Day: December 16, 2023

Participants at a cross-talk on migration for equality and development have called for realistic laws in host countries to enhance integration and cohesion.

They said some of the host countries’ laws were so rigid and unfriendly to migrants that it affected their economic activities and called for consented efforts to loosen those laws to facilitate free movement of people across borders.

The participants were of the view that migrants have potentials that host countries could harness to propel economic development.

The programme was organised by the Centre for Migration Studies, Legon, in partnership with Migration Advocacy Centre, Ghana, a non-governmental organization, on South South Migration, Inequality and Development Hub (MIDEQ).

It was to create a platform for open and constructive discussions among migrants, community leaders and members.

Dr Joseph Obeng, the President of Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA) urged migration advocates to be careful not to blow migration issues out of propo
rtion.

He said there were rules and regulations governing every host country and urged migrants to avail themselves and study those laws and abide by them for social cohesion.

He called on the authorities to intensify education on the laws to clear the mind of migrants as to which areas they could operate and those that were reserved for the indigenes.

Dr Edward Asiedu, an Economist and Senior Lecturer, University of Ghana Business School, who chaired the event, said economic opportunities played high on the reasons why people migrate.

He said most migrants were highly equipped with skills that could effectively contribute to socio-economic development of host countries, hence the need for a conducive environment for them to operate.

‘As internal migration is very high, the same way its benefits and challenges too are high, but its benefits outweigh the challenges,’ he added.

Dr Asiedu, therefore, emphasised the need to harness those benefits for national development and south-south cooperation.

A simi
lar dialogue was held at Manson Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region.

The MIDEQ project, for the past two years, has been focusing on thematic areas along different migration corridors globally, namely, Gender inequalities, Poverty and income inequalities, and Resource flow.

The objective of these research was to examine how these processes along the corridor are stimulating the economy in the global south, and how trading is changing the pattern of migration in these countries.

The studies also explore the impact of migration, employment and financial flow on gender inequalities.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Promoting Women Mental Health Rights in Ghana project has helped to ensure improved access to mental health care related service delivery to 640 women, including alleged witches in the Northern and North East Regions.

It has also resulted in improved evidence and knowledge on reduction of stigma and violence against persons with mental health illness in the regions as well as conducive and enabling policy environment and institutional support for the implementation of the Mental Health Act.

These formed part of the outcome of the three-year project, which was implemented in the two regions with women at all the alleged witches’ camps in the two regions being the beneficiaries coupled with some women, who were suffering from trauma and depression in the communities.

The outcome was shared at the end of project close out meeting in Tamale attended by some beneficiaries and stakeholders of the project to validate a report on the project.

The project was implemented by Songtaba, a Tamale-based NGO, as pa
rt of the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie programme, which was funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office.

Mr Shani Abdul Kasiru, Head of Programmes, Policy and Campaigns at Songtaba, speaking during the meeting, said the report on the project showed that there had been an increase in terms of awareness around people’s perceptions about mental health in the regions.

He said, ‘There has been some response by state agencies to the challenges that are faced by persons with mental health, especially the women, who are accused of witchcraft. We have seen that the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has begun to put in systems and things that will further give protection to these women.’

He added that with the passage of the Anti-Witchcraft bill, the public was beginning to see that there was a policy change, and there was the need to also change their attitudes and practices to keep communities safe and reduce the number of persons suffering from mental health condition and gender-based violence
.

He said, ‘So, as a project, we are proud to say that in the last three years, we have been able to increase the discussions around mental health, which generally did not have some interest amongst certain stakeholders. Now, key state institutions such as District Assemblies are beginning to prioritise mental health by making commitments to see how they can put in plans and budget to address challenges faced by mental health patients, especially the medications.’

He said Songtaba had put in place a sustainability plan where it would continue to mobilise resources to provide the service as well as leverage on other local platforms for advocacy.

Mr Mumuni Fuseini, Northern Regional Mental Health Officer, said mental health had remained a neglected area in the country and lauded the project for its focus on, especially women accused of witchcraft to ensure their well-being.

Mr Osman Musah, Gushegu Municipal Coordinating Director, expressed need for a deliberate plan to encourage people or nurses to train as
psychiatric nurses for improved care for mental health patients.

He commended Songtaba for involving relevant stakeholders and key institutions in the implementation of the project, which was necessary to achieve the needed change.

Madam Ama Tilichi, Leader at the alleged witches’ camp at Gnani in the Yendi Municipality, thanked partners for the project saying it had helped to restore their hopes.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, has endorsed the nation’s hung parliament and said it should be sustained for a more effective governance.

In an engagement with journalists in the Volta and Oti Regions in Ho, the Speaker showed strong admiration for the present disposition of the Nation’s legislature despite the challenges.

Ghana emerged from the election in 2020 with a hung Parliament with both NDC and NPP winning 137 seats each and one seat going to an independent candidate.

The Speaker spoke of how the present state of the House served the Nation well, and assured of his personal commitment to managing the lines to the best of interests.

‘The hung Parliament is not easy to handle, but the hung Parliament is the best Parliament. The hung Parliament is one that we see can bite.

‘The earlier Parliaments were parliaments of multitudes and the roar of a crowd… and I will encourage Ghanaians to continue to vote their way towards ensuring that the two parties are almost equal numbers.

That is w
hen the national interest will take centre stage and not partisan interest. And I can assure you that the leadership of the NDC is with me and that of the NPP, they are with me in this. We don’t need to have any roaring multitude in Parliament again. It doesn’t serve the situation at all.’

‘As a Speaker, I should handle the divide in a way that I can carry the minority to pursue the business of Government.’

Mr. Bagbin commended the Minority NDC for sustaining the essence of tied house.

The media engagement formed part of a nationwide activity to celebrate 30 years of an unbroken democratic parliament, and more than 50 journalists, and other media stakeholders were present to seek clarifications on the activities of the law making body.

The speaker explained the rubrics of parliamentary work and its functions, and elaborated sweeping reforms that sought to make the House the most effective arm of the Government.

He said the transformations made ample space for the media to support the work of Parliament,
and had opened up all its committees to the media.

The Speaker called on the media to specialise, and asked media owners to allow their reporters to grow through Parliament.

Mr Emmanuel Agbaxode, the Volta and Oti Regional Chairman of the Ghana Journalists Association, in a welcome address, urged Parliament to push for laws and policies that protect media and press freedom.

‘For Parliament and our democracy to thrive, we need to work as partners. We urge Parliament to push for laws and policies that protect the media and press freedom.’

Mr Agbaxode stated that much had been done in that area but a lot more could be done.

‘That way, you get a trusted partner to champion your cause as individual representatives of the people and Parliament as an institution,’ he added.

Mr Bagbin and his team would meet members of the Volta Region House of Chiefs, Friday, before hosting a public forum at the Ho Technical University.

A mock Parliamentary session would be held in Ho on Saturday.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has asked members of the media to uphold the nation’s interest with utmost impartiality and balance.?

He asked the media to constantly try to maintain equilibrium, treat everyone fairly and refrain from caving in to pressure to follow personal agendas.

Mr Bagbin, addressing journalists at a Press Soiree in Ho, in the Volta Region, said that ‘without the media there can be no democracy’ and that no government could work effectively without the media.

The engagement formed part of Parliament’s 30th anniversary celebration dubbed: ‘Thirty (30) Years of Parliamentary Democracy Under the Fourth Republic: The Journey Thus Far.’

He emphasised the role that the media played in strengthening the country’s democracy and its governing systems and urged the personnel to continue to hold the three arms of government accountable on behalf of the people.

Mr Bagbin said the House understood the important role the media played in its functioning and had theref
ore decided to restructure to establish a direct link of communication with the media and to fortify relations between the two bodies.

Mr Emmanuel Agbaxode, Chairman of the Ghana Journalists’ Association, Volta and Oti Regions, congratulated the Speaker and the entire Parliament on the 30th anniversary.

The Chairman said that for the nation’s democracy to flourish, Parliament and the media must work closely together, noting that the media in the Volta and Oti regions was prepared to collaborate with Parliament.

He urged Parliament to push for laws and policies that protect the media and press freedom in the country… ‘that way, you get a trusted partner to champion your cause as individual representatives of the people and Parliament as an institution.’

Mr Agbaxode asked Parliament to make sure that all state actors were held truly accountable, pointing out that Parliament could rely on the media to back them in all of their worthwhile endeavours.

He observed that the influence of Parliament was not being
felt as much as it should be, ‘but what people do not also know is that our Parliament has evolved, and but for it, the country would have been much worse.’

Mr Agbaxode said the democratic credentials of the country and some of the good policies and conditions that make Ghana a beacon of hope and preferred destination of many were as a result of the role of Parliament.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Participatory Action for Rural Development Alternatives (PARDA), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), has reviewed its support to healthcare facilities in the Upper East Region for quality service delivery.

The NGO from 2009 till date provided opportunities for rural people to get involved in the development and management of Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds to enhance quality health care delivery in the region.

It adopted strategies to accelerate maternal and child health service delivery in six Municipalities and Districts in the Region, namely the Bolgatanga, Bawku, Builsa North and Kassena-Nankana Municipalities, Bolgatanga East and Talensi Districts.

Among them included effective community mobilization to conscientise community members on need to take Ante-Natal Care services seriously, encourage family support for expectant mothers, and ensured that no expectant mother delivered at home.

Dr Joseph Ayembilla, Board Chairman of PARDA, in an interview with the Ghana
News Agency (GNA) during the review meeting in Bolgatanga, said PARDA with support from Oxfam Ghana had over the years worked together to improve maternal and child health in Ghana.

He said the meeting, which brought together Ghana Health Service Directors, midwives, Community Volunteers from the beneficiary Districts among other stakeholders, would enable them take stock of their activities and strategize to improve on them.

‘So this workshop actually is to look at the strategies that we are using, see how effective they are, and those that are very good, we document them and scale-up to other regions in the country. Because we scored zero maternal and child mortality in some of the health facilities,’ he said.

Dr Ayembilla explained that the strategies were rolled out in phases, ‘In 2009, we were focused more on providing incentives. So between 2009 and 2018, it was basically what we call the hardware’.

‘From 2018 till date, we moved onto the software, where we get every stakeholder within the healthcar
e delivery system to act,’ the Board Chair said.

He said there was a lot to be done to improve health service delivery, ‘We are dealing with six Districts out of 15, so there is a lot to be done and we are calling on Civil Society and government to see how these services can be scaled up to sustain maternal health in the Upper East Region.’

Ms Mary Alemiya, a Midwife at the Zuarungu Health Centre in the Bolgatanga East District, told the GNA that PARDA had over the years helped the Centre to improve on maternal and child health services.

She recalled that ‘Before they came in to support, Ante-Natal Care attendance and deliveries were low. PARDA supported the Centre with a tricycle ambulance to improve our referral system, they gave us delivery items.’

The Midwife said through the NGO’s support, Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) were sensitized on the need to refer pregnant women to health facilities for safe delivery, and initiated a monetary reward system for TBAs who transported expectant mothers to h
ealth facilities.

‘With this initiative, there was some kind of competition among the TBAs on who referred more pregnant women and got the highest pay. This helped to make the work much easier for us,’ Ms Alemiya said.

A Community Health Volunteer at Sumbrungu in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Mr Gabriel Anaba Amitoriba, acknowledged PARDA’s contribution to health service delivery in the areas of transportation, provision of potable water and logistics at Sumbrungu and other adjoining communities.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Biakoye District Assembly, under the auspices of Madam Millicent Carboo, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, has commenced reshaping the Nkonya Akloba-Ahundwo roads.

The aim was to make the roads more motorable for the motorists.

Madam Carboo explained to the GNA that the exercise had become necessary due to their dilapidated nature, adding ‘it is riddled with potholes, and part of the stretch is eroded making driving difficult and dangerous for drivers.’

She said the second stretch of the project, which was a 1.4km distance, witnessed a facelift from the Nkonya Senior High junction to Tayi township.

‘Both works were funded from the second quarter allocation of the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF),’ she explained.

Among the reasons was to ensure that residents within the district get access to good roads to enable them to embark on their daily commercial activities without difficulty.

Madam Carboo also stated that farming remained the main source of livelihood for residents along t
hat stretch but the poor road had made it impossible for them to move their produce to the urban areas for sale.

She, however, assured the residents that their outfit would continue to take steps to reshape other deplorable roads within their catchment area.

Some residents who spoke with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) commended Madam Carboo and the Assembly for rehabilitating the road ahead of Christmas.

They appealed to the Assembly to continue supporting the various communities to bring relief to the people.
Source: Ghana News Agency