Day: October 20, 2023

Friends, loved ones and sympathisers Friday took to social media to honour the accomplishments of Mr Anthony Akoto Ampaw, ace human rights activist, hours after the news of his demise broke. Mr Ampaw died at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) on Friday, October 2023, after a short illness. Scores of sympathisers expressed shock and shared emotional tributes, recounting his contribution to the nation’s legal and human rights architecture. Mr Kofi Bentil, a private legal practitioner, wrote: ‘Mr Ampaw, few have walked this earth with more heart, soul and wisdom. You will never be replaced. Rest well my mentor.’ In another tribute on his Facebook page, Mr Bentil described Mr Ampaw as someone who ‘quietly makes monumental impacts and walks away from limelight till he is needed again!!’ Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a founding Member of the New Patriotic Party, described the late Ampaw as a ‘true human rights lawyer.’ ‘I have known him (Ampaw) for close to 40 years, we have done a lot of political activities together. He was a great activist and a true human rights lawyer,’ he told TV3 on Friday. Oliver Barker-Vormawor, lawyer and convenor of the #FixTheCountry movement wrote on X, (formerly Twitter) that: ‘I am unfit to unlace Akoto Ampaw’s boots. His humanity will endure twice his life.’ Akoto Ampaw graduated from the University of Ghana Law Faculty with an LL.B. in 1973 and the Ghana School of Law with B.L. in 1993 and specialised in commercial law, company law, industrial law, litigation, constitutional and human rights law, media law, labour law, investment law among others. He was part of the New Patriotic Party’s legal team in the 2013 and 2021 Election petitions, which challenged the election of Mr John Dramani Mahama, and Nana Addo Daankwa Akufo-Addo respectively. As part of his human rights crusade, Mr Ampaw joined forces with individuals and civil society organisations that opposed the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill in Parliament. He is also known for his advocacy on human rights issues and has been involved in cases related to civil liberties, freedom of expression, and constitutional rights.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) says it is educating its stakeholders and the public about the importance of breast health to mark this year’s breast cancer awareness month. The education is to help girls and women to seek early healthcare when feeling any internal or external changes in the breast for treatment. In a news brief copied to the Ghana News Agency said COCOBOD in effort to extend its focus beyond production, processing and marketing of cocoa, is stepping into the forefront of advocacy, and dedicating its resources and influence to shine a spotlight on breast health. This move underscores COCOBOD’s commitment not only to the cocoa industry, but also to the well-being of the communities it serves. It said COCOBOD has initiated various awareness campaigns and collaborations aimed at educating its stakeholders and the public about the importance of breast health. It has also embarked on a social media campaign across all platforms to promote breast health and to ensure that its stakeholders are well-informed about the risks of breast cancer, symptoms and preventive measures. The statement said in conjunction with Cocoa Clinic, COCOBOD is offering free breast cancer screenings across all branches of the clinic for employees, stakeholders, farmers and the general public. This strategic effort aims to raise awareness about breast cancer, promote the significance of early detection, and educate individuals on the importance of regular checkups and healthy lifestyles to prevent cancer. COCOBOD is also incorporating pink-themed elements into its corporate identity for the month to visually signify its commitment to supporting breast cancer awareness. ‘Employees across the divisions and subsidiaries will be wearing pink on dedicated days to show their support to the fight against breast cancer and to celebrate and encourage survivors,’ it said. Through a multifaceted approach, COCOBOD is not only tending to the well-being of farmers and its stakeholders but is also championing a cause that transcends the boundaries of agriculture.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Parliamentary Candidate for Agona West on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mrs. Ernestina Ofori Dangbey, has advised the youth, particularly girls not to rush into early sex. She said newborn babies found dead in drains and at dumping sites were because of unwanted teen pregnancies. She gave the advice when she donated some items to the Mother’s Care Orphanage and Educational Complex at Swedru as part of her ‘So Mu Bi’ campaign. Among the items were bags of rice, water, cooking oil, assorted drinks and toiletries. Speaking after the presentation, Mrs. Ofori Dangbey, was unhappy that some children were rendered orphans because some mothers abandoned them after birth. She said teenage pregnancy was a major challenge because it rendered some babies who were not privileged to be adopted in homes, ending up on the streets. She further called on organisations and individuals to support orphanages anywhere in the country to give orphans hope and a future. Mrs. Barbara Arthur, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mother’s Care Orphanage and Educational Complex, thanked the PC, and urged others to go to their aid to provide for the children. She said it was commendable for someone to offer them support in these current economic difficulties, and the Home was very appreciative of it. She denounced claims that the home had closed, adding that all documents were up to date and called on other philanthropists and organisations to reach out to them. Later, the candidate together with some members of the NDC, hit the principal streets of Swedru with a mammoth crowd to rally for support and garner votes for the party.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Stakeholders in the Water, Sanitation, and Health (WASH) sector have called for a harmonised or centralised data at the national level to help make the needed inputs into the policy formulation on WASH related issues. According to them, data variations obtained from government agencies such as the municipal and district assemblies by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in the WASH sector, occasionally affect the input made, hence, the need for a harmonised or centralised collection of data. ‘In most cases the data that we receive from these districts and other entities are coined in a way either to lure you into giving them more because you are an NGO and they are not accountable to you’, one of the stakeholders said. ‘It’s better for us to have a harmonised database because if we have a centralised data where information can be actually taken, the NGO will not have to go and speak to one individual in his office,’ he added. The stakeholders raised the concern at a workshop organised by WaterAid Ghana in collaboration with the Resource Centre Network (RCN) in Accra on Thursday. Apart from having a harmonised or a centralised database, the stakeholders have also advocated data management capacity-building programme for government agencies in the WASH sector. Presenting the findings on the overall budget and expenditure for the Wassa East and Asutifi North districts, Mr George Yorke, Head of Policy Advocacy and Campaigns at WaterAid Ghana, noted that there were gaps in total budget and budget allocation received for the Wassa East and Asutifi North districts. According to the study, the Asutifi North recorded fewer financial gaps within the period of 2018 to 2022, as compared to Wassa East, which recorded negative figures in each year between the period of 2017 to 2022. Mr Yorke indicated that it was because the district was well endowed with a lot of mining companies who paid royalties to the district. Mr Yorke further noted that the financial gaps recorded, which were not peculiar to only the two districts in terms of total budget and budget allocation received, had a negative impact on WASH. In terms of WASH operations and maintenance, the budget for Asutifi North between the period of 2018 to 2022 was GH?382,290, with the actual expenditure totaling GH?231,310 while Wassa East had a budget of gh?3,029,953 with an actual expenditure of GH?861,881. Mrs Seyram Ama Asimah, the Programme Officer of WaterAid Ghana, in her presentation on the WASH budget and expenditure tracking, indicated that health department of the Wassa East and Asutifi North district assembly requested a budget of GH?4,290,435 and GH?4,213,591 within the period of 2017 to 2022 and 2017-2022 respectively from the government. With the health departments of both district assembly receiving a budget allocation of GH?2,941,348 and GH?3,159,732, the Wassa East and Asutifi North district assembly utilised GH?2,817,455 and GH?3,135,427 of the budget respectively. Additionally, the study also indicated an expenditure of GH?592,821 and GH?709,342 on WASH in HFCs by the Wassa East and Asutifi North districts respectively. Providing a breakdown of the expenditure of WASH in HFCs, Mrs Asimah noted that while the Wassa East district spent GH?27,500, GH?396,259, GH?52,135, GH?42,167, and GH?74,759 on water, sanitation, hygiene, healthcare waste disposal and environmental cleaning, the Asutifi North district had an expenditure of GH?206,223, GH?321,180, GH?181,938 on water, sanitation and hygiene. Meanwhile, there was no data recorded for the expenditure on healthcare waste disposal and environmental cleaning for the Asutifi North district. Mrs Asimah, however bemoaned the lack of adequate WASH budget and emphasised the need to have a maximum budget and expenditure allocated to WASH to help address WASH issues on the grounds. The objective of the workshop which was on the theme: ‘Strengthening Systems for WASH in Healthcare Facilities (HFCs) in Ghana’ was to share findings of studies undertaken by WaterAid in the Wassa East and Asutifi North districts in relation to the Sustainable WASH in HFCs advocacy project with stakeholders. Funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the WASH in HFCs advocacy project being implemented by WaterAid Ghana and is expected to end this month aims to develop the evidence base around safe water and WASH in HCFs to inform policy and practice. Additionally, the project aimed to promote and enhance civil and social accountability for WASH in HFCs.

Source: Ghana News Agency