for 20 years the organisation had kept its vision of empowering people to reach their full potentials through participatory strategies.

“We celebrate this day not because we are chronologically 20, not because we have survived, but we do so because, through the help of God and the sterling support of many stakeholders, government and its agencies, development partners and our communities, we have this much to show.”

He said the anniversary, therefore, offered the opportunity to celebrate a job well done, reflect on the life of the organization and its achievements and look into a brighter future for HFFG.

He announced series of activities that had been earmarked for the celebration, including the continuation of its legacy project dubbed ‘Pads for Girls everywhere,’ which aimed at intensifying menstrual hygiene management among young girls and reducing menstrual poverty.

Other activities to be observed in the various regional offices include beneficiary and media engagements, video shows, a book launch, football gala and stakeholder engagements.

There would be a thanksgiving service in October to climax the celebration.

The event, which was virtually hosted, was also live on social media platforms and enabled staff in the regions and other stakeholders and well-wishers to join in.

Mrs Cecilia Senoo, Executive Director of HFFG, whose 60th birthday coincided with the 20th Anniversary launch of the organisation, expressed joy at the feat chalked so far and pledged to forge stronger partnerships and raise more local funding for its activities.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Sunyani,– Some residents in the Sunyani township have expressed the need for the Ghana Statistical Service to intensify education and awareness creation about the ongoing Population and Housing Census (PHC).

They have heard about the exercise, according to them, but were not conversant with the detailed information about it.

Mr Emmanuel Tetteh, the Station Master of Ahenboboano Taxi Drivers Union, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that they were not aware that the exercise had started.

He said they were ready and eager to get counted only if the data collectors would come to their houses in the evenings, saying that would be an appropriate time to readily give out the needed information.

Mr Tetteh emphasised they could not use working hours to provide long information to data collectors unless it was during their free period.

Mr Nicolas Owusu-Ansah, the Vice-Chairman of the Rex Taxi Drivers Union, also told the GNA currently “business is bad” and, therefore, did not have time for such activities.

But, he added, if data collectors would meet them at their homes, they would cooperate and provide the necessary information.

Mr Owusu-Ansah continued life had somehow become unbearable nowadays, “so it is difficult for any worker, especially we the self-employees to use working unprofitably to provide information which would take about 30 minutes of our time.”

He suggested if the timing could be scheduled to evenings whereby many of them would have closed from work, it would be easier to receive the field officers.

Some hawkers in the central business district of Sunyani said they had not heard about the exercise, adding that it was the first time hearing that listing of structures, as part of the exercise in the Municipality, was done.

However, they gave assurance of availing themselves for counting, provided the officials would meet them at home.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra,- The Samuel Amo Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility wing of the Tobinco Group of Companies, has appealed to the Government to provide support for widows in the country to protect their rights.

Mrs Harriet Asante, the Executive Director of the Foundation, who made the appeal, said widows remained one of the most vulnerable groups in the country as they continued to live in abject poverty, with the rights of several others being violated daily through outmoded cultural practices.

She said the protection of the rights of such persons, as well as their living conditions, must, therefore, not be belittled by the State.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sideline of an event organised by the Foundation to commemorate this year’s International Widow’s Day in Accra, she urged the government to do more to alleviate the plight of widows.

The global theme for this year is, “Invisible Women, Invisible Problems.”

The local theme is, “The Right of a Widow; The Industrious Woman Today.”

According to the United Nation’s (UN) estimate, there are around 258 million widows around the world and nearly one in every 10 widows lives in extreme poverty.

The COVID-19 pandemic, the UN said, had also added to the problem in many parts of the world as people lost their partners to the deadly virus.

Government in 2008, introduced the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) to provide support for extremely poor and vulnerable households to reduce poverty by increasing and smoothening consumption and promoting access to services and opportunities among the extremely poor and vulnerable, including widows.

Mrs Asante, while commending government for the policy, called for more social intervention programmes for widows to alleviate them from the economic hardship brought on them by such unfortunate and unplanned incidents.

“I think the government can do more, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection can do more. We give them LEAP but how much is the LEAP if there is a need for us to really appreciate for them to earn a living it’s very important.

“We also encourage other private institutions to come to their aid because the government cannot do all and we appreciate the little they do, churches can do more to help widows,” she urged.

The Foundation currently has over 300 widows it caters for, including Christians and Muslims.

Mrs Asante also urged non-profit organisations and philanthropists to assist widows to cushion the government’s support for such people.

Madam Betty Ayagiba, Founder of Widows and Orphans Movement, commended the Foundation for its continued support for widows and other vulnerable persons in society.

She, however, bemoaned the interference of politicians who normally allegedly interceded on behalf of perpetrators of human rights violations against widows, a situation she said was hampering the Movement in seeking justice for the widows.

“Politicians interfere with our work,” she said. “They protect the people who violate the rights of the widows and neglect the widows.”

The UN officially adopted June 23, as International Widow Day by its General Assembly on December 23, 2010.

Prior to that, the Day, it was observed since 2005 by the Loomba Foundation, which worked closely with children of widows in poor and developing countries and helped them to attend school.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Nalerigu (NE/R)– The Nayiri, Paramount Chief of the Mamprugu Traditional Area, Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, has lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the development projects and the implementation of pro-poor policies across the country.

He said the people of the North East Region acknowledged his achievements in the first tenure of his government through the pro-poor policies introduced.

The Chief, through his spokesperson, noted that the policies included the Free Senior High School, the Planting for Food and Jobs, the One District, One Factory, One Constituency, One Ambulance, the expansion of the school feeding programme and the introduction of the Nation Builders Corp, among others.

The Paramount Chief applauded the President when he called on him at his Palace at Nalerigu, the North East Regional capital as part of his two-day tour of the Region.

He said, “These policies made life meaningful to the poor and the North East as a young Region for which the policies perfectly fit. Indeed the impact of your government has been felt by the whole country, especially the people of the North East Region.”

The Paramount Chief said the policies and development were evident in the construction of the town water projects across the North East Region, which was commissioned by President Akufo-Addo himself.

He mentioned the asphalt layout on the Nalerigu, Gambaga and Walewale town roads and several ongoing road constructions work in the Region, including the Nalerigu Bunkrungu road, and the Gbintiri-Chereponi Road among others.

“Mr President, the projects witnessed have been on the request list of Mamprugu for years, which eluded and undoubtedly passed from government to government. Certainly, we owe you tonnes of gratitude,” he said.

The Nayiri appealed to the President to construct a befitting Traditional Council Office for the Mamprugu Traditional Area.

He said the current structure was constructed in the colonial era and had never been renovated.

“The building is now in a deplorable state and does not befit the current status of the Mamprugu Kingdom.”

Naa Sheriga said the Vice President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia cut the sod for work to begin on the construction of the North East Regional House of Chiefs complex last year and appealed to the President to intervene in the speedy construction of the complex.

The Paramount Chief said the Region was delighted when a team from the National Youth Authority requested a site for the construction of a Regional Sports Stadium.

“Eight months down the line, the Contractor is yet to take possession of the land. Once again, we are appealing for your intervention.”

President Akufo-Addo, in his address, noted that his two-day visit to the Region was to thank the chiefs and people for the support he received during the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

He said four Parliamentary seats out of the total of six seats were occupied by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and noted that the NNP’s Presidential Candidate won an absolute majority in the North East Region for the first time in the Fourth Republic.

“I want to put on record my appreciation for your words of commendation about the work of our government and the various matters that you have seen as being policies that are improving the lives of our people.

“The requests that you have made from me, the Traditional Council and North East Regional House of Chiefs, are requests that are of course going to be acted upon,” President Akufo-Addo said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dambai (O/R)- Mrs Mary Obiri-Yeboah, the Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), has called on Transport Unions and stakeholders to support interventions being implemented to reduce road fatalities.

She said the commercial transport sector needed to be regulated to ensure smooth operations and expressed the hope that the amendment of the regulations governing the industry would bring sanity to the sector and reduce the carnage on the roads.

Mrs Obiri-Yeboah said these during a working visit to the Krachi East Municipality of the Oti Region to build support for the authority’s new regulatory mandate.

She observed that the new region have fewer vehicles compared to tricycles and motorbikes crossing each other’s pathway on daily basis.

She said information from the Ghana Police Service indicated that every week two or more people died in motor crashes in the region, a situation that must be addressed.

Mrs Obiri-Yeboah is expected to interact with both Municipal and Regional Police Commands in the region, Transport Union operators, Okada riders and other private transport unions on safety measures on the roads.

Source: Ghana News Agency