Day: January 26, 2024

The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has urged road users to consider every other person on the road as a ‘mad person’ and be extra-cautious to protect themselves against accidents.

It said that mindset informed a person to observe defensive use of the road, which was crucial in avoiding preventable road crashes and saving precious lives.

Mr Mohammed Abdul-Samad, the Upper West Regional Head of the NRSA, who said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa, observed that carelessness of some road users caused accidents.

‘Don’t trust anybody driving or riding ahead of you, the person can indicate the traffic indicator towards the right but curve at the left.

Just see that every person on the road is mad, you are the only sensible person on the road, so when the mad person does anything on the road you can prevent an accident, that is defensive driving or riding,’ Mr Abdul-Samad explained.

He entreated motorists to respect pedestrians, especially the aged, persons with disabilities an
d children, by stopping for them to cross the road whether at a designated zebra crossing or not to avoid needless accidents.

Mr Abdul-Samad also urged motorists to observe road traffic regulations such as speed limits, rightful overtaking, using traffic indicators and being generally vigilant to help avoid preventable accidents.

He urged teachers to serve as role models to the school children by wearing crash helmets when riding or wearing seatbelts while driving for the children to learn from them.

He cautioned pedestrians to always obey road traffic regulations because they were also liable for prosecution if their carelessness caused accidents.

‘In road traffic law, we call something jaywalking, which is walking carelessly on the road, you can cause an accident.

‘It is punishable by law though; we have never heard that someone has been prosecuted for jaywalking.

Someone can get drunk, misbehave on the road and if a motorist knocks the person down, they tend to blame the driver or rider’, Mr Abdul-Sa
mad explained.

Available statistics from the Upper West Regional office of the NRSA indicate that a total of 143 cases of road accidents were recorded in the region from January to September 2023 compared to 95 cases recorded within the same period in 2022.

That involved 219 vehicles within that period in 2023 while 156 vehicles were involved in 2022, with 12 and 16 pedestrian knockdowns in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

This resulted in 45 deaths and 183 injuries within that period in 2023 while 40 deaths and 153 injuries were recorded in 2022 within the same period.

Mr Abdul-Samad attributed the increase in road crashes in 2023 to gross disrespect for road traffic regulations.

He, however, said the situation could have been worse but for the strong collaboration between the NRSA, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority and Motor Traffic and Transport Department in their sensitisation drives.

Mr Abdul-Samad said the Authority and its partners would not relent in their efforts to curb the menace of road cr
ashes by engaging in public education through the media, institutional visits, and public places such as market centres.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Nana Yaw Peperah II, the Chief of Sefwi-Akurafo, near Boako in the Wiawso Municipality of the Western North Region has identified the lack of educational and health infrastructure as a major challenge in the community.

 He has, therefore, appealed to the Government, through the Wiawso Municipal Assembly and other benevolent organisations to assist the community in acquiring such amenities to improve upon their living standards.

Nana Peperah II made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after traditional rites to introduce him to the community as the new chief were performed.

He mentioned the abandoned six-unit classroom block and the community CHIP compound which are in a deplorable state.

He said urgent steps must be taken to give a facelift to those facilities.

He pledged the community’s readiness to participate in communal labour to complete any government project that would be initiated in the community.

Nana Peperah II said: ‘The only CHIP compound here that serves Tiabante, Apromp
e, Kojohunu, Mmofranfa Adwene and Fawoman has only one delivery bed, no furniture or beds and toilet facility. That is a big worry.’

He called on the Wiawso Municipal Assembly to take steps to ensure the completion of the abandoned school block and renovate the CHIP Compound to help promote quality education and healthcare delivery in the area.

The traditional leader further advised the youth to avoid indulging in violent activities as the country prepared to go to the polls on December 7.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: The ECOWAS Court of Justice has declared the State of Côte d’Ivoire liable for the violation of the rights of Adou Kouamé and nine other Ivorians.

It has, therefore, ordered the Ivorian government to pay 50 million CFA Francs to each of them as compensation.

In its judgement delivered by Hon Justice Ricardo Claúdio Monteiro Gonçalves, Judge Rapporteur, the Court declared that the respondent (State of Côte d’Ivoire) violated the right to a healthy environment and health, right to private and family life, right to an adequate standard of living and food, right to freedom of religion and right of minorities to have their own culture.

However, the Court dismissed the Applicants (Adou Kouame and Others’) claim that their property right was violated, for lack of sufficient evidence of ownership.

The Court also declared the second, thirteenth and fourteenth Applicants in the suit as improper parties before the Court, stating that they did not present evidence showing their relationship with the parents th
ey claimed to be representing respectively.

The Applicant’s request for collective compensation was dismissed by the Court too.

In the Applicant’s case, one Kouame, village head of Similimi and 14 other residents, claimed that the State of Côte d’Ivoire’s failure to protect them from the negative effects of the mining activities in their community violated their right to a healthy and sustainable environment, and health, right to religious and cultural freedom, right to private and family life, right to adequate standard of living and food, and right to property guaranteed under international laws cited in the application.

The Applicants’ lead Counsels, Mr Rashidi Ibitowa, Ms Geneviève Aïssata Diallo and Mr Jonathan Kaufman argued that the Ivorian government did not ‘take measures to give effect to human rights protected by international law.’

They added that the mining operations have had adverse effects on plantations, forests, rivers, and places of worship causing them health hazards from polluted wate
r, polluted air, explosions, noise pollution and ground tremors.

‘And that their ancestral places of worship were destroyed by the mining activities including altars for sacrifices and they are of the opinion their ancestors are angry with them because their prayers and invocations were no longer answered,’ they said.

They also asked the Court to hold the State liable for failure to validate the impact assessment results of 2010 that would have resettled them, adding that the Ministry of Mining and Geology renewed the mining licence of the company in 2018 even though the environmental damage persisted, and the company had not fulfilled its obligations.

They demanded 12 billion CFA francs as compensation for the estimated 600 residents of Similimi, and another 3 billion CFA francs for the Applicants for the prejudice suffered, and an order for their resettlement, among other reliefs.

The Respondent said that following the exploitation of the mines, and the residents’ demand for compensation from the mining
company as well as complaints of adverse effects on water and human health, the Minister of Environment engaged its agencies like the Ivorian Anti-Pollution Centre and the National Environment Agency and that their reports led to the suspension of the activities of the mining company by an Order of November 11, 2015.

However, the company was allowed to resume activities in 2016 while implementing corrective measures, adding that periodic meetings between all parties continued until 2020 and that a general meeting was held in 2021.

The Respondent asked the Court to declare the case inadmissible, arguing that the matter was within the jurisdiction of national courts and that the Applicants’ claims were ill-founded and should be dismissed.

In the judgment, the Court which held that the matter was within its jurisdiction, also asked the State of Côte d’Ivoire to ensure the residents of the Similimi community located in Bondoukou district in Côte d’Ivoire were resettled in compliance with relevant laws .

It wa
s also to ensure a healthy environment was restored rapidly, end the ongoing environmental degradation, and hold the perpetrators responsible for the environmental degradation.

The State of Côte d’Ivoire was ordered to bear the cost of litigation and submit to the Court within three months measures taken to implement this judgment.

Also on the bench were Justices Edward Amoako Asante (presiding) and Dupe Atoki (Member).

Source: Ghana News Agency

London: Dr Martin Luther King has been honoured by the Camden Council in London through the United Kingdom’s first heritage plaque recognising the work of the legendary American civil rights leader.

The blue plaque was unveiled at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, where Dr King preached a sermon for the first time in London on October 29, 1961, during a visit to the UK.

It is mentioned in the church’s history, and six decades later is still remembered by people who were there at the time.

Dr King, born on January 15, 1929, was a Baptist minister and one of the most prominent leaders of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968.

London?s blue plaques scheme, founded in 1866, and run by English Heritage, celebrates the links between notable figures of the past and the buildings, grand and humble, in which they lived and worked.

There are 1,000 such plaques in London.

Camden Council, alongside the Nubian Jak Community Trust (NJCT) and Bloomsbury Baptist Church, organised the unve
iling of the plaque on Wednesday.

They said that not only was this the first plaque honouring Dr King in the UK, but was also the first commemorative plaque to be unveiled in 2024 and the first to be installed on a place of worship.

‘As a borough we want to do more to shine a light on those who have made a real, lasting difference in this world,’ said Camden Councillor Sabrina Francis, Cabinet Member for Young People and Culture.

‘It was an honour to unveil a plaque for Martin Luther King with local communities to celebrate his life and work, with the hope more people can learn about his crucial campaigning for equality and peace.

Councillor Nadia Shah, Cabinet Member for Voluntary Sector, Equalities and Cohesion, said: ‘What a fantastic day honouring Martin Luther King with a commemorative plaque at Bloomsbury Baptist Church – a place visited by Dr King over 60 years ago.

‘Ensuring our public spaces celebrate and reflect the diversity of our communities is a priority for us and why we are committed to h
onouring individuals from communities that have been historically underrepresented.’

Dr Jak Beula, CEO of NJCT, said: ‘Although Martin Luther King is a name that has transcended generations, I’m pleased that we have identified a space where he had a presence in the UK, and where future generations can go to feel connected with him.

The NJCT says it is dedicated to installing blue plaques commemorating significant individuals from underrepresented communities.

Since 2006, it has installed over 90 commemorative blue and black plaques around the UK.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has asked the media to give a total media blackout to Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson, Member of Parliament (MP) for Awutu Senya East, with immediate effect.

The call follows a ‘cold silence’ on the part of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Police over an assault on Mr David Kobbina, a journalist with Cape FM at Cape Coast in the Central Region of Ghana.

‘Having consulted with our partner institutions, including GIBA and PRINPAG, as well as senior members of the Association, the GJA calls that all media houses must give total media blackout to Mavis Hawa Koomson and stay away from her as MP, Minister of State or any other public capacity and position she may hold.

‘This is because we believe there are thugs, unreasonable and evil-minded people around the MP who pose a serious threat to the lives of journalists and other media practitioners. I must emphasise that we have nothing against the person of the MP, but we are scared of
people around her.’

Mr Dwumfour said this at a press conference in Accra.

The conference was to give an update on the assault of the Cape FM journalist and the general safety of journalists.

He urged the NPP leadership, at the national and regional levels, to identify the thugs who assaulted the journalist and sanction them appropriately.

The GJA President said the Police must speed up investigations and prosecute the perpetrators, adding that, the Police must also identify and sanction the officer, who invited the journalist and watched on whilst he was beaten mercilessly.

Mr Dwumfour said the call for a total media blackout on the MP would last until further notice and may be reconsidered if the NPP and Police acted.

‘We are following this case with keen interest, and we shall periodically review it and update the public on the same. Colleagues, we urge all media houses to rally behind our call and ensure that it has a biting effect.’

On Thursday, January 4, 2024, Mr David Kobbina was assaulted at th
e Central Regional vetting of parliamentary aspirants of the NPP at the Regional Coordinating Council by some thugs, numbering about 15 and wearing a branded T-shirt of Mrs Koomson.

According to reports, the attackers mistook Mr Kobbina for another person, who had allegedly insulted the MP, also the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development.

‘These thugs would have killed Kobbina, but for the timely intervention of some of his colleagues around. They did not care about the evidence Kobbina showed them that he was not the one they were accusing. That is how unreasonable they are.’

He appreciated the kind gesture of Mr Peter Mac Manu, a former National Chairman of the NPP, for offering Ghc1,400 to cater for Mr Kobbina’s hospital bills, after being informed of the incident.

The GJA President said following a news conference on January 8, 2024, to address the issue, the GJA served notice that if by close of Friday, January 12, 2024, its demands had not been met, it shall advise itself.

He said the G
JA also submitted written petitions to the NPP, both at the national and regional levels, and the Ghana Police Service, pursuant to the demands.

Mr Dwumfour said three weeks after the assault, no arrests had been made, thereby denying Mr Kobbina justice.

Mr Kwasi Pratt, a Veteran Journalist, noted that over the past couple of years, there had been repeated assaults on journalists by security personnel and party activists.

He said it was important for the GJA to send a signal that it would not tolerate such acts going into the December General Election.

‘It is important to insist that our rights are protected. We do not want to have another Ahmed Suale. It’s about time we sent a signal that we’re ready to fight all the way until media freedom is respected,’ he said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra: The ECOWAS Court has ordered the Togolese Republic to release without delay M. Adam Latif and 13 other inmates, who were arrested in December 2018 amid planned demonstrations and have been detained since then.

The Applicants accused the Togolese Republic of violating their fundamental rights.

Justice Ricardo Claúdio Monteiro Gonçalves, a Judge rapporteur in the judgment delivered by the Court ordered the payment of 30 million francs CFA to each of the Applicants in compensation for the moral damage suffered due to the violation of their rights.

The Court held that the respondent State violated the Applicants’ human right not to be subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment as well as their right not to be arbitrarily detained.

However, the West African Court declared the respondent not responsible for the infringement of the presumption of innocence, as the Applicants’ allegations did not contain any argument consistent with the meaning of the right to the p
resumption of innocence.

Adam Latif, along with 13 others, had applied to the Togolese Republic, alleging violations of their rights to physical and mental integrity following their arrests by state security forces.

They asserted infringements of their rights against torture, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, and their rights to the presumption of innocence.

The Applicants had alleged that their arrests occurred amid planned demonstrations in December 2018, spurred by the Togolese authorities’ failure to implement the Global Political Agreement, a reformative accord among the ruling party, the opposition, and civil society and the recommendations of the Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation Commission.

Despite the non-occurrence of the demonstrations, they were apprehended, charged, and subsequently inflicted with the alleged acts for confessions. They argued that these incidents, coupled with the extensive pre-trial detention, compromised their presumption of innocence, and depicted the judicial syst
em’s utilization for political gains.

The Applicants informed the investigating judge of the alleged violations and stressed that an impartial investigation should have been conducted immediately, as per the United Nations Convention against Torture. However, he dismissed their reports and their request for provisional release was systematically rejected, even after interventions of the Court of Appeal.

They told the Court that they sought the intervention of the Minister of Justice and the Head of State to no avail and that they were held in detention for political reasons.

The 14 detainees prayed the Court to order their immediate release and to mandate the Togolese Republic to carry out effective investigations to enable them to initiate prosecutions against the alleged perpetrators of the violations.

They also asked for 250,000,000 FCFA each in compensation for the endured sufferings resulting from the alleged torture, arbitrary detention, and infringement of their rights to the presumption of innocen
ce.

At its September 25, 2023, session, the Court dismissed the Togolese Republic’s defence submitted after a year in disregard of article 35 of the Rule of Procedure of the Court which requires that defences must be lodged within one month after the service of the application.

In its analysis, of the alleged violation of the right to physical and mental integrity and the right not to be subjected to acts of torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, the Court considered that the respondent failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 1 of the African Charter and Article 2 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to protect the Applicants against abuses resulting from the actions of its agents, since ‘it has not demonstrated that it adopted adequate measures to guarantee an independent and effective investigation into the complaint filed by the Applicants.

Also, in the absence of any evidence presented by the respondent to justify that the A
pplicants’ arrests were by national or international law, the Court held that the Respondent violated the applicants’ right not to be arbitrarily detained.

The three-member panel include Justice Edward Amoako Asante, Presiding and Justice Gbéri-bè Ouattara.

Source: Ghana News Agency